Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I live on a 36 acre ranch in Northern Colorado (Livermore/Red Feather Lakes area) and have a rapidly decreasing herd of 23 llamas. These gorgeous, gentle creatures are being needlessly killed by rattle snakes. It is innocense on both sides: the llamas' natural curiosity and the snakes' reaction to the perceived threat. Although it is innocent on both sides, it is the snakes who are taking the lives. I have to do something.

I have researched many alternatives, and introducing a non-lethal snake that would drive out or kill the rattlers and teach my llamas to leave snakes alone with neither having to die from the lesson and still keep the rodent population in check, seems like the best alternative to me.

I've been told that there are kingsnakes in SW Colorado, but there are apparently none up where I live. What is the legality and wildlife ethics involved in introducing them in Northern Colorado? Can they survive the cold winters up here? Where could I buy kingsnakes that were not raised for pets?

First of all, each state is slightly different, but it is generally illegal to deliberately introduce an animal to an area where they are not native.

Secondly, you couldn't decrease the population size of rattlesnakes in your area by introducing kingsnakes. Although kingsnakes do eat snakes on occasion, they also readily eat lizards and rodents. If you have enough rodents to support a sizeable population of rattlesnakes (whatever you perceive that to be), the kingsnakes would be fat and happy eating rodents as well and your rattlesnake population wouldn't be significantly impacted.

A better approach would be to try and keep the llamas and the rattlesnakes away from each other. Clean up any trash in areas where the llamas forage. Dig out and fill in any burrows in the pastures to remove hiding places. Be careful how you offer and store supplemental feeds to diminish the rodent population.

And frankly, as much as I hate to suggest it, a shotgun would be a quicker way to reduce the number rattlesnakes in your pastures than trying to screw up the ecosystem by introducing a predator.

Then there is the solution of just trying to minimize it (see "A better approach" paragraph) or moving to an area where they aren't found (New York City has extirpated all their rattlesnakes, I believe).

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Chris Harrison