Snakes in FL or anywhere

[dawg53]

Rat snake is a bigger worry, like the yellow. Hunts during the day too.

Pygmy rattlers are a pain to people. Stupid things were all over the panhandle and only the size of a pencil.

At least the giant diamond backs, as seen above, were easy to spot. Water mocks ended up in the flipping swimming pool. then there were the bears everywhere, armadillos, raccoons, possums, scorpions, lizards, eagles, ospreys, hawks,... and the roaming gators.


Chicken paradise!

x2 You forgot the canebrake rattlers lol!

 

[WthrLady]

Totally forgot... oh and the copperheads!

 

[123RedBeard]

A little Western ...



Who made a bad mistake ...



Here is a bigger one, eating a small cotton tail ...





And then it had a fight with a shovel ...

 

[tarajane]

A little Western ...



Who made a bad mistake ...



Here is a bigger one, eating a small cotton tail ...





And then it had a fight with a shovel ...

 

[Sjisty]

We had an Eastern Diamondback in our chick grow-out pen a couple of years back. It was curled up in front of the heat lamp. Hubby shot it in the head (and subsequently the heat lamp, too). We've had many issues with chicken snakes. They usually end up headless.

This is the guy that scared me the most - in my driveway!

 

[WthrLady]

This is the guy that scared me the most - in my driveway!

Btdt!

And bears....so quiet!

 

[Sonya9]

Just remember snakes follow rodents. If you have mice/rats eating the chicken food then the snakes will pick up the rodent scent trail and follow it into the run or coop.

Also most snakes come out at night so be especially cautious after dark (your dogs too), the best way to get bit by a rattler is for you or your dogs to step/trample over one accidentally, or for a dog to try to touch them. Remember the saying "Don't Tread on Me". That phrase and a drawing of a rattler was chosen for the flag for a reason -- because it is accurate.

Most rattle snakes are not aggressive but they are defensive, they rattle to warn off predators. My dogs have encountered large rattlers twice in the yard and barked ferociously, fortunately I was able to grab the dogs and get them in the house before they pushed the snake to the point of biting.

Each time the snake has immediately left the yard. I do not kill snakes, and in Georgia it is against the law to kill any non-venomous reptile.

 

[Rooless]

You'll have more problems out of the yellow rat snake aka chicken snake. I've lost quite a few chicks, pullets and cockerals to this non-venomous snake. Here's what to do with them:

We live in south central Florida. I just bought one week old chicks last Monday and heard them upset later that night. When we went out to check on them there was one of these yellow rat snakes with one of my babies heads in his mouth. All the rest were soaked from the waterer being dumped from the ruckus. He was also wrapped around two more chicks. My husband went to grab him but he let go of the chick and bit him. My husband grabbed him from behind his head while I got the shovel. We lost the one chick but the rest wound up in our spare bathroom. As far as snakes go, we see more black racers and rat snakes here. There are rattle snakes, Pygmy and coral snakes around you just don't see them every day. Actually a 10' rattle snake was killed in the church parking lot behind our house in town. That was many years ago. Our neighbors one each side of us have had a rattle snake once but that has been in six years time. So even though they are here, we just don't fear them every day. You kind of learn to be aware of your surroundings. The biggest thing is to be prepared should you see one or someone gets bit. Most people survive a bite with medical treatment Florida has a large black snake called the Blue Indigo. These are illegal to kill or be messed with since they eat poisonous snakes. If it isn't poisonous it is best not to kill them. The keep small rodents and Cuban frog populations down. I wouldn't have said that before moving out to the country.

 

[chickmommy1985]

We live in North central florida and just lost one of our 5week old chicks to a rat snake. We heard a ruckus and went to investigate and found the snake coiled around one chick and the rest were hiding in the corner. Killed the snake but my chick wad already dead. Also look out for coral snakes.

 

[Rooless]

if you are moving here to Florida it would benefit you to learn your snakes because there is a king snake that looks much like a coral. There is a saying "Red on yellow will kill a fellow, red on black venom lack." Also, all coral snakes have a black head and they are deadly. Good thing is they must bite you between the fingers or toes and cannot just strike because their mouth is very small. Basically you would have to pick them up to be bit. Most snakes will run from you unless cornered. Only the cotton mouth aka water moccasin is agressive.