Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys. My mom belongs to a newsgroup where someone's claiming to have a 'black snake' in their yard (Austin, TX), and is threatening to kill it. From what a friend and I can tell, it's probably a coachwhip, and nothing we can really say about the benefits of a nonvenomous in the backyard convinces her to do anything otherwise. So, long story short, I've been elected to capture this beast. Great. :\

It comes to her tub of a pond for water, and whenever she goes out it scurries under the fence just a few feet away. I doubt I can outpace it, so anyone have any ideas about capture?

Also, bottom line, not really able to keep another snake at the moment. I know you can't really relocate them (which is sad, I know of a huge park preserve he'd like)...

If you've got some buddies who have no fear of snakes get them together. Get some gardening gloves incase it's bigger and angrier than you think. Racers and coachwhips can hack you up alot more than you would think (and watch your face). Find where it goes when it retreats to the fence and have one of your buddies on the other side waiting and corner it or run it into one of your friends.

Truth is, if it's in the open you're faster on your feet than it is. They seem so fast because they dodge obstacles alot easier than people do so just outsmart it.

Get it in the open and throw a shirt or cloth over it and just pick it up. That always works well for the "angry at life" racer.

Good luck. They world needs more people willing to step up like you.

Anchor a glue trap (same ones used for mice) it the area he goes under the fence. Use PAM to remove glue. Pam is the stuff you spray into a frying pan to keep stuff from sticking it works removing the glue from critters. I keep them in my reptile room for escapees and it works well.

-----
"Life without risk is to merely exist."