OPELIKA-AUBURN NEWS (Alabama) 09 June 07 Statewide drought driving snakes into the open (Donathan Prater)
Although they probably weren’t part of his carry-on luggage, Samuel Jackson had his share of unwelcome run-ins with reptiles during his role in the 2006 action flick, "Snakes on a Plane."
And while the encounters most folks will have with snakes will usually be a lot tamer than those in the film, Alabamians are beginning to have increased meetings with the fork-tongued creatures.
Despite the recent rain, according to the National Weather Service, central Alabama is experiencing D3, or extreme drought, conditions.
"Typically, we should have seen around 22 to 25 inches of rain at this point of the year," said Bob Jeswald, chief meteorologist for WRBL-Channel 3 in Columbus, Ga. "We’re currently about 16 inches below that at this point."
With those dry conditions, it turns out that people and plants aren’t the only life forms adversely affected by the lack of rain. Animals - and snakes, in particular - are, too.
"A drought can affect snakes in a number of different ways," said James Armstrong, a professor of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences at Auburn University. "Rat or king snakes may use free standing water to drink but can go a long time without food or water, so increased encounters people are having with snakes is a good indicator we’ve been in a long-term drought.
"The larger issue is snakes that use water as their primary habitats," Armstrong said.
The mud snake is one such species.
A mud snake’s diet consists almost exclusively of freshwater eels. These aquatic snakes live along the edges of ponds, where vegetation is found, Armstrong said.
"Unfortunately, in a drought situation, those tend to be the areas to dry up first," Armstrong said.
"As people maintain their yards and water their lawns and temperatures get warmer, these areas may become attractive to snakes that may simply be seeking out cooler areas," Armstrong said.
Of the 45 or so different species of snake that are found in Alabama, only about six species are venomous.
"So, chances are, the snake you run across in your yard will probably be non-venomous," Armstrong said.
Armstrong also works as an extension specialist, and he has responded to a slightly higher volume of calls from people who may have encountered a snake in their swimming pool or yard.
He said that if you find a snake in your pool, you might want to call in a professional to remove it. But if you encounter a snake in your yard, Armstrong has some simple advice.
"If you can, simply leave it alone," Armstrong said.

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