What's with THAT snake?

 Eastern Hognose, Loachapoka, AL (C. McDuffie)

      

How do you know if a snake is "good" or "bad"? With the weather getting hotter, snakes are on the move more trying to find a cool place to escape. You may see one in passing, or as one of our neighbors recently experienced, the loss of a pet to a poisonous snake. While it is not always possible to avoid snakes, it is good to be able to identify those that are beneficial. In fact, there are only 4 poisonous snakes in Alabama: copperhead, rattlesnake, coral snake, and cottonmouth/water moccasin. Here are a few links to good sites that help identify snakes in Alabama.

Preserve Venemous website

Outdoor Alabama website

To avoid being bitten by a snake, the Alabama Department of Public Health recommends the following:

· When entering any area, use caution.

· Use a stick or some type of rod to move objects slowly and carefully to check for anything hidden behind them.

· If possible, wear boots and heavy gloves when clearing an area and work with someone else.

· Make noise when entering an area to alert snakes to your presence and to cause them to make a sound or movement that will tell you their location.

· Snakes will not usually bite unless cornered, handled or stepped on, and most snakes are not poisonous.

· If you find a snake, it is best to leave it alone. Snakes will return to their own environment away from humans as quickly as they can. Snakes help keep the rodent population down, so it is best not to kill them unless absolutely necessary.

· If you must kill a snake, one of the most effective methods is to use a long-handled hoe to strike it in the back of the snake's head.

· Be sure to warn children to watch out for snakes and not to get close to them. Tell them it is best to back off quickly and quietly from a snake to avoid making it feel threatened.