Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I wasn't exactly sure where this post fit in, but since most of you guys on here are used to encountering herps/snakes around your homes and such, I figured this _might_ be a good place to ask, correct me if I'm wrong.
Alrighty, so my family and I are moving outside of Houston, TX and I, for one, am SO excited about finding different herps outside of our house(we live in NY now, and all there ever are is toads, garter snakes and salamanders :-D), but my parents are the exact opposite. Our house is right near the 'green space' of our development, which is connected to a small horse farm. A family friend close to the area which we are moving to says there are a TON of snakes/rattlers in the area and my parents are concerned not only about the snakes in the backyard, but I'm also worried about my cats getting out and getting bit by something.
I've heard that moth balls in containers along the fenceline can deture(sp?) the snakes from the area, is this true? Has anyone else heard of something to keep snakes from most likely sunning themselves on the concrete patio in our backyard or keeping them from the backyard?
Like I said, I would LOVE to see them outside of the house, I know the benifits of having snakes around and I also love herps, but the risk to my cats and also to other family members has me a bit concerned!!

Thanks for any input/replies and sorry for the long post!

~Cro

I don't think rattlers are common around Houston. Also, I wouldn't be worried about your cat being bit, I'd worry about your cat killing native fauna in the area. Haven't heard of the mothballs thing, although I doubt it's anything more than a myth.
My Online Page (herp trips, lifelist, photography, etc)

We're not right in Houston, we're outside of the city in Katy and yes, there are rattlesnakes in the area. The family friends that we have down there said that they were frequently getting rattlesnakes in their backyards, along with several of their neighbors(They are the ones that suggested the mothballs and they swear by them). I'm a little bit more worried because of the horse farm right near us and typically hay/grain = mice and where there are mice, there are almost always snakes.
I don't worry about my cats killing things because 1-no claws, 2-they stay on leads/harnesses and 3-they both wear bells on their collars and are BRIGHT WHITE, the birds/mice/squirels around here see them long before the cats see them and run/fly away quite quickly from them. The only thing they have ever killed is mice that have gotten in the house and were eating out of their food dishes. They are, by no means, outdoor cats, they just like going for walks

~Cro

>>We're not right in Houston, we're outside of the city in Katy and yes, there are rattlesnakes in the area. The family friends that we have down there said that they were frequently getting rattlesnakes in their backyards, along with several of their neighbors

I'd like to see the actual snakes. 9 out of 10 "rattlesnake" nuisance calls I received when I did snake calls were actually TX rat snakes (which were meaner than the rattlers were). To a person who doesn't like snakes, EVERY snake seems to be a rattlesnake.

(They are the ones that suggested the mothballs and they swear by them).

I've heard of this technique, but have never seen any substantiation.

I'm a little bit more worried because of the horse farm right near us and typically hay/grain = mice and where there are mice, there are almost always snakes.

The places where I actually found rattlesnakes in close proximity to houses usually had something in their yards attractive to the snakes (mice, like you say, but also plenty of hiding spots--lumber/junk in the yard, grass not mowed, etc). You'd be surprised what a little hygiene can do to keep snakes away.
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

I know some people in Katy, TX. They've never had rattlesnakes in their yard, but in the drainage ditch behind their house cottonmouths are pretty common. However, neither they nor their neighbors have had many problems with the cottonmouths frequently getting into the yard.

I've never heard of the mothball idea, I'd be interested in some good tests showing whether or not it works.
mister-toad.com

I believe that they are just as effective as a horsehair rope.

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No good deed goes unpunished!

>>I believe that they are just as effective as a horsehair rope.

You got any more of those anecdotes for my "reptile folklore" page?

www.mcmartinvile.com/chris/reptiles/info/folklore.htm
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

We're not right in Houston, we're outside of the city in Katy and yes, there are rattlesnakes in the area.

I have done a lot of herping in and around the Katy area (as have others here) and I can assure you that rattlesnakes are practically non-existant in the Katy area. There could be Western Diamondbacks around or possibly even Canebrakes, but frankly it isn't the right habitat for either, and I have never seen one in many years of looking around the area.

Common species there are Texas Rats, Speckled Kings, Prairie Kings, 3 species of Watersnakes, Ribbonsnakes, Eastern Hogs, TX Brownsnakes, Graham's Crayfish Snakes, R. Earthsnakes, Racers, etc. Copperheads can be reasonably common but Western Cottonmouths are typically the most common venomous species.

People in the area call Hognosed snakes "copperheads" and I have met very few who actually knew what a Texas Ratsnake looks like, even though they are very common.

It can be good herping, particularly flipping trash around horse barns, etc. in the early spring (March). Road hunting in the summer can also be productive.

The family friends that we have down there said that they were frequently getting rattlesnakes in their backyards, along with several of their neighbors(They are the ones that suggested the mothballs and they swear by them). I'm a little bit more worried because of the horse farm right near us and typically hay/grain = mice and where there are mice, there are almost always snakes.

Yes, there certainly are snakes, just not rattlesnakes. It isn't good habitat in most areas around Katy and you are on the edge of the range of three species. If you want to see rattlesnakes, they can be common within a few hours of Katy, but I wouldn't hold my breath to find one around there anymore.

But, I hope you can prove us wrong, I would be pleased to think there is a little remant population of rattlesnakes still surviving in Ft. Bend county somewhere!

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Chris Harrison