Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was reading one of FR's posts and it got me thinking about the ways we go out looking for snakes in the field.

I've never been a big fan of AC, but that is directly related to me never using it, ever. I'm sure I'd love it if I had fields full of it and found tons of snakes under it.

Anyways, FR was "talking" about "pristine" conditions usually involving human refuge and junk piles(or maybe I'm misinterpreting?). However, despite what one might think, I don't know of any good places like this where I can poke around here in Tennessee. Yes, I'm sure there are tons, but I simply don't know them.....yet.

I do enjoy herping in the woods and forests though. My question is this: Have any good herping tips for finding kings? Or any snakes for that matter?

I swear, I made a point to go looking for snakes at least once of every week last year....a couple times a week in the Spring, Summer, and Late Fall. However, I never find anything. I found four snakes last year: a woodland rat, a Leptotyphlops species, a Timber Rattlesnake(almost stepped on it in the Smokey Mountains), and a Northern Copperhead. I consider myself to be a good herper, as I have no problem finding turtles, skinks, and salamanders, but it's truly a rare thing for me to find a snake.

And I don't know any good roads to "cruise" either. I'm only 20 years old and I moved here about a year ago so I'm not too familiar with the roads and locations yet.

Anyways, feel free to share some good field tips. Maybe you have some pre-herping rituals that work? Perhaps you use Rat Cologne? Whatever, I'm sick of never finding anything....especially when I hear stories from FR where he can find 10 Gilas a day!
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1.0.0 Lampropeltis getula holbrooki
0.1.0 Lampropeltis getula californae
0.0.1 Lampropeltis getula nigra
1.0.0 Lampropeltis mexicana thayeri
2.3.0 Eublapharis macularius macularius
0.0.2 Rhacodactylus ciliatus
0.1.0 Gerrhosaurus major major

Haha, I'm also 20 and have a difficult time finding any snakes. Last year was a record for me, and I think I might have found eight snakes total. Only found three kings my entire life (two here in California and then a beautiful Speckled King in the heart of Cajun Country). I am a full time student and therefore can't usually go out on a whim whenever the weather is just right, but I don't think that accounts for all of it... I must give off some kind of anti-snake energy field when I go out looking.

I think part of it is just finding suitable habitat - everyone here talks about finding snakes under trash piles or other artificial cover, but there's none of that at all around here. All the open space in my county is kept meticulously debris-free so it looks good for the hikers/bikers (which, by the way, there are tons of everywhere I try to go herping). They even clear away dead trees because it might spread diseases to other trees or something. Everywhere that has artificial cover is private property right near someone's house, so it's not like I can hop their fence and dive in.

If I'm lucky I might find a place that has some good rocks to turn over (that's where I've found most snakes in the past), but where are all these mythical trash piles people speak of? Also, I read about people laying their own cover out in nature... How do you get it out there without being seen by others? And how does it not get removed/disturbed by other people?
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- Natalie
(San Francisco Bay Area)

I've never seen a single snake on a road before, either. So much for road cruising.

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- Natalie
(San Francisco Bay Area)

Think about where you were when you found that speck, what does it need to survive...Frank said kings have relatively thin skin or scales, what where would it need to be to protect it from whatever desiccates it? Find nearby water, find food sources, then look around for the cover, if you live where it is rocky, flip rocks,(put 'em back!) if it is forested, roll logs, (put 'em back!), if it is sandy, search the dune lines and usually you will find burrows of other animals they utilize. Their are trash dumps around all major cities, you know, someone doesn't want to pay to dump it so they dump it, usually on the outskirts of town, heck, in major cities it could be a vacant lot or two that is slightly overgrown. Do you check early and late or do you get up late, lol! Drizzly warm spring nights are usually good for roads, find ones with little traffic, pick a stretch of 2-3 miles and cruise it several times before moving on. Dusk is a great time. In summer, many herps go nocturnal. You have to switch your efforts, I target one species and usually end up finding everything but! After a while, you get a feeling for movement of certain species. Keep at it, find other people that share your interest and go as a team.

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Todd Hughes

Haha, I was actually just walking around in the yard of an empty house (the man who lived there died a few months prior) that backed onto a bayou, and snake was just sitting on a partially-submerged rock. There really didn't seem to be much cover in the immediate vicinity besides a bush or two.

I think I just lucked out on finding that king. It got my hopes up, and I managed to find some empty lots with debris to look under but I still didn't find any other snakes for the rest of the week I was down there.
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- Natalie
(San Francisco Bay Area)

Thanks for the suggestions!

As I said before, I've usually avoided AC, but that's mainly due to lack of availability around here. I do see them though, around the outskirts of Knoxville, but for the most part everything is pretty cleaned up.

I must admit I've probably avoided asking for permission to access such land due to the belief that the last thing a farmer/private landowner wants is some kid poking around his property. Plus I really don't put it past some places not to be growing other types of plants that perhaps they don't want anyone knowing about. And simply not asking.........well that's not an option and I really don't feel like getting shot(cannot stress this point enough).

Although, the University has not asked me to do an independent study or even correlated work with anyone concerning Serpentes in TN, just crediting myself as a Bio student interested in local fauna might be worth a shot.

By the way, all(but one) my animals are either bought or were given to me. The Speckled was given to me from a good friend that found out she was having a baby, and she needed to downsize her collection. The only snake that was W/C is the black king, and that was given o me by my boss/professor/herpetologist because he couldn't get it to eat.........I'll most likely be giving it back once it's reliably and consistently eating whole pinkies without hesitation.
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1.0.0 Lampropeltis getula holbrooki
0.1.0 Lampropeltis getula californae
0.0.1 Lampropeltis getula nigra
1.0.0 Lampropeltis mexicana thayeri
2.3.0 Eublapharis macularius macularius
0.0.2 Rhacodactylus ciliatus
0.1.0 Gerrhosaurus major major

A friend who usually hunts in Florida was in Nashville and found a black king, a black rat, and a few other things just shining a rock cut in the city.

Just about every area of Tennessee I've been through was mountainous. I've had luck seeing salamanders and turtles in the mountains of NC, but not snakes. Try getting out into some flatter areas. Agricultural areas will have fallen tin from barns, and often abandoned buildings. These can be good areas to hunt for snakes, but are often low in diversity. In my experience, agricultural areas will have 2-5 common species of snakes. King snakes and rat snakes seem to be especially fond of agriculture.

You can try roadcruising through forests and fields on warm, humid nights. These conditions may not exist in some areas of Tennessee. Roadcruising in the late afternoon into the early part of the night will usually produce a few snakes just about anywhere if the conditions are right.

That's what everybody keeps saying: Look in fields and open areas" , but whenever I find a snakes it's always in extreme local elevations.

I think the thing that really frustrates me is that I can't find a snake while I am looking for a snake........it's always when I least expect it or when I'm not prepared for it(If I had actually stepped on that Timber I would have had venom in me, out of cell phone range, and about 7 miles from the ranger station....how far from a hospital I have no clue).

But I KNOW they are here. Everyone I talk to says they have plenty of luck......funny how it disappears when we go herping together. One of my friends was even swimming in a lake, decided to lift up a rock, and found a 2-headed ring-neck snake!

I did find one snake on the road last year, but pathetically it was while backing out of my driveway.....I stopped. That's another (good)thing though..........I don't think I have seen one more than 5 DORs since I have been here.
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1.0.0 Lampropeltis getula holbrooki
0.1.0 Lampropeltis getula californae
0.0.1 Lampropeltis getula nigra
1.0.0 Lampropeltis mexicana thayeri
2.3.0 Eublapharis macularius macularius
0.0.2 Rhacodactylus ciliatus
0.1.0 Gerrhosaurus major major

You think you know stuff, but you actually don't.

Where do you live. It sounds close to where I once lived. I lived in Seymour, hope i spelled that right, its halfway between knox and Serverville, hmmmm hope i spelled that right to. Then on to the gatlinburg.

A couple of things, lifting rocks ruins the rocks for the snakes. So giving you advice on how to find snakes is not all that likely, because you will most likely destroy the areas you go to. Yes, when I was your age, I did what your doing.

The advice I can give is. listen to your friends, the farms and fields have a zillion times more snakes and its not natural, so there is only so much harm disturbing manmade areas.

Let me explain, if a giant alien came to your house and lifted the roof off, then picked you up and played with you, and poking around your bum(trying to sex you) then puts you back in your house, then put the roof back, sort of. WHAT WOULD YOU DO. Yes a simple analogy. What would you do?

You would try to fight, naw, you would crap your pants, then when the alien left, you would catch a train to detroit or somewhere far away. Sir, that is call, fight or flight. That is exactly what snakes do. What that means is, you cannot disturb where you find them, or they will not go back there.

So what are you to do. How about looking. Just look. what that means is, instead of flipping rocks and all manner of stuff, try picking areas, and scanning every stinking inch of it. And when you see a snake, DO NOT SCARE IT OR TOUCH IT. If you do that, you can go back and find it again, then again, then again. If you touch it. You may find it again, but that would be very lucky.

Learn what temps snakes like. Many of you keep your snakes in the mid eighties. Funny thing, most wild snakes, particularly anything not around water, are rare at air temps over 75F. In fact, a nice cold day in the high fifties and low sixites, is PERFECT for seeing snakes out in the day. Of course you need hot days if you want to find snakes at night.

Have patience, hmmmmmm I forgot, I am talking to a 20 year old. Ok, have as much as you can. That other poster hit the nail on the head, snakes are all over the friggin place and common in towns and cities. You do not need pristine. That is where they are the most restricted and fit the best, which means, your less likely to find them.

Please consider the snakes, the problem is not you, its a million people like you. You see, you most likely do little harm, the trouble is, there are a million doing what your doing. And as you know, snake populations are more and more restricted by humans.

Take a camera touch them with only the camera and show us some pics, good luck.

"Take a camera touch them with only the camera and show us some pics, good luck"
I believe that is all that is legal in TN without permit...

I was in Sevierville and Gatlinburg and Jefferson City areas and saw little but was there mostly in cold times.
I did see a dor black rat near Panther Ridge.
There are plenty of places to flip stuff and visible from the interstate in those areas.
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

crimsonking.piczo.com/

Hah! FR, I would love to just observe them in their habitat......I just can't find them to begin with!

I just picked up a Thayeri King from a guy in Seymour last week by the way.........although I'm not familiar with the immediate area. Like, I said there are probably some good places here and I'm just not finding them.

I really don't go lifting up everything in sight.....I might lift up the occasional log that looks promising, but I enjoy the other aspects of nature besides just herps. Usually that means I simply walk a few miles through the woods and and just try to appreciate everything.........that's how I've found most of the snakes.
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1.0.0 Lampropeltis getula holbrooki
0.1.0 Lampropeltis getula californae
0.0.1 Lampropeltis getula nigra
1.0.0 Lampropeltis mexicana thayeri
2.3.0 Eublapharis macularius macularius
0.0.2 Rhacodactylus ciliatus
0.1.0 Gerrhosaurus major major

Where you look, when you look, how you look and what you are looking for are all factors in finding snakes. Each snake of every size and species has particular micro niches for every part of its life cycle, most far out of the reach of most herpers.
At 20, you have to admit to knowing NOTHING(its hard but true). There are many books written on the subject and each will likely give you a clue. Of course the best way is to listen and read everyone then use that info and apply it to your specific location and quest. Most successful herpers have failed just like you but LEARN from it. Remember the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result!
The techniques used in TX or MA or CA may not work as well for the species or habitat you can hunt in TN. Here are some hints to increase your chances:

Get up in the morning--not easy I know, alot of snakes move within an hour of sunrise. South facing slopes get first and the most light.
Be in tune with weather systems--when you do find what you are looking for examine the weather/humidity/temps the days leading to it. Keep records if you have to.
Do your HOMEWORK--using TOPO maps(or the latest equivalent,lol), researching county records, examining preserved zoological specimens, reading books, and above all spend as much time in the field as possible....DONT look for us to help you if you dont want to help yourself. Off season homework...
AC cover--private landowners are usually cool with you if you ASK PERMISSION first, dont be nervous talking to strangers is part of growing up. Many times even if posted when approached the right way a landowner will gratiously grant permission. Of course this doesnt always work if you are all tatted and a bone through your nose. The worst they can say is NO right? Many times the AC is already there....you just have to lay it out to make it "snake friendly".
Figure out where the animal is in the food chain--big snakes(kings,rats etc)in many locales are top predators so disturbing their habitat(AC) can actually have BENEFITS. Hint-set up areas that are both beneficial to prey and predator avoidant.

There are a million ways to catch a million snakes, I found 18 eastern milks in 2 hours on a 50 degree day this October with the wind blowing 25 knots! Why?? Well thats the million dollar question, figure that out and you will likely find snakes every time out! Its all about increasing your odds...Good luck!

It's not that I'm not good at finding snakes, it's that I simply cannot find them here and now. When I was small I would find hundreds of snakes during the Spring and Summer. As far as "not knowing anything" goes, I understand where that statement is coming from, but I've been an avid herper since I was 10. I've had great success over past years, but Knoxville has proved ,er, different. FR, maybe you turned over too many rocks while you were here LOL!. ...I used to live about an hour and a half away from where I'm located now(Chattanooga).

I try to read any piece of literature I get can get a hold of. As far as I know, I'm probably one of the only preteens that found it fun memorizing scientific names of different species and their behaviors/locations-habitats/etc on a daily basis. As of right now, I am an undergrad but full-time caretaker in the University of TN's Herpetology "lab"............so I dare say an effort is made to learn.

I do try to time my herping in the early morning or right before dusk, and I have tried other times throughout the day too. I heard that after dusk can be successful during warmer nights, but haven't tried that yet but will once the weather permits?---Anybody concure/refute?

Most of the foothills I visit have very distinct "faces", but I must admit that I haven't paid much attention to what I find and where I find it.....................perhaps a field logbook is in order.

Can somebody kindly elaborate on what kinda of micro-dwellings are likely to attract prey, but repel predation?

Thanks guys
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1.0.0 Lampropeltis getula holbrooki
0.1.0 Lampropeltis getula californae
0.0.1 Lampropeltis getula nigra
1.0.0 Lampropeltis mexicana thayeri
2.3.0 Eublapharis macularius macularius
0.0.2 Rhacodactylus ciliatus
0.1.0 Gerrhosaurus major major

All AC is good. It creates habitat that heats quicker and provides shelter from most predators. While you say you cant find snakes in TN now, I know my old buddy Chuck in MD(about the same latitude more or less)has found kings in every month except Jan. A warm day in the 60s will get stuff moving, 2 days in a row I guaranttee you should find something. Keep records, good start, but if you have access to the LAB(!!) most specimens actually have where they are found on the label right?? Find a location or 3, visit the area NOW and tell the landowner you are a biology student at the local college(usually works well). I bet there is a pile of junk somewhere on the farm/property. Take this pile and set up a perimeter of AC you can flip...but never take the whole thing apart. This way you wont "ruin" any habitat and you can find out if there are snakes there relatively quickly. Soon you will find the food chain dynamics, the use of the cover by prey. A temp gun is an investment. Get out there ASAP, be glad you dont live up here in New England....spent the nite digging out of a snowbank on the side of Killington Mt,VT....friggin COLD.

Our lab (or at least the facility I'm in) in mostly comprised of donated animals or animals that have come through the University's Vet School.............The University's Herpetologist doesn't focus on local fauna, but concentrates on Anolis lizards. The lab animals are mostly for various biology/vertebrate biology/ecology courses and are sometimes used for educational "shows" and SnakesAlive! events....things of that nature.

But yes, when we do have a specimen there is always a specific address on the enclosure's label pertaining to that animal housed inside.

Latitudes don't entirely mean the biodiversity will be constant........East TN is actually in a higher elevation(as opposed to the rest of TN, but with Knoxville being in a valley.

I'll see about finding some farms to set up some AC. What are "good" locations? i.e. would a running water source near by be a positive.....how about a stagnant? I'd assume ponds would provide more food items, but I've never found any king on the shore of a pond.

Sorry to hear about the weather up there......I'm sick of cold right now, but it is slowly warming up down here(for now).
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1.0.0 Lampropeltis getula holbrooki
0.1.0 Lampropeltis getula californae
0.0.1 Lampropeltis getula nigra
1.0.0 Lampropeltis mexicana thayeri
2.3.0 Eublapharis macularius macularius
0.0.2 Rhacodactylus ciliatus
0.1.0 Gerrhosaurus major major

indictment, what is your real name? Mine is Todd, I'm in Corpus Christi, Texas. I was through Tennessee last February and I saw many farms from the highway that had tons of tin I was drooling to flip, KNOWING I could/would/should find rats or kings there. I just couldn't spare the time to stop. I did jump out during a leg stretch in Mississippi and found some turtles basking, rolled a few logs, found a Slimy salamander under one, and stopped for lunch in Alabama and flipped a metal sign on the side of the road at a bar-b-que joint and found a Gray rat snake and one of the skinks, maybe a five-lined. Point is, after some experience, these things will come. I was never given as much advice as you way back when, (before the internet) and I did better and better as the years have gone by. You have been given all you need to succeed, just gotta get out and do it. Asking landowners permission with a students' m.o. is brilliant! ALWAYS take the camera!!!

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Todd Hughes

Thanks Todd! My name is Dale.

The problem is, I'm not too big on just hopping the fence and strutting around on someone's property............all those huge fields look very promising, but sometimes it can be difficult to ascertain the owner of the land when the expanse consists of thousand of acres.

I am hoping have much better luck this year, especially with some of the tips you guys have suggested. I got a new camera for Christmas, so I'll try to share what I find.

I'm especially excited about going to the Apalachicola region.....last time I went, it was hard not to find snakes(along with everything else being fairly well represented).
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1.0.0 Lampropeltis getula holbrooki
0.1.0 Lampropeltis getula californae
0.0.1 Lampropeltis getula nigra
1.0.0 Lampropeltis mexicana thayeri
2.3.0 Eublapharis macularius macularius
0.0.2 Rhacodactylus ciliatus
0.1.0 Gerrhosaurus major major

"The problem is, I'm not too big on just hopping the fence and strutting around on someone's property"

Me too. Used to have no problem finding and askign the owner but the older I get the more freakish it feels! When I was 20 the said, "sure go ahead". Now they look at me like "what's up with this cat"!
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“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Emmerson

Hahahahahah! I guess it's even more awkward if you have a group of "older" guys......probably think it's an older queen hangout spot or something, LOL!
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1.0.0 Lampropeltis getula holbrooki
0.1.0 Lampropeltis getula californae
0.0.1 Lampropeltis getula nigra
1.0.0 Lampropeltis mexicana thayeri
2.3.0 Eublapharis macularius macularius
0.0.2 Rhacodactylus ciliatus
0.1.0 Gerrhosaurus major major

No one is too keen on hopping fences, hence,ASK permission first, it let's the owner know you aren't some vandal or thief, and you might just get the tip you need, who knows the land better than the owner? LOL! Can't remember how many times I've heard, Take 'em all!, or there's a chicken snake that's ten feet long under that old shed!...
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Todd Hughes

Hi Dale,
You cannot be shy about it. You just need to start asking around. Part of doing your homework is finding out who the land owners are, and establishing a relationship with them. I guarantee if you don't ask and just go tromping around people will get upset with you. On the other hand if you are strait forward and go out get to know these folks and ask permission all kinds of doors open up. That usually includes the landowners telling you where they see snakes. When I was a student I got access to all kinds of land that way, and I am still allowed to access that land. Build your network correctly and people will call you all the time, "I got a snake in a bucket will you come get it"!

Good luck
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"Relax, Don't Worry, Have a Homebrew!" Charlie Papazian

Thanks for the suggestions all!

I'll definitely try to be more extroverted while looking for suitable places to go herping. It just feels incredibly awkward to me.............but I guess that will pass with experience.
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1.0.0 Lampropeltis getula holbrooki
0.1.0 Lampropeltis getula californae
0.0.1 Lampropeltis getula nigra
1.0.0 Lampropeltis mexicana thayeri
2.3.0 Eublapharis macularius macularius
0.0.2 Rhacodactylus ciliatus
0.1.0 Gerrhosaurus major major

good post. Another part of establishing that relationship is returning to talk to them even if they've told you no. I used to have a field book to write down their names and what we talked about. It makes a good impression when you go back a year later and ask the owner BY NAME how he's doing and if he's seen any reptile activity. More times than not they relent and let you on. Some of my best spots are on lands where I was initially denied access.
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“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Emmerson

That's a really good suggestion Tony! ........and it can prove most beneficial in the future; I'll be sure to do that.

This is exactly the kind of advice that really pays off.

Thanks!
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1.0.0 Lampropeltis getula holbrooki
0.1.0 Lampropeltis getula californae
0.0.1 Lampropeltis getula nigra
1.0.0 Lampropeltis mexicana thayeri
2.3.0 Eublapharis macularius macularius
0.0.2 Rhacodactylus ciliatus
0.1.0 Gerrhosaurus major major

great point about the notebook, use it myself!
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Todd Hughes

"I do try to time my herping in the early morning or right before dusk, and I have tried other times throughout the day too."

A great resource for determining the sunrise and sunset times for a particular day/location is www.sunrisesunset.com. You can create a custom calendar for your location and even get twilight times for the period of usable light just before sunrise and after sunset.

"I heard that after dusk can be successful during warmer nights, but haven't tried that yet but will once the weather permits?---Anybody concur/refute?"

My (then 4-year-old) son and I had an experience two years ago that we will never forget. It was a warm, summer night, and we were looking for green tree frogs and the reflective eyes of spiders. I already had the flashlight on as we walked to the "tall grass" as my son calls it (back part of our property is kept "natural" for wildlife including bobwhite quail). We were in our side yard, when out of the corner of my eye, I noticed an adult corn snake not 5 feet from our house.

The experience, and my son's peaked interest, inspired us to attend the 2007 Georgia Reptile Expo that fall. In December, my son sat on Santa's lap at Callaway Gardens and asked a very shocked Santa for the "pink snake" that he saw at the snake show. The albino prairie kingsnake that Santa brought is now 28 inches long.

BTW, I just learned the dates for the 2009 Georgia Reptile Expo from the event director: October 3 & 4, 2009. This annual event is put on by the Georgia Herpetological Society.

~GAkayaker

good post jeff
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“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Emmerson

Every area is different so I can only tell you what I do. Some may be appropriate for your area some may not be. I will say however that I like to hunt snakes as non-intrusively as possible. Its most rewarding to me if I can place myself in the field when they are exposed doing what they do naturally.

Number one thing I've learned is timing is everything. Most snakes are quite secretive and don't expose themselves often. Seasonally, they are more likely to be more visible in the spring and fall when they're more actively thermoregulating. One advantage to spring hunting is the relative lack of ground cover. In the spring any given acre of land has a lot fewer places a snake can hide on the surface than in the summer.

I've also noted a daily component to their movements. Early hours of the day may see them out warming up in a patch of sun. We do some observing in the Alligator Wildlife Refuge and have noticed a flush of movement across the roads just at dusk. It's not uncommon to see 3 or 4 snakes within 100 yards crossing the road at the same time. My thought has always been that they've come to the edge of the road during the day but wait to enter what they see as open terrain until night begins to fall and they feel more secure about it. To me this also indicates that they are moving during the day there is just generally too much cover for them to be easily found. Anyone who has watched a pet snake borrow into a lawn and almost disappear understands that they likely walk by many many snakes for everyone they see.

As for locations, I look for substantial habitat. Small fragments surrounded by ag field are generally not worth the effort even if there is plenty of AC.

Surface water seems to be an important component here too. Ditches, vernal (or temporary) pools or adjacent ponds or rivers seem to be indicators of good snake habitats that sustain populations. This isn't set in stone but I've never found aggregations of kings far away from a water source.

I also like border habitats like where woods meets field.

The main thing is that it's a learning experience. When you find a snake ask yourself why it was where you found it, what was it doing, what in the habitat supports it. You'll develop some theories and then test them in other similar areas. Some things will work some wont you just need to remember a bad day herping is better than a good day working.
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“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Emmerson

When you say Alligator Wildlife Refuge do you mean Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge? I worked out there this past Summer and it's an incredible place for snakes. Road searches did very well, unfortunately lots of people go out of their way to run over the snake and turtles (why the turtles? I was told it was a game to try and "spin" them, made me want to punch them in the face).
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Lee
"Go ahead bite me I dare you..... ok oww."
0.1.0 High white Cal King
1.0.0 Mexican Black king

Yep! There was one entry road that almost always had a dead rattleless rattler or two on it. Tells me someone was going on there killing the snakes and then desplaying their trophey by the main road. Sad behavior indeed.
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“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Emmerson

One of my main jobs was to survey roadkill for an environmental impact report. Snakes had it much worse than anything else. We even had a guy run over a copperhead right in front us and then pull over and "Woo I just did y'all a favor, there was a copperhead right up the road!"
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Lee
"Go ahead bite me I dare you..... ok oww."
0.1.0 High white Cal King
1.0.0 Mexican Black king

I'll make this simple.
This method should work where you live.
Tin

Rock piles

Boards

Old foundations

And remember it's the hunt not the capture.Many men fish for years and never realize that it's not about catching fish.
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"Wake me when its April"

Doug L

Nice Post Doug. What I find interesting now that I'm looking at is pic2 under the fridge door? It' dry and theres a mouse nest to the left?
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Sometimes I think the kid with two pet snakes has something that those of us with 50 to 200 lost a long time ago.

Dry, yet humid!
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Todd Hughes

Hi Bob,
Mice are the first to inhabit tin and boards (AC) A snake will smell that AC from hundreds of feet away.The AC can becomes a temp home or a thermo stop for digestion or egg production.This old fridge door has produced dozens of snakes. Rat snakes,four or five eastern milks, water snakes, garters,rings, ribbons and a few racers.

Here is a photo of the famous herpatologist who first found this spot 40 years ago.

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"Wake me when its April"

Doug L

Wow. Thanks for sharing! SEE it's THIS kind of suff that makes it worth hanging here! Decent guys just sharing a common passion. This kind of stuff INCITES more interest in the hobby! YEAH!!!
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Sometimes I think the kid with two pet snakes has something that those of us with 50 to 200 lost a long time ago.

Hey Doug, where were those pics taken...........just the state name will be fine, so you don't have to reveal the exact location.
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1.0.0 Lampropeltis getula holbrooki
0.1.0 Lampropeltis getula californae
0.0.1 Lampropeltis getula nigra
1.0.0 Lampropeltis mexicana thayeri
2.3.0 Eublapharis macularius macularius
0.0.2 Rhacodactylus ciliatus
0.1.0 Gerrhosaurus major major

here's where I found a large texas rat once, lol!

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Todd Hughes

Wow Todd, That's probably been the last view of an awful lot of mice!
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Sometimes I think the kid with two pet snakes has something that those of us with 50 to 200 lost a long time ago.

LOL, I know he used my hand like a rag-moues!
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Todd Hughes

np
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Sometimes I think the kid with two pet snakes has something that those of us with 50 to 200 lost a long time ago.

Mice are the first to inhabit tin and boards (AC) A snake will smell that AC from hundreds of feet away.

I have considered getting used rodent bedding from the local pet store for just that purpose. Then, I wouldn't have to wait for the local mice to find and inhabit the AC. Cut out the middle man (er, mouse)! Has anyone tried that with success?

~GAkayaker

Mice are the first to inhabit tin and boards (AC) A snake will smell that AC from hundreds of feet away.

I have considered getting used rodent bedding from the local pet store for just that purpose. Then, I wouldn't have to wait for the local mice to find and inhabit the AC. Cut out the middle man (er, mouse)! Has anyone tried that with success?

~GAkayaker

Oops. I thought I was editing the original reply. I guess after a certain time it is considered a separate reply. Now I can't edit or delete either of my previous posts. Please forgive the newbie (lurking more than posting).

As far as I'm aware, nobody can edit their posts.......that's why I make it a practice to preview my message before I post it. That's especially important when posting photos or links.
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1.0.0 Lampropeltis getula holbrooki
0.1.0 Lampropeltis getula californae
0.0.1 Lampropeltis getula nigra
1.0.0 Lampropeltis mexicana thayeri
2.3.0 Eublapharis macularius macularius
0.0.2 Rhacodactylus ciliatus
0.1.0 Gerrhosaurus major major