Prairie grasslands were once widely scattered across western Ohio. Killdeer Plains, one of Ohio's best remaining prairies, is dominated by tall grasses such as big bluestem and supports unique wildlife including the eastern massasauga, or swamp rattlesnake. Prairie grasslands are among the rarest wildlife habitats in the state. Named for the killdeer, a shore bird, this area is part of a wet prairie that once spanned some 30,000 acres and sustains a tremendous number and diversity of native wildlife.