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I must learn by necessity
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by parallel on June 2, 2009
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I will be moving to a new house on a little over a half acre lot that borders the woods in a secluded subdivision in south Louisiana (a sugar cane field is on the other side of the woods). I have been warned by the neighbors to be aware of cottonmouth snakes that sometimes get into the yards in the area. I have a three year old boy who, for reasons beyond my comprehension, is unafraid of snakes. Perhaps one day he will keep them as y'all do... though.. that will NOT happen in my home. I will be doing everything I can think of to keep the snakes away while at the same time try to teach my boy that he can't go near snakes, at least until he's old enough to know which ones are which. Of course... that means that I myself MUST have an education on correctly identifying snakes.
As for repelling the cottonmouths, it looks as though that is probably NOT going to pan out very well. While I am not the bravest of souls around snakes, I understand that they have a purpose and I would really prefer to not kill them. I have heard things like put a lime barrier down along the fence line, but I'm unsure if that works or is just a wives tale. Of course I will keep the grass cut low and avoid creating areas to make them feel at home, but I need all the info I can get on what to avoid doing to attract them. It did say "ask the experts"... thanks in advance.
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RE: I must learn by necessity
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by LarryDFishel on June 2, 2009
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Unless it's a hydroponic sugar cane field, it's not likely to have cottonmouths in it. As for the reports from the neighbors, cottonmouths are probably the most misidentified snake in the south (any vaguely black, gray or brownish snake within 100 miles of water has to be a cottonmouth, right).
Does the property you're buying abut a swamp, lake or canal? If it's not withing a few hundred feet (probably less) of a permanent body of water, you're not likely to see cottonmouths. And if it is, harmless water snakes are more likely (the snakes most commonly mistaken for cottonmouths).
Pick up a good field guide on reptiles or three (I like the Adubon guide) and learn to recognize the snakes of the area.
Do you have a digital camera? When you get there, if you see anything you're not sure about, see if you can get a picture and check back here.
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RE: I must learn by necessity
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by parallel on June 3, 2009
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Good call, it could very well be the case that the snakes are being misidentified. I will get a field manual asap. I checked a map and there is what appears to be a small canal nearby (though I'm not just how far).
If you copy and paste this into your browser you can get a better idea of the relationship to water of the property. The red rectangle and arrow is the approximate location of the property. Thanks for the quick reply.
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss155/parallel_photo/mylocation.jpg?t=1244014942
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RE: I must learn by necessity
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by earthguy on June 3, 2009
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Cottonmouths are a possibility, but as Larry stated anything in the Southeast that has any earthy colors on it is automatically labeled a 'moccasin' and assumed to be the most deadly animal on the planet. Luckily cottonmouths are usually very hesitant to bite. 90% of the time they will slither off or coil and bluff by opening their mouth, displaying the white inside (hence the name cottonmouth). Another likelihood is that your neighbors see 1-2 snakes per year and assume the place is infested.
I, for one, really appreciate you respecting the ecosystem enough to take the time to learn about these animals. This can be an excellent learning opportunity for you AND your son
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RE: I must learn by necessity
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by Teeth on June 3, 2009
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I just want to commend your effort to try and learn.
If only more people would do the same.
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RE: I must learn by necessity
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by FSB on June 3, 2009
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Edward, I would also like to commend you on your willingness to learn and encourage your son's interest in snakes. The best protection against venomous snake accidents is education. Field guides and books are always a good idea - check the local library and you might also try contacting any university or college biology departments or libraries in your area. A quick search for "snakes of louisiana" on yahoo turned up some pretty inadequate pages, unfortunately. Many state game and wildlife departments have excellent snake identification guides, but I wasn't too impressed with the results for Louisiana. This link seemed pretty good though: http://brgov.com/dept/animal/venomous.htm
Also, the Florida Museum of Natural History page is a very good one, and covers snakes in your area: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/herpetology/fl-guide/venomsnk.htm
(Avoid the pages that refer to "poisonous" snakes... there was even one that repeated the old inaccuracy that there are "four species of poisonous snake in the U.S." which is a ridiculous statement).
The absolute best way to get a handle on snakes is to visit a zoo, aquarium or other exhibit in your area where you can actually see some living specimens up close. Photographs - even good ones - just can't compare to seeing the real thing. Once you have seen a few living cottonmouths, there is no mistaking them for anything else. If you are near New Orleans, the Audubon Zoo would be a good choice. After seeing them alive, continue to read about them and research them on the internet. There is an almost infinite variety of information and resources available these days compared to when I was a kid...
Best of luck!
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RE: I must learn by necessity
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by LarryDFishel on June 3, 2009
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If I'm interpreting the scale correctly, I would say that cottonmouths are not out of the question, but unlikely. I've personally never seen one in a canal, but I'm sure it happens. Again, water snakes are common in some canals, but it would be even more unusual for a water snake to be that far from the water. The neighbors are likely seeing something like black rat snakes...
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RE: I must learn by necessity
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by lepidus on June 3, 2009
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First of all let me commend you on your choice of learning about the animals vs killing them. I grew up in Baton Rouge and although there is truth to people believing that every dark snake remotely close to a body of water in La to be cottonmouths, there is also the very real possibility that they actually are. As a child, my friends and I would find them in well established neighborhoods not uncommonly at all in the many creeks, canals, etc that seem to run through just about every neighborhood in south La. Not as common as watersnakes which were VERY abundant, but certainly not uncommon. All I'm saying is learn your snakes and just be careful. If you need help in identifying a particular animal, I still have friends who are local who would be happy to oblige. Good luck.
Monte
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RE: I must learn by necessity
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by FSB on June 4, 2009
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I don't know about LA, but I've certainly found plenty of A. piscivorous in canals in NC. Just about any body of water within their range is suitable habitat.
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RE: I must learn by necessity
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by Cro on June 4, 2009
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Edward, as others have said, it is quite possible that you might see cottonmouths in your area. They do not mind leaving canals and roadside ditches following rains, and venturing into areas where they can find food, which would be animals like frogs.
Forget using the products that you mentioned that use lime or nampha to supposedly repel snakes. Those products just do not work.
Are you planning any type of fence around the yard ? If so, something like a chain-link fence with about 18 to 20 inches of inches of chicken wire attached to the bottom might work well in keeping a cottonmouth from getting into the property. You would have to use 1/4 or 3/8 inch chicken wire, as new born cottonmouths are small enough to get through 1/2 inch mesh. Or, you could use some of the "mud retention" fencing that is used on construction sites. Most snakes will turn right or left when they encounter a fence, instead of trying to go over it.
Learn how to identify a cottonmouth, and teach your son that as soon as he is old enough to learn. Most kids Do Not have a natural fear of snakes, just as they do not have a fear of other potential dangers like automobiles, etc. You will spend time teaching your son a safe way to cross roads, and it is great that you are willing to teach him to know what a potentially dangerous snake looks like. There is no need to creat a fear of all snakes that will follow him to adulthood, and on to his kids, and so on, and so on. It is much easier to teach him what to watch out for, that way, he will be much better able to grow up and have a appreciation of nature and the animals that make it up.
Best Regards
John Z
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