On Fathers Day, this past Sunday, a 2nd cottonmouth snake was captured and killed near the pool area here in our development. We have also had story after story of residents finding juvenile Cottonmouths on their property. The large amount of rain we have had as of late is driving the snakes from the conservation areas to the drier land. As the rain slows down the snakes will retreat.
The first instinct is to capture and/or kill the snake when this is exactly what should not be done. The first reason for this is the snakes may not be Cottonmouths. Water snakes, who are not poisonous, are often misidentified as Cottonmouths and killed for no reason. Second, Cottonmouths would rather flee than fight. It is only when they feel they cannot escape that they turn and open their mouths. If you see this YOU should flee. Third, Cottonmouths are not as lethal as its sister, the Rattlesnake and should not be feared in the same way. For a great short video about cottonmouth snakes click here.
As for protecting your homes against Cottonmouth snakes, it is believed mothballs or lime will do the trick. Beware that these both are dangerous to not only snakes but pets and children. Beware that one cure to a problem may be the cause of another.
If you see a Cottonmouth, or any other snake, the best bet is to walk away and leave them alone. If the snake is on your property you may call animal control to come out, capture and remove the snake.
Practice safety above anything. Which leads me to this ... some kids were throwing rocks at a snake in the pond behind our pool area. The snake, possibly a Cottonmouth, to take an aggressive stance and "charge" the kids. This is the exact behavior that pushes any snake into an aggressive action. The kids were stopped but the snake is now charged up and ready to take a protective, aggressive stand towards any human. This behavior needs to be stopped.
No comments:
Post a Comment