We are in the process of building our retirement home and I was excited about putting in an inground pond. We will be in a rural, very wooded area. I was told that I could expect visits from cottonmouth water moccasins. I have small grandchildren who will also be enjoying the pond so I am wondering if maybe a pond like the galvanized livestock trough might be less friendly to the snakes.
would like to have pond but worried about snakes
I would not worry too much about the snakes. The only snake visitors you will likely have are the ones that are in the area already and you just are not aware of them. A snake will not generally make it's home in an area that has a lot of activity from people. I also live in a rural wooded area that is a great habitat for cottonmouths and after several years I have yet to see one anywhere near my garden that has the ponds. I have seen an occasional garter snake, but they are harmless and will quickly leave if they spot you. I say go for the pond, you will get a lot of enjoyment from it and it will also be attractive to songbirds and dragonflies. I had a cardinal nest in the rose arbor that is right next to the lower pond this spring and raise several babies.
I agree, I would go ahead with the pond (making it safe for the grandchildren). The pleasure and wildlife value you get out of it will more than outweigh the chance of spotting any snakes. Although I must say I would love to see more snakes in my garden!
If you keep the approaches to your pond clear of growth, the grass well cut, snakes should not be much of a problem.
As long as you can see where you are putting your hands, feet and the foliage is easy to see around, the chances of an unexpected encounter is going to be much reduced.
I bump into cottonmouth, rat snakes, water snakes daily, usually they go there way, I go mine, carefully... through the heat of the day they are quite happy to loaf in a pleasant shady pond... in the evening they like dawdling about some.
It is quite a weird sensation to feel a heavy cottonmouth slither over your foot while peering through a camera viewfinder thinking about a snapshot...
Children could easily stomp or poke their hands too close to them when playing, reaching for a ball... A polite mention that mr. snake likes loafing in the pond and does not like having his nap interrupted might focus fidgetty fingers to be careful
Regards, andy
Hello, i have two small preformed (from Lowes) ponds with a bog garden in the middle...i have in residence for 2 years a "southern water snake" looks very much like a young cottonmouth (i was very careful to have an expert id him/her)...he occasionally takes some of the young fish...thank goodness, as they are constantly making
more! My worst fear of course is a cottonmouth..have had the ponds for about 8 years...no filtration at all just tons of waterplants , bromeliads, bog garden is snake heaven... i always have my hands in the ponds, for thinning down and pulling out dead water lilies, grooming aquatic plants etc. not had any problems..."snakey" has gotten so tame, that when he is bothering the fish as i feed them (swordtails) i can gently hook him around his little neck with my finger and pull him away, which of course upsets him (but he never strikes).I admit to gently picking up his tail to annoy him....and he slithers away only to pop up again.right where i chased him away from//. he .waits for me to go away...he is a constant fascination and source of amusement..as it had become a game..right now he is missing for a week...he goes on "walkabout" or "slitherabout" for whatever purposes. and always returns....this is Fla. and we have alot of critters! So i agree to be cautious but enjoy the natural visitors to your pond! sue
Weeds - had to laugh about your snakey. Our pond has a young midland water snake that showed up a few months ago. I hoped he would help with our goldfish overpopulation. But no... he doesn't eat them (not even the babies of which we have WAY TOO MANY). No, he just eats the fish food.
I haen't gotten up the nerve to try to pick him up or touch him yet, but he knows who I am and comes for my "fishy fishy" dinner time call.
jo
Thanks GeorgiaJo, I don't know how these snakes make it!! "Snakey" is the worst hunter i have ever witnessed...he actually dabbles his forked tongue in the water like bait...when any of the small fish come near he lunges...as quick as he is he never seems to catch anything!! They quickly learn about humans and food don't they.?..i noticed he/she was missing for a week or so, snakey is back!! have never seen him out of the water? A true aquatic snake...i enjoy it's presence! It is dry here, so Snakey is grateful for my little ponds i guess...sue
We enjoy our resident Eastern Garter snake here. I would be concerned if we had poisonous snakes locally. Fortunately in our immediate area there are none. I'm glad that so many folks here are appreciative of snakes and respect their place in the environment. The Eastern Garter gave birth to a live young one right under my feet last week. I'd gone out to the front pond to clean the filter, which is the snake's general hangout. Now, honestly, that was a bit of a surprise. My husband got outside in time to see the baby and Momma just before they went their separate ways. If I didn't have him as a witness I'm not sure anyone would beleive me.
Wow Snapple, that is so cool!! Ain't nature wonderful?! lol....sue
I live on water and we recently had snake infiltration. Seems I had thought it a wonderful idea to plant cool looking grasses by the water and guess what, snakes thought so too. They took residence in great numbers. I have now removed most of the vegetation. They have moved out. But I did so with great caution and carefulness. As we did remove the stuff we stirred up some fury in the snakes, they were not happy! A couple curled up and struck an attack pose. We had to shoot one, which I was intitially against, but eventually we saw no other way. It was def. in attack mode and we have many children in the area playing. After two days with no vegatative cover it still would not move out.
I was going to attach pictures but they are way too graphic. And to me it was sad to have to kill something because of my own mistake.
Dove, here in Fla. besides my harmless "snakey", we had a hatch of pigmy rattlers...every time i would garden there would be one! Needless to say i became quite adept with my pruning shears and shovel....they were so pretty with their markings...i was always sad to have to kill them...they would repeatedly strike the shovel...i could see their little fangs.. they were just too numerous..and at the time i owned a very stupid scottish terrier...with more courage than sense...they had to go...too dangerous....while a bite could make one very sick (i am a very allergic person)...it could kill a small dog...so i do understand! sue
Thank you for your posts. I guess I am a big sissy when it comes to snakes. I have decided to do a small pond/waterfall and carry a big stick. I have a chocolate lab and chihuahua who will probably think it is for them and chase away any living creature with any sense anyway.
Here's my snakey... Eating with the fish.
Nice photo, Georgia!! That is a very pretty snakey! We have had some rain, so the "ditches" along the back of the property..are full of water, i haven't seen my "snakey". lately,..i think he went on "slither about"...maybe looking for a mate? He/she always returns when the ditches dry out...i noticed there were tons of tadpoles in the ditches...so i imagine snakey is finally catching some food!! sue
I have gotten rather attached to this Snakey (a Midland Water snake). I really really needed a solution to my goldfish overpopulation problem and I guess Mother Nature provided one. At least a potential one - since I'm still not sure it's eating anything other than fishfood. But I'm not feeding anyone much these days.. with this heat. So maybe he/she is finally eating some of the little ones. Funny... I'd hate to give my little surplus goldies to anyone to use as bait or feeders, but I do feel good about Snakey. I think he/she might have eaten some toad tadpoles a few months ago, but that was our second brood (clutch? What do you call it for amphibians?). And we have some treefrog taddies in another little pool in another part of the yard; so far no snakey there. I guess I'm kind of proud that our little mini-environment can attract and support the native amphibians and reptiles. Ain't nature grand?
I'm interested in this winter - and what happens when the light freezes start and the fish go deep and semi-dormant. And to see if Snakey returns next winter!
Georgia, mine did!! He has been there for 2 years now...it hibernates somewhere then every now and then makes an appearance...i agree with you i get a kick out of our efforts in making a little bio-system that attracts natural animals...i still get thrilled at all the dragonflies, etc. that inhabit my little water world! sue
We have had garter snakes and brown snakes here around the ponds for about 5 years. This year has been notable because of the total numbers we are seeing. They can't get from the back yard to the front yard fast enough as I move around the gardens to be the same snake, so we think we have at least three of each! Luckily they are harmless to humans and pooches. They seem to be eating the small toads that hatch and develop during the spring/early summer months. I wish they would get the excess goldfish. That natural predation I could use.
Really nice photos BTW. My hat is off to all of you who find a way to live with the more agressive species. You are truly conservationists in the highest sense.
My mother-in-law lives in the country and often finds copperheads and rattlesnakes chilling on her front porch, she even found a rattlesnake in her laundry room in her house! She puts plastic Easter eggs out and when the snake eats it the egg breaks up and kills it.
Snapple, i would bet you had a major "hatch" and you are seeing the offspring...i don't mind snakes..but Bluesmaven, you have one ingenious m.i. law!!! I would draw the line at rattlesnakes in my laundry room..that would creep me out big time! i wonder where she came up with the plastic egg thing...that is amazing?! sue
weedsgalore, my m.i.l. was freaked out but her cats were moreso. Their litterbox was in there! LOL They tipped her off that something was wrong because they just stood at the door to the laundry room and cried. The laundry room was a couple of steps down from the rest of the house maybe that's why it stayed in the laundry room.
I have had a pond for several years now. Twice I have had water snakes. Both times they cleaned out the fish population (I only keep a few fish at a time). I live near the bay and cotton mouths are certainly around, but they have never come to my pond. I got tired of the water snakes and herons eating my fish. I finally netted my pond. Doesnt look as nice but I am no longer losing fish. No snakes, no herons.
Blues, How did she deal with it?? i.e. "end it's life"..i bet it went in there because it was cooler...my cats do the same thing for me...only they have no sense..they would have "played" with it and probably got bitten...
She screamed for my father-in-law and he whacked it's head off with a looooong handled hoe. LOL
Blues, lol!!!! way to go mom!! heehee...sue
Well, look who showed up in the pond today..."snakey" has come back after a "slither-about"..not the best photo i could do, but i tried! I give you: "snakey"!! A southern water snake. sue
Oh Sue - what a nice snakey. It does seem to be a cousin to my own Midland Water Snakey.
Actually, I was a bit worried about mine after not seeing it for a few days but it returned to our little pond yesterday. I swear it's starting to recognize me now - and even to pose for the camera. I took a bunch more pix today. If any of them are any good, I'll post another one.
jo
Georgia, i am sure they are related! They do go away for a week or so...but after two years, i think it regards the ponds as it's home..will also try to take a better shot...they do recognize us, as snakey it almost too tame. I can gently touch him/her and he/she doesn't even move very far away from me..i have gently picked snakey up...(doesn't really enjoy that!) They will sit still for a long time, i had the camera only few inches from him and he didn't bat an eye (if they can even do that...lol) You would have thought i could have taken a better shot..will work on it...people must think we are demented taking portraits of our snakes!! heehee...sue
Sue, here's Snakey coming to see me.
I haven't touched it yet. . I've been warned that, although not venomous, the bites do hurt, so I haven't quite gotten up the nerve yet. Maybe next year.
jo
awwww, georgia...show-off!! lol...great shot! Really georgia-snakey is much more decorative than the Fla. snakey!! The main body color on mine is black...the banding is more on his bottom...i wouldn't pick him up either (yours)...i don't know why i do these things? I am careful to handle him from the back..so if his head swings around i won't get bitten...this is what comes from being in a family of all boys...you learn to handle reptiles, most ladies wouldn't touch!! My book said they (fla. ones) can deliver a bite too...the only snakes i handle easily, are the tiny ring-necked snakes..they are very sweet! And i have quite a few here...
I have been following this thread for a while now. I put my pond in a couple months ago and the most wildlife I have seen is birds.
So, I go out today and check my skimmer and guess what is in it? A baby snake. Cute as can be, about 8 nches long and pencil thin. I was going to catch him but the little thing slithered out of the skimmer and into the pond.
He's a cutie - but, where is his mama? Do I need to worry about my fish now? He was a light color and seems to have rings. I'm not sure what kind he was or even what snakes are around here. I'm not afraid of him, but don't want him to eat my fish. This one was so tiny he was like an extra large earthworm.
I'm so glad this thread got started.
Crystal nurse, if he is that tiny i wouldn't worry about your fish, unless they are "fry". I am not knowledgeable about what poisonous snakes abound in Mo,? a baby cottonmouth would be darker in color, but not to scare you they have some banding when young. Do you have copperheads (poisonous) there, as they are light colored? You can call a snake expert, like i did...guys that sell snakes can usually tell you what it is, just by a phone description..A light color sounds like a common water snake, rat snake, corn snake, the ones we have been talking about. If it lets you get close enough his eye pupil should be round, not a slit.(poisonous) (of course what person in their right mind wants to get that close to a dangerous snake anyway? lol) he may just be traveling through if you are having a drought...most non-water snakes just pay a curious visit to ponds..and go on their way..always be careful...before i handled "snakey" i was a 100 percent sure i wasn't playing with a water moccassin..we have a lot of those in this state..in fact we have probably more , i have had to kill many pigmy rattle snakes too....i hate to kill anything, they have the right to live as we do..but we had a stupid dog with no sense, and we lose many dogs to snake bite in our county! much of these bites are moccasin bites as they like to be around our many retention ponds! I probably see a snake a week on my property.(usually black racers, which are very distinctive)..Hope this was helpful.. sue
Hi Crystalnurse - glad you joined this little discussion. Sue really knows a good bit - and I have been learning. Like her, I grew up with brothers, but we were in NYC so our snakes were a completely different species LOL.
Take a look here and see if you can ID your snakey.
http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/herpetol/snake/snake1.htm
Sounds like a Northern Water Snake to me. And yes, it will eat little fish if it can, but that's what it is supposed to eat. In my case, we have so many baby goldies that I wish it would eat more (seems to prefer fish-food to fish... easier hunting, I guess). It bothered me at first until I remembered that I had been hoping for a solution to this overpopulation problem... And, after all, it is the goldfish who are the "strangers" here. The snake is a native species. It bothers me a bit more to think it might eat frogs and tadpoles, but that's the way nature is, isn't it?
jo
I have been looking for my little snake but he isn't to be found. I've decided that I better wear shoes by the pond, no more bare footing it. LOL.
I also grew up with 2 older brothers, but they were babies - I was the tomboy. Once when we went camping my dad caught a snapping turtle. It was huge. My dad cut it's head off. I picked it up by the tail and chanced my brother with it all around the lake, it was dripping blood. It was so funny. I was probably about 9 and he was about 14 when I did this. It is one of my fondest memories - lol.
Snakes don't bother me - we also used to try to catch them at the lake. Pretty good sized ones, too. One I remember was probably a good 6- 7 ft long. It ran from us, poor thing. We didn't even think about getting bit by one. Goofy kids, we were! LOL
C.Nurse, any one that can chase brothers around with a headless snapping turtle, wouldn't be bothered by a little ol' snake!!! heehee...i guess the little snake was only passing through! sue
This web site should do the trick to help in identifying your new snake pal.
http://mdc.mo.gov/documents/nathis/herpetol/snake/snakes.pdf
Please post what you think it is.
Hey Snapple, what a great link! Found it most interesting...Missouri, has many of the same snakes we have...even the poisonous ones! Very good photos...enjoyed that! sue
Hi again, snakey was out in all his full glory! He is getting big! I have two better shots of this Southern Water Snake...he is so relaxed, that i actually picked up the end of his tail to put it on the lily pad so you could see his full body, he didn't move! Even when i had the camera practically in his face! I know most people wouldn't believe this, but it is a true fact..even lightly petted his back! This is probably not a good thing to do to get him not wary of humans..but i am the only human in his life...and he lives in my private little ponds.he is the most relaxed wild snake i have ever seen!!! He continues to hunt my overpopulation of swordtails...they need to be culled as you can see...even after having a back rub, he doesn't let it interfere with hunting! lol...sue
Here is "snakey's" full body portrait, note the awkward tail angle...as i had lifted that part out of the water and laid it on the waterlily pad....i am always aware of the business end of this little snake...believe me...he is the worst hunter i have ever witnessed...but he must be catching something, he lunges and lunges and no fish! But he stays there so he must be catching something?
Really nice pictures. i still haven't touched our little guy, but he sure recognizes me and comes close to the camera. I haven't seen our snakey catch anything yet either (except for fish food), but (like his southern cousin) he keeps lunging and lunging
Wow! That is sooo neat. I'm impressed. It's so good to hear of folks co-existing with wildlife when they can. Our snakes are quite shy. No posing for the family album around here. Whe I spot them they are gone in a flash. We have found a couple of skins thay have shed.