Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Since venomous are relocated more frequently than nonvens I figured I'd ask here-are bullsnakes as susceptible to death after relocation as some rattlesnakes? A lady my wife works with has a quite large resident bullsnake in her yard(for about 3 years) and is willing to TRY to deal with it-she's scared of snakes but if she decides she's too nervous she wants it moved instead of killed. I told her if she must move it I'd catch it and take it to a farm but she's better off keeping it there. Just wondering if it comes down to it, would the snake survive the move, or since it's been in the same yard for a matter of years would the new territory likely be too much?
My wife and I have already thanked her for not killing it(big bullsnakes are uncommon in the area) and she's glad for the rodent control but still wants to consider her options.

If she lives in an area that also has rattlesnakes tell her she can choose between the two! Inadvertently, the bullsnake can deter a rattlesnakes presence by keeping the rodents in check. Also remind her that the rodents will damage her property, house, and pass on communicable diseases to her family members which the bullsnake will not.
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Tim Cole
www.Designeratrox.com/
www.AustinReptileService.net
www.AustinReptileExpo.com/
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Conservation through Education

Tim hit the nail on the head; if you displace the bullsnake there's a chance that a nice big rattler could come by. More importantly, though, if you take a snake from its habitat and move it outside of its normal range, there's a pretty good chance the the snake will not survive. They are hard wired to a specific territory which includes hibernacula, feeding/foraging, finding mates, etc. Personally, I would talk her into letting the snake stay and let her realize she has the best mouse trap in the neighborhood.

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center

>>If she lives in an area that also has rattlesnakes tell her she can choose between the two! Inadvertently, the bullsnake can deter a rattlesnakes presence by keeping the rodents in check. Also remind her that the rodents will damage her property, house, and pass on communicable diseases to her family members which the bullsnake will not.
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>>Tim Cole
>>www.Designeratrox.com/
>>www.AustinReptileService.net
>>www.AustinReptileExpo.com/
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<
>>Conservation through Education
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

Thanks-I had already suggested her letting it stay, and she's perfectly willing to try-I already thanked her for not killing it. The rattlesnake issue is unlikely, we have some timbers in Iowa but not likely "here"(Chickasaw county)-The best I can find is they're fairly common 2 counties away-still possible, I know, but pretty rare unless there here and everyone who knows is keeping their mouth shut.
I already explained that the snake's the reason she doesn't have a rodent problem-she said she has a "pact" with the snake that if it doesn't scare her it can stay. Hoping to be able to go and try to find it this weekend just to see it, she said it's 4-6 feet long and if it actually is it's something for the area(haven't seen a wild bullsnake at all for a couple years much less that size).