WPEC (West Palm Beach, Florida) 05 August 08 Anti-Snake Measures May Not Work (Chuck Weber)
Another coral snake bite. Another family pet is dead. It's happened several times this year in Palm Beach County and on the Treasure Coast-- the latest incident this week in Jupiter, demonstrating the coral snake's potentially deadly paralyzing venom.
Barbara Boshoff and her fiance' Robert Haury are devastated over the loss of Loomis their dog. He was bitten by a 35 inch coral snake in the back yard of his owners Jupiter home.
Boshoff and Haury tell CBS 12 they plan on significantly trimming back vegetation in their yard, keeping plant beds weeded, and installing grass wherever possible. Their goal: giving snakes few place to hide, making their yard safe for themselves and their two other dogs.
We checked out that strategy with David Hitzig at Busch Wildlife Sanctuary in Jupiter. He regularly handles calls to come pick up coral snakes.
"I don't want people to be misled and think if they clean up their property, they have manicured lawns and sod, they're going to eliminate coral snakes from living there," said Hitzig. "I have gotten coral snakes from inside of people's houses, inside of people's swimming pools, in the most pristine manicured lawns and gardens, as well as those that are overgrown."
Hitzig says as people have built homes, they've actually created great habitat for coral snakes. In fact Hitzig says it's rarer to see coral snakes in natural areas.
"We've got lights on around our homes," explains Hitzig. "Those lights at night attract bugs. That attracts frogs. It attracts other snakes." And frogs and smaller snakes, says Hitzig, are the favorite foods of coral snakes.
Hitzig says dogs can be trained to avoid coral snakes and other kinds of snakes, using a rubber snake.
In addition to losing their cherished dog, Boshoff and Haury also have a big vet bill. The emergency clinic greatly reduced the bill, but the couple still owes more than three thousand dollars. Anyone wishing to help with the cost may contact Emergency Pet Care of Jupiter at 300 South Central Boulevard, just south of Indiantown Road. The phone number is (561) 746-0555.
Anti-Snake Measures May Not Work