What would you do?

[APBT_Fanatic]

We don't have Rattle Snakes here, though I have found dead snakes on the riverbed.

If there was a wild snake in my yard, I would make sure all the dogs/cats were inside and then call animal control to come catch it.

Here is a picture of one of the dead snakes. It looks like somebody attacked it. Poor thing.

Does anybody know what type it is? (I have a close-up of it's head too, but it's more disturbing.)

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We also have Opossums, Squirrels, and Raccoons here. Oy!
There are Gophers where we board our horses a few miles away, though we have never had problems with them on our property.

 

[Angi]

The only rat I have killed that was not suffering scared me when I picked up a box after the ceder fires came through our yard and nieghborhood I freaked out and slammed the box down and swashed it. Sadley it was a cute forrest rat. When I find not venomous snakes in my yard I just move them away from the house. My rat terrier will bark at them, but he doesn't get to close. I think he has been bit because he used to be agresive with the lizards and snakes and now he acts afraid. He wont even get too close to my baby torts. Of course he is NEVER around them alone, but they are to little to roam free with out me watching them anyway. I don't know what that snake is. If it were here I would guess a Gopher Snake. They are very common here. It is warming up here so I see a snake dead in the road about every other day.

 

[moswen]

Exactly what Kimber says. I love snakes, and believe that wild animals should be left alone. However, I would not hesitate to protect my own...

double ditto. i love all wildlife and i want to preserve all of it, but if my daughter was ever in danger, i would definately choose her first!

 

[Tom]

We don't have Rattle Snakes here, though I have found dead snakes on the riverbed.
Does anybody know what type it is?

That's a gopher snake. Pituophis catenifer. If you live in an area where those are present, you DO have rattlesnakes in your area. You just haven't seen them yet. If I remember, you are up here in the desert not too far from me. I'll bet money they are around your area.

 

[APBT_Fanatic]

We don't have Rattle Snakes here, though I have found dead snakes on the riverbed.
Does anybody know what type it is?

That's a gopher snake. Pituophis catenifer. If you live in an area where those are present, you DO have rattlesnakes in your area. You just haven't seen them yet. If I remember, you are up here in the desert not too far from me. I'll bet money they are around your area.

No, we aren't in the desert, but just north of Long Beach. I have only seen those snakes (never alive though) on the riverbed bike trails.

Thanks!

 

[Laura]

A lot of gopher snakes get killed cause they are mistaken for rattle snakes. They can and DO imitate them very well. Even flatten thier head to give it a more Spade shape. Body type is different and no rattle. but its its a baby.. harder to tell for some. The rattlers around here have a black/white rings on thier tails. then the rattle. fatter body.

King snakes will kill and eat Rattlers.. good snakes to have around. Doubt the smell would keep rattlers away,, since they dont have the typical sense of smell.
I have had 3 rattlers in our yard that i have seen.. all young. one was released aways away.. the other two, i killed.. and feel bad about it. When On the job, i remove them and have released a few, but where? too many people.. I now call our rattlesnake guy, and we meet and he takes them for re locating.. works out well for me and the snakes!

 

[Angi]

We get a lot of gopher snakes too. I think I might have killed a baby one once because it was in my garage and acting like a rattler. I did feel bad about that. This forum has made me feel different about reptiles. I may try to relocate my next one, but you are right where? I live in a family community that is located in the middle of open space, hiking and hourse back trails. We have tons of snakes so most people treat rattlers like bugs and think nothing of killing them.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Snake season is upon us where I live and I am curious what the members of this forum would do or do when you find a Rattle Snake in your yard. We got our first one of the season today. I was not home. My son was home and he is not aloud to go outside when he is alone. He called the next door nieghbor, he was afraid it would bite one of the dogs. I am kind of bummed that I was not home. It was a big one.

Most people in my area kill them if they are in their yards. What would YOU do?

We have a big one (last time I saw him, he was nearly 5') living under our front porch...I showed him to the kids, so they'd know not to bother him.

Heck of a mouse/rat catcher.

Call him Diamond.

 

[Angi]

Wow. You are brave. I would be afraid I would accidently step on him.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Wow. You are brave. I would be afraid I would accidently step on him.

Not that big a deal...he's usually sunning himself in one of three spots, and the rest of the time he's under the porch, during the day.

We just pay attention where we step and respect his space.

Nearly all rattlesnake bites occur when someone is annoying the rattler (particularily @ "Rattlesnake Round-Ups")...they really will avoid us if we'll just give 'em a chance.

 

[Missy]

Call Billy the exterminator! I love that show.

 

[pebblelu]

We had a green mohive in our yard one day and I called animal control if they could come and get it. They told me to call the wild life refuge cause thats not there job.I never saw him again after that day. We have Cal king snakes in our yard so maybe they took care of him for us. I couldn't bring myself to kill it.

 

[Angi]

What is a Green Mohive? I have never heard of it. What area are they found? Are the poisonous?

 

[DeanS]

A younger Dean would've caught it and kept it. A wiser Dean would definitely catch it and relocate it...I'm up near the Mojave so it's pretty much a no-brainer

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What is a Green Mohive? I have never heard of it. What area are they found? Are the poisonous?

Green Mojave...most resemble a small Western daimondback...others a cross between a Western and a timber(an eastern speices)

This guy comes from the San Bernardino Mountains

 

[pebblelu]

I was told there very poisonous. That if you got bit by one you had 20 min. to get treatment.

 

[terracolson]

Praise the Lord I live in the city

 

[Angi]

I love where I live. I can deal with a few rattle snakes a year and It has forced my to overcome a major snake phobia. Today I saw two beautiful spotted lizards (I hope the are breading) and one fat black lizard in my yard. Yesterday I saw two roadrunner while driving. I see quial all the time and I have mountains and hiking trails behind my house. Sorry about my awful spelling. I wish this site had spell check

 

[DeanS]

I was told there very poisonous. That if you got bit by one you had 20 min. to get treatment.

If you want to keep the body part that got bitten, 20 minutes is about right...but you can go awhile before you would die...say an hour or two...huh, unless it's an Eastern Diamondback...they are bad news!

 

[Angi]

I don't know what kind we have. I think I have seen 3 types. My next door neighbors dog got bit two years ago. She is a Doxie and it took a couple of hours to get her treatment, but she was okay. She got bit on the mouth. They called me from the vet and said she smelled like the plants in my yard ( Rosemary) and to look for a rattler. It cost the a few thousand dollars. My dogs get vaccinated. Theirs do to now.

 

[DeanS]

Angi, refresh my memory, where are you located...if it's CA a dog would likely recover a Sidewinder or a Southern Pacific bite...