Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am in no way knowledgable about snakes. I have a ranch with a lot of rattlesnakes and would like to introduce snakes that will eat rattlesnakes. I have heard indigos and kingsnakes are good for controlling rattlesnakes.

Is this even worth considering? I would appreciate any input.

thanks!

Dear rancher/range manager, it is unlikely you would notice a substantial decrease in rattlesnakes by introducing reptile predators. If the habitat is suitable, the predatory snakes such as Indigos and kingsnakes are already there. Rarely can one stockpile animals, habitat is the key and good habitat will have a lot of snakes. I would urge you to protect Indigos and kingsnakes on your property, knowing they assist you in keeping a healthy rangeland, decreasing rodents and venomous snakes that might impact your operation. Many reptiles have well defined territories, and when removed and transported, they are somewhat disoriented, and many will fail to thrive in the new area i.e. your ranch. Protect what you have and enjoy a diverse flora and fauna and healthy rangeland. Perhaps providing some rockpiles, tin sheets, brushpiles, stock ponds will encourage your reptile predator "friends" to hang around? They will favor shelters that offer refuge from cattle hoofs! Good luck, Vic

your advice is appreciated and makes sense. Won't the rockpiles etc also attract rattlers and water moccasins?

can you recommend any good books to read?

Dear Txrancher, Yes, habitat manipulation that I mentioned will attract and provide shelter to a diversity of reptiles and animals including diamondbacks and cottonmouths. What you are up against is a "single species management" debate/conundrum. It hardly ever works...many of us believe you will have healthier range/clients if you have a healthy and DIVERSE ecosystem, where you get an abundant but balanced population of wildlife, both attractive species i.e. big white tail bucks and less popular, big diamondbacks. Interesting to me, some of my buddies hunted a lease on the King ranch and were thrilled to see a big black snake crossing the road, which was an Indigo. They seemed just as thrilled with this siting as the Nylgai hunting! A fun book that you and your clients might enjoy is: A Field Guide to TEXAS SNAKES-Alan Tennant 1998 ISBN 0-88719-277-4 It is brief but informative, and perhaps educating your visitors and teaching them awareness of the creatures they share the ranch with will reduce conflicts. By the way, there is some anecdotal evidence that Indigo snakes will associate with and expand there range into dry zones if cattle tanks are available, water being critical and attracting prey species. I commend you for doing this "research", it is fun to have a forum visitor with a different perspective! Good luck, Vic

Tex Rancher,

I would like to add my x-2 cents to your rattler problem.

The rattlers balance your unseen rodent population. If pry food like mice, wood rats, prairie dogs, and jack rabbits were not abundant on your ranch you probably wouldn’t see many rattlers.

With out this thriving population of rattlers on your ranch the rodent population would most likely explode. These rodents carry fleas which are host to a verity of diseases.

While in the military I worked along the South West Texas border for a couple of months. Part of my instructions covered was not to disturb the flora and fauna of the region. In the evening while strolling the border I would see / encounter many rattles. Didn’t see many rodents but saw signs of rodent activity. To a reptile lover such as myself I asked to stay on for two more weeks, bear the heat and sleep in the dirt just to see more rattlers.

One last note….Your snake problem is another mans dream.

Dann

Thank you very much for your reply. You make good sense.

Thye rattlesnakes and water moccasins are freaking some of the wives out on our new recreational ranch on the texas coast.

The prveious owner killed a lot of coyotes and there are rabbits everywhere.

Can you recommend any good books I should read?