Rural Southern Guys And Snakes.

[atsah]

Actually I wouldn't be opposed to laying down more pavement. I have to get rid of all this greenery I think, to many places for shade and to hide in.

 

[Gunny]

When I bought the first farm, there was a real snake problem, they were all over the place. No venomous snakes, but bunches of them everywhere. I cleaned up rock piles, stacks of lumber, a couple of piles of old roofing tin, then enlarged the mowing pattern around the house, barns and garages. That helped decrease the numbers quite a bit, but then a friend gave me a couple of neutered kittens. Once they grew and started on the mice, I rarely see a snake around any of the buildings.

On the snake repellent - the lady living next door to the farm was terrified of snakes, wouldn't even walk around here yard by herself. She wouldn't even buy a black water hose because it looked too much like a snake if someone left it laying on the ground. She has no yard decorations at all, not even a small flower bed, just keeps everything mowed down pretty much to the dirt.
I was at TSC a few years ago and saw the snake repellent so I bought a bag. It was raining when I got home, so I showed her the bag and told her that I'd sprinkle it around after it dried up. I was really busy the next few days and forgot all about it until she mentioned to me one day that the stuff must really work because she'd managed to work up enough nerve to walk around by herself a few times and she'd seen no snakes. The unopened bag is still sitting on a shelf in my woodworking shop today.
More than likely, she had been seeing the overflow of snakes from my yard. but she's content so all is good.

 

[JamesHW]

Instead of pavement perhaps a swath of well drained sharp gravel would deter snakes from crossing it to the lawn area. Could use some sort of the plastic geo-textile under the gravel for stability long term and it would cost a lot less than cement.

 

[EddieWalker]

Around here, short grass, concrete and exposed dirt will attract a snake to lay out and soak up the evening sun. My driveway at last light has had snakes on it over the years including copper heads and cotton mouths. Two years ago, when it was crazy here, I had a very fat cotton mouth laying on the driveway when I was taking the garbage out. It was a stalemate, it wasn't moving and I didn't have anything to move it. I went back to the house for my snake gun, but by then, it had left. Several copper heads have been run over on my driveway by myself, and friends. They seem to be the most common snake found on the gravel. Last year we had what was probably a young rat snake come across our back yard lawn, which is always cut super short, and mostly dirt right now with all the work I have going on installing a swimming pool, and it worked it's way right towards my wife and I while we where sitting by our fire ring. This was a little after dark and I have no idea what it was thinking. Before I can shoot a snake in our back yard, we have to get the dogs away from it. While doing that, the snake worked it's way into the ditch between the cinder blocks of the pool and the dirt. Two other times, something very similar happened, but the dogs saw it before we did, so there was real panic on my wife's part to get the dogs away before they where bit. Fortunately they where both rat snakes. And then another night we had one come out on the driveway, and got between me and the firewood that I was going to get for the fire we had going on the back porch. It never made it into our yard, and the dogs never reacted to it, but it sure surprised me!!! They are very active in the evening, and you have to be extra careful where you go regardless of how short the grass is, or if you are even on grass.

Again, two years ago, a friends 5 year old was playing on their back porch and somehow got a toy behind a flower pot. He was bit on the hand by a cotton mouth that looked more like a copper head. Cotton mouths are the hardest snake to identify. A mature one is easy because of how fat they are in their body, but a young one can look like a rat snake, or if they just molted, their patterns can actually look like a copper head. If you google image them, you will see a huge variation in markings and coloring!!!! They flew her son to Dallas for treatment and after several months, he was able to keep his arm. It took that long for them to know for sure!!! Another friend, that same year, got bit on the foot by a copper head while closing their gate. She was in flip flops and never looked for it, just another day closing the gate. It wasn't a bad bite and she recovered fairly quickly without any issues. I know other people that have been bit, and it's all pretty much the same. Lots of pain, lots of time in the hospital, and months to recover. When I see a snake, I don't take any chances, I kill it.

 

[atsah]

I would take it out also, taking chances is not something I would do. Identification is something I don't have a problem with, I look at the head and eyes more so than the body, although the body can tell you a lot also. From what I understand the Florida Cotton mouth is a problem in the area as well, there is a swamp across the street and they are seen close by in large numbers. I don't fear snakes at all but I also don't want them biting me, my family or my pets so I will shoot them with my 12GA if I see one near the yard.

 

[YanmarFever]

I killed a coral snake in our grove a few months ago, we also had a 16' python slithering along our cyclone fence at night. The nice neighbor who's a cop took a picture of it, but did not shoot it !
His excuse was to much paper work if he discharged his pistol. Also had a 5 1/2' iguana in our driveway for a half an hour, my rat terriers had fun with that one!
No rattlers yet...

 

[atsah]

Sounds like you have enough to look out for nevermind a rattler..

 

[Stimw]

The Cottonmouths that I have killed really lived up to their name.
The white appeared so bright that it was fluorescent!
There are too many valuable animals around here to let the snakes be.

 

[bullbreaker]

Down here we have what we call the legless lizard . I think others call them glass snakes . They are actually a lizard species I believe . They dont get that big , maybe a foot , foot and a half . They have the strangest round heads you'll ever see . They are harmless and good too have around . I have personally witnessed one eat a small pygmy rattler whole sittin in my lanai (back enclosed porch) .

 

[atsah]

Yes I have seen those, not in person though.