Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello! My husband and I are purchasing 40 acres in Georgetown County SC. The previous owners have informed us that there are rattlesnakes on the property, and he showed us a 14 button rattle from one he killed recently.

I have two small children, and various pets that I am scared will think a rattlesnake would make a great friend...My father raises snakes, and I have NO desire to kill these snakes like the previous owner did. I also have NO desire to have a company come out and 'hunt' them down...if they leave us alone, and stay away from the area around the house, I fully intend to leave them alone too.

However, if one decides that my front yard looks like a promising place to sun itself, I would like to find a person, or company that will remove the snake...however, I want the snake relocated or kept alive in a collection, not killed. Does anyone know a private collector, or no-kill relocator, in that area that would be interested in being 'on call' in case a situation arises where we need a snake removed? Please let me know. Thanks so much!
Steph

Hi Steph,
For starters, on 40 acres, you are more than likely going to find a few snakes here and there, especially if it's suitable land. As far as your front yard and near your house goes, make it as unsuitable as possible. Remove anything that the snake can hide near or under, and make it unsuitable for any rodents to feed near. Snakes will go where food is, so if there is a source, you'll have them. Make sure you don't have any grain or food that rodents may want to feed on. If you are on a farm, you're going to have more of a difficult time. They will provide rodent control for your farm, but with your kids I would understand your concern. There are people in here from SC that I'm sure will be more than happy to help you with ANY snakes you may find....it would almost be a gift for many to relocate or take a rattlesnake from your land. Wish I could help, but the 800 mile drive is a tad too far for me. Hope this helps and good for you for not wanting to harm the snakes.

I would also like to ad that relocating has been proven to be in most cases to be a death sentence. Snake proofing the yard, and keeping the grass mowed is the best and most effective methods. For more ideas check out http://www.austinreptileservice.net/whysnakes.html.
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Tim Cole
www.Designeratrox.com/
www.AustinReptileService.net
www.AustinReptileExpo.com/
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Conservation through Education

Thanks- why is relocating typically a death sentence? What about getting a private collector to keep the snake? Do wild snakes typically 'take' to captivity?

Your concern for snakes, include venomous ones, is admirable. However, the health and safety of your children are far more important than any snake! Read the snake proofing reference for your yard listed above. Securing the area around your house with a snake proof fence is a good idea for many more reasons than snakes. Get some cats. They will help control rodents and they seem to help keep snakes away. Check the reptile club list on this website and try contacting them for help. Educate your children about the danger of venomous snakes. Take them to a zoo so they can see what you are talking about. Finally, any venomous reptile found near your house should be permanently removed or safely destroyed. Snakebite is a serious medical emergency. The results can be permanent disfigurement, or death. Again, the health and safety of your children must come before the welfare of any snake.

I read the link the other poster gave me, but it didn't mention anything about a snake proof fence- can you tell me a little more about this? Cats are a great idea, thanks! I realize the safety of my children comes first, that's why I will make my yard as uninviting to snakes as I can, but if I can avoid not destroying the natural balance snakes create, I would like to- we have so much wooded area on our property- and I really don't want to go poking through it trying to drive them out and destroy them. I just want them to stay away from the house and the area my children will be playing in.

If you are concerned about the natural environment, you might want to NOT have outside cats. They are the scourge of all wildlife and will kill literally thousands of songbirds, small mammals, lizards and snakes over their lifetime. You need to be aware of your environment and not put hands and feet where you cannot see; if you start seeing venomous snakes, I think it is still better to move them to another "wilder" area. There is some good scientific literature that suggests they do not do as well as resident animals but it is far from conclusive. Most venomous snakes can be "hooked" into a large trash container and safely relocated.

We already have enough of a feral cat problem. If you chose to live out in a more "wild" area, then live with what is there, don't try to change it so much (introducing a new species to roam free is not good). Sure, there will be venomous snakes around, but give them space and they'll do the same to you.

It is amazing how much damage feral cats do every year to songbirds/lizard species (as someone else already mentioned). At the risk of ruffling some feathers among cat people I'll say the same thing on this forum that I tell my neighbors... "I don't put my snakes in your yard, don't put your cat in mine." I've seen cats kill lizards and run off other animals around my house and I really don't appreciate it. I actually had to stop breeding feeder rodents in the walk-in crawl space under my house because all of the feral cats in my neighborhood kept finding new ways to get in and mess with my rats.

Bobby,
Please come over this weekend and pick up your cats!

RB

ok ok ok calm down I don't want to disturb the balance, and you're right, cats will. I've checked out how to build a 'snake proof' fence (too be honest I see no way any fence is snake proof) and I'm considering doing this in the area the kids will be playing in the most.

Since the previous owner lived there and raised 2 kids on the property, I don't see it as a high risk area- I think the snakes pretty much stick back by the ponds, forest, and marshy areas on the land. I just wanted to have a contact that might want to come get a snake, and not destroy it, if the snakes do decide to move on up to the house area....

There has been at least one study done (probably more, but I can only vaguely recall one) which found that mortality rates for rattlesnake species involved in the study (presumably other species as well) were EXTREMELY high when the snake was moved more than 1 km from where it was found. In rural areas, this may not be a problem, but in somewhat populated areas, it can be hard to move the snake less than 1 km from where it was found without putting right back into someone elses yard. In these cases, captivity is the best option for the snake.

One of the reasons postulated for the mortality rates has to do with use of ancestral den sites. Rattlesnakes use the same dens year after year, and even generation after generation during the winter. If a snake is moved too far from it's home range, it may not brumate for winter, and will die.

I was thinking about one such study in which a three inch transmitter was force fed down the snakes throat before they were relocated. Another they surgically implanted fairly large
transmitters under the snakes skin. I think this in itself would cause a much higher mortality than simply releasing the snake without such invasive procedures. Of course then there would be no way of tracking the survival rate. Maybe as transmitters become smaller the results will change.

If there are diamondbacks in the area. The main problem is replacing the cats. But you do get much bigger diamonds!

Diamondbacks, Canebrakes, and pigmys....a variety

...seriously,they have become a very persistent problem in countless parts of the country.like was mentioned,don't have lots of junk lying aroun dthe property near your house-boards,etc...it's a reality down there,esp. in rural areas.snakes or no snakes,take the chance to teach you kids about just watching the steps when in grass,woods,etc...glad to see you cared enough to ask!
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"with head raised regally,and gazing at me with lidless eyes,he seemed to question my right to trespass on his territory" Carl Kauffeld

Hi Steph,I live in the upstate of S.C. and know a few people not to far from your area that might be able to help you out.Also during the spring and summer I herp the low country alot so I might be able to help you also.E-mail me at swampwoogie@yahoo.com and I will give you some phone numbers.Trey