There is a rattlesnake round up in Taylor but it was 2 weekends ago. You just missed it.
Look what I found last weekend
ejennings, the next blind (worm) snake your son brings home let me know. My hubby works at the Abilene Zoo and I think it would make a great addition to their local fauna exhibits. Put it in a water bottle with a few drops of water on a paper towel and some are holes in top. Dont let that bottle be in the daylight, could keep it in the garage if its not too hot, and I will come get it ASAP. Its ok if you are not comfortable with that, but I got one a while back and it was damaged by my cats and did not make it. I have not seen another local one since. The one I has was about 2 inches long. Kathy
kathy- i posted a picture of it a while back when it happened. I'll try to find the thread and send it so you can see it. It was light greyish with pink. I didn't think it was a worm cause it wasn't segmented and it looked like it had scales. I posted the picture on here and asked that's how I found out. I'd be glad to keep it. I kept it on the fridge in a jar for a few days so I could show people. Of course it was dead. just one end was damaged a little.
let me know if this works.:)
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/769531/
Yes, it worked and yes, thats what is commonly called a worm snake. They are adults at that size and eat the tiny little what I call sugar ants. We would love to have one for the native exhibit at the zoo. Amazing little creatures. They do have tiny eyes and flick their tongue like any other snake. I imagine many people mistake them for worms and possibly fish with them, poor things.....Kathy
Very interesting tread. Intelligent. I'm a snake fan too.
ejennings
rattlesnake round up are almost always in early spring when the rattlesnakes are still in dens or just starting to come out thats when they go catch them.
Can anyone ID this snake ..It was on my porch this afternoon ...
Got a head shot?
My first thought is Texas Rat Snake.
This message was edited Apr 23, 2009 8:43 PM
Just this one ...
Yes, Texas Rat Snake. http://www.herpindiego.com/TexasRatSnake.html A very good friend indeed. I wish I would see another one of those up here. The rats have been bad in the last year.
i raised 3 rat snakes from eggs when i was a kid with my dad in Alabama. Fed them pinkies from the local college. We let them go after a few months of hatching.
This morning my husband moved a 4' king snake out of our backyard. Actually it's our "dog yard" - fenced area about 80' x 100'
Said he was beautiful and he put him just over the fence so he could head down to the creek.
Haven't seen any others since the 3' copperhead my "little girl" got hold of.
But I will tell you I'm trying to be much more cautious around piles of leaves or areas where they could be nesting or resting. And I almost NEVER go outside (in the yard) without my walking shoes. When I lived in Benbrook I wore my flip flops all the time outside.... whew! not here!! As if the stickers weren't bad enough... no ER for me for getting bit by a snake or a brown recluse. Thank you, no!
AND... note: my husband reminded me that while it's very cool we have a 'bumper crop' of lizards this year, and we're hearing a lot of tree frogs and bull frogs, it means 'dinner' for snakes.
This message was edited Apr 24, 2009 12:07 AM
The last snake we had when I was a kid was a king snake. My father loved it. It got out when someone left the rock off of its top. Snakes are good and scary just like spiders!! :)
Not all snakes are scary. I mean, who could be scared of this cute little face? :-)
Carla
what kind is that? Some do look cute- in pictures only- LOL
This is a Garter Snake. I was sitting on the patio last summer and he came for a visit. He's smaller than the picture suggests, only about 18" in length. I just love his smile.
Carla
I would be so excited to see one in my yard, that I'd scare it before I could take its picture.
It does look like it's smiling. Did you catch it or just take it's picture?
Denimangle, I actually think the rat snake in your pic is one commonly called an emory (Elaphe guttata emoryi) rat snake, they can be crossed with the common orange and red corn snake and are close relatives, not the common black rat snake in the link. Good thing about an Emory is they are much nicer tempered than the black rats, that have a nasty temper for the most part if handled. Both are very beneficial. Black rats are worse about raiding the hen house for eggs, get much larger in girth around here than emorys, We have lots of both here, and always welcome more. Kathy
raiding the hen house for eggs, answers why he was around ....
He should have been out front thats where the hen house is ...
Loonie1 he is also called a ribbon snake, I had a baby one in one of my rain water buckets last year. He kept coming back. He was cute.
We had a ribbon snake crawl out of the pond last year. My daughter screamed so loud it must have scared him to death.He was big.....but she was LOUD! Never saw him again! haha!
I do still wear flip flops in the back yard. I look everywhere I go. I know that snakes could be anywhere. Fortunately we have dogs on both sides of us. I think that's what keeps them out of our yard.....but you never know when you will find one!
texasgal77,
Don't count on the dogs keeping the snakes out ( cats might do a better job but they don't like to live here:)
I have a kennel dogs running around the yard all day ..
Hubby found another skin yesterday under edge of the porch.
Cheryl
Great.....thanks! We do have a lot of cats in the area as well. Mine are strictly house cats tho. I'll definately keep a look out! (I hate snakes!)
I have a coral snake in my back yard, about three feet long. He is shy and reclusive and I rarely see him. I won't kill him.
Filaluvr,
I had no idea that there was a rattlesnake vaccine for dogs! Do most vets carry these? This is something that I would most definitely want to get for my golden!
In your area if your vet does not find one that does. We charge, in Abilene, $20 a dose, no office visit and recommend the two shots, one and one one month later, then every 6 months after that. We have seen dogs get bit that did not even swell up until a few days later from bacterial infection. The owners are in disbelief until we shave the area and show them fang marks. Good luck finding a vet there. Kathy
I don't know why I felt the need to read all these post! I'm probably going to have nightmares about snakes tonight.
Just last week I was clipping some of the leave that were dying on my daffodil plants when I noticed the snake. Yikes, I took my tool I was cutting with and cut him a little bit and tossed it on the patio with the tool. I'm sorry snake lovers but it's me or the snakes around here. Anyway it was the darndest thing I ever saw, I didn't cut the snake all the way through. Low and behold something started coming out of the cut. At first I thought it was it's guts and all, then I noticed it was an egg, then another, and another, and another. Before it was over there was 20 some odd eggs laying there right beside the snake. Of course these eggs were soft and I didn't worry about them. I just left them there on the patio.
I went to work the next day and one of the guys told me the eggs could still hatch and that when I get home I may already have a bunch of baby snakes crawling around. Needless to say I got right on the phone, called home and ordered my husband to go out the back door and see if they were still there. LOL He said they were and I then BEGGED him to go and step on each one. He laughed at me but went ahead and squashed them.
My problem is that we live in the country on 35 + acres and everything around us is just acres and acres of trees, creeks, ponds, and woods. The ideal place for lots of snakes to live and be very happy. We always find copperheads every year. Last year one(copperhead) was in my little yellow wagon that I pull around with all my tools and stuff to work in the beds with the lawn mower.
I'll post some of the pictures of my snake and eggs when I can go to town and get the on a disk. Yikes, I hate snakes!
Ya'll can have all of mine, just come and get em!
Happy Gardening, hunting, and watching for snakes.
Marian
What a hoot reading this thread. I don't like poisinous snakes. My problem is sticking around long enough and getting close enough to see it's head and markings. I like the black snake as it kills rattlers. The other non poisinous are ok. The coppers and rattlers have to die. I have seen about five coppers in the four years I have lived here. Last year I didn't see any because we adopted a stray wild cat. He is still here along with a few others who occassionally come around. I will always have to have a cat to keep the snakes and their prey down.
My vet said to dose my dogs with Benadryl if they get bit by a copper. So I have a bottle of the liquid in their first aid box. I used to work for a vet also and saw many nasty rattler bites on dogs. Never lost one, but whatever body part that got bit blew up like a ballon.
I've seen the vets in my city with billboards saying the rattlesnake vaccine is in- so bring in your dog. Amazing isn't what we can come up with now a days!!
My son saw a snake a couple of weeks ago while mowing his grandparents' property (Waco, TX, in the middle of the city). He doesn't know anything about snakes and neither do I. It was near a large metal bin that has been used in past years as compost and is still partially filled with it. He said it was not particularly colorful but couldn't really elaborate beyond that.
I'm wondering how we can identify the snake, and (sorry!) get rid of it! He and I are both freaked out by them. I don't want to pick it up and relocate it but if we could encourage it to go elsewhere, that would be fine. Any advice?
LiseP
Moth balls are said to be a deterrent.
Snakes, even the poisonous ones are very beneficial overall, especially in varmit and insect control.
The main thing to remember in any encounter with a snake is to just freeze in place. Don't panic and jump around. They are much more scared of you, than you are of them - IF YOU GIVE THEM THE CHANCE - they will get away from you.
All snakes hunt their prey with heat sensors in their head and tongue. Your body throws out a heat cone, and if they are anywhere within 3-4 feet of you, they definitely sense your body heat. Being bigger than them, they will retreat. Attacking them, or threatening them is what will earn you a snake bite more often than not.
I have had so many encounters with rattlesnakes and caught many others. If you ever get to see a rattlesnake demonstration, or a roundup, you would be amazed. In the demos, someone will drag a rattler between their legs. They are totally encompassed by the heat cone. Someone else will walk 3-4 feet in a circle, and that snake will "watch" the other person walking, oblivious to the person over them, even bumping their head against the leg. It is rather amazing. So freeze, and let them crawl away.
Honey Bees, even wasps and hornets (not the Africanized) do not react if you do not react, or threaten their nest of course. They sense the tension in the skin or the galvanic response. I've seen little kids who have not been instilled with a fear of them, playing with bees and wasps, and they just fly away when the child is finished playing. My niece, and a cousin's little girl were entomologists in the making, and routinely would collect the bees on the fingers, put them on their shoulders, arms, etc. and let them crawl around.
Chuck
Snakes. We have alot of the rat snakes, big ones, that keep the little varmints at bay. My dogs are very fascinated by them, so hubby has had to relocate them outside the livestock fence on occasion to continue their varmint patrol. I think at least one is living under my garden shed now. We're OK as long as he keeps 5-6 feet away from me and doesn't freak me out anymore when I come out of the shed! I think we both almost gave each other a heart attack one day. Those and the tree snakes (don't know what the name is) are OK with me as long as they keep their distance, because we haven't seen field mice out here ever. I do worry about the rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, copperheads, and coralsnakes though. Mostly, I worry about my 4 kiddos, aged 6,6,12, and 14, and my 3 crazy dogs. It's a little difficult to explain to a 6 year old how to react to a rattlesnake, if they even recognize the difference. And the neighbor's dogs have been bitten by rattlesnakes out here. Is there a vaccine for people? I'm glad I read this thread since I found out that there is a vaccine for dogs (yes, I am so clueless). I'm gonna go see if I can get my dogs vaccinated for rattlesnakes. But what about the kiddos?
Stacey
I thought I knew a lot about snake bites, but a little research to answer the question of vaccinations and antivenom just taught me a lot more than I knew about snake bites, and removed some bad misconceptions.
They are not vaccinations, rather a series of injections, that help to desensitize the body in the event of a bite. The process is called mithridatization, and is only suggested for people in daily contact such as zoo handlers, etc. The injections must be repeated every 3 weeks to maintain the immunity, and is not recommended due to scarring and/or other unknown long term effects. Probably also expensive.
See below on how NOT to treat a snakebite. Growing up, the common misconception was to use ice or cold packs sold for snake bites - ABSOLUTELY NOT! Glad I learned that was a misconception now...........
The other interesting fact in the reference below, is that many venomous snakebites leave little to no venom behind due to "premature misfires" by the snake!
Antivenom therapy is the most effective treatment, but is time sensitive. The sooner the better, as it may not be very effective 4-5 hours after a bite. The other aspect is what type of toxin does the venom contain - Neurotoxin or Cytotoxin (hematoxin). They differ in the action of the poison - neurotoxins paralyze the nervous and respiratory system, while cytotoxins destroy muscle tissue.
Antivenom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antivenom
Very good info on snakes, snake bites, lethal or not, treating and preventing snakebites.
http://www.fda.gov/Fdac/features/995_snakes.html
Avoiding Snakebites
Some bites, such as those inflicted when snakes are accidentally stepped on or encountered in wilderness settings, are nearly impossible to prevent. But experts say a few precautions can lower the risk of being bitten:
* Leave snakes alone. Many people are bitten because they try to kill a snake or get a closer look at it.
* Stay out of tall grass unless you wear thick leather boots, and remain on hiking paths as much as possible.
* Keep hands and feet out of areas you can't see. Don't pick up rocks or firewood unless you are out of a snake's striking distance. (A snake can strike half its length, Hardy says.)
* Be cautious and alert when climbing rocks.
What do you do if you encounter a snake when hiking or picnicking? Says Hardy: "Just walk around the snake, giving it a little berth--six feet is plenty. But leave it alone and don't try to catch it."
How NOT to Treat a Snakebite
Though US medical professionals may not agree on every aspect of what to do for snakebite first aid, they are nearly unanimous in their views of what not to do. Among their recommendations:
* No ice or any other type of cooling on the bite. Research has shown this to be potentially harmful.
* No tourniquets. This cuts blood flow completely and may result in loss of the affected limb.
* No electric shock. This method is under study and has yet to be proven effective. It could harm the victim.
* No incisions in the wound. Such measures have not been proven useful and may cause further injury.
Thanks very much for all the info! I feel a little better. Ironically, I surprised a very little snake just yesterday in MY yard. It wasn't more than an hour after posting my question and I hadn't yet seen any answers. I was reaching for a small pile of branches that I'd left a few days ago. That'll teach me to not pick up after myself promptly! Anyway, it slithered as quick as it could away from me, but I also jumped back pretty quick! (And then wondered where its mama and siblings were!).
I tried moth balls to deter cats from using my garden beds but man, it stunk up the whole area and made it very unpleasant to be outside anywhere near that bed, so I ended up digging them up again. It would be a good solution for the snakes at my folks' house though, because it's unoccupied and just a big bare backyard that my son has to come and mow every few days.
And, I saw a product at one of the big-box stores that is supposed to be a snake repellent of sorts. It had various oils in it. I want to say cedar oil but I'll have to check again.
LiseP
Thank you for all of the great info Chuck! I guess keeping the grass mowed around the house and keeping the kids out of the boonies is about all I can do about the poisonous snakes. But now I have a better idea of what NOT to do if somebody is bitten.
Good information Chuck. Any snakes in your area of McKinney?
The picture is of the only kind of snake I see around here. I usually see these little green grass snakes 3 or 4 times a year. Though 3 years ago, soon after we moved in, I saw a small Texas Rat snake on the front steps. He quickly slithered into the bushes. I'd actually love to see more. :)
Mothballs have have found favor as trick under a pier and beam house for various rodents because of the offensive odor. Not sure how effective they are for snakes as they don't have a similar sense of smell like critters. Anybody know for sure how good it works?
Cedar oil in concentrated form might work. Then again it's not unusual to find snakes curled up under cedar (junipers) and cedar woodpiles in the Texas Hill Country.
Green Light has a safe for kids and pets organic Lawn and Garden Spray made with Thyme, Clove and Sesame oils that I found has worked good on repelling, perhaps killing mosquitoes. I use it before outdoor gatherings in the evening. Leaves a nice fragrance versus the citronella candles and sprays. If cedar oil works, in concentrated form around the foundation this might also help keep snakes out.
We could do this! A friend down by the coast keeps a passle of Guinea hens roaming around his horse barns and property to keep snakes away. As additional snake insurance it was a choice between a donkey or a llama - he chose the llama much to his wife's chagrin.
Sweezel,
Haven't seen any around the yard. Have an outdoor cat the past five years that tries to catch and play with anything that moves like birds, chameleons and geckos till they're dead, so that may help. Too urbanized in my area these days around the Eldorado Heights area. With the various creeks, drainage and flood holding areas close by I'm sure they are around though.
Yeah, we back up to a small creek that's dry part of the year (over by Boyd HS), so I am sure that's the only reason I have been lucky enough to see any snakes. The 8 years previous to this house we were in two other McKinney neighborhoods, where I never saw a single snake, lizard, frog, or toad. Now we have crawfish, skinks, grass snakes, and the very occasional frog (neighbor kids have found).