Has anyone encountered any Snakes in here in NYC & Westchester County area (New York: neighborhoods, construction)

[certaincircles]

I'm a native New Yorker who's luckily never had an encounter with a Rat Snake, Copperhead, etc. However, being used to the New York City area (NJ, Westchester County or Metropolitan area) I decided to move down to Texas for Career reasons. I'm planning on settling down there so I could put all my time doing my music & Teaching at a College (Live Music Concentration). However, I've heard A LOT about the "Popularity" of Snakes in local neighborhoods down there where the locals know how to Accept & Adjust to this environment. Matter of fact, I read here that one local commented that "This is Texas" & I'm Very Open to adjusting/adapting on how other people's values are in other states, but generally (even if I did see one here in the Metro area) I AM SCARED of them!! I can't Even Imagine Living/Sharing the same Space or Environment w/ them!! They're not like Cats or those Domestic Pets that you could Cuddle up w/!! I mean, how could someone or some people just Adapt to this like it was No Big Deal when they say things like "They're some Snakes that are Poisonous & Non Poisonous & if you get Bitten w/ their Velum & don't go to the Hospital Immediately YOU COULD DIE!!"

1) Well, what if there isn't a Nearest Hospital or What if for some reason you can't make it on time like on your way there you might get caught up in Traffic??
However, they are So used to living "w/ them" that they Educate themselves on learning how to Identify the particular Snake that they encounter (that is, if it's a Copperhead or a Rat Snake, etc. just by Analyzing its color patterns) AND of course, I can understand changing or adjusting their landscape so that Snakes wouldn't come into their yard. Meaning, they shouldn't have bushes & must have their grass cut short b/c these places are inviting to the Snakes to Hide (one guy said that "Snakes like to hide" & That - Get a Load of this - "They're just as scared of us as we are of them. We're like a nuisance to them" & he continued w/ something like as if we were invading on their space. Yeah! Right! )

Anyway, coming from the NYC area I'm moving down b/c I'll be more marketable in my Music Career & as a New Yorker I Never had this problem of living in a Snake Environment.

2) So, has anyone in the NY Metro area (including NJ) been in an environment where there would be Snakes around? If so, please share your experience & how you dealt w/ it.

3) Could anyone give me any suggestions?? I Really love how Austin, TX is Theee "Music Capital" b/c of its Live Music Scene & the fact that it's a Music Community. I always wanted to live in a Music Community doing Nothing, BUT MUSIC!!

I just want to live down there doing my own thing & not have to worry about being at Risk All the Time! I Don't want to live w/ the feeling that I'm gonna encounter a Snake where I'll get Bitten & have to RUSH myself To the Nearest Hospital to get that Medicine for that Velum-Snake Bites. I don't Want to be Put in this Situation or Face that I'm gonna die sooner or later. (I Feel like this is another Movie by Alfred Hitchcock called "The Snakes" instead of "The Birds")

I read that a couple of locals suggested not to live near a River or Stream or Preserve. Though some of their Safe or Nice (Safe meaning People)neighborhoods are near Lakes, Streams, Rivers, etc.

4) So, w/out coming off like a "Snobby New Yorker/"Yankee" HOW Would I approach these locals on advising me on How to Go Around This Obstacle w/out Insulting them?

5) If you (as a New Yorker) were moving to another state that had this "SNAKE ENVIRONMENT" & you had to be in that State to reach your dreams what would you do?? I Can Use Some Help!! I'm Open to Any Suggestions!

[Mightyqueen801]

I think Peter Stuyvesant drove all the snakes out of Manhattan. Or maybe that was somebody else. And a different Island.

Anyway, I grew up in New Jersey about 30 miles northwest of the city, and there were copperheads and rattlesnakes in the woods, and other nonpoisonous snakes as well. I guess they thin out as civilization takes over.

The best way to deal with it is to leave them alone and they will leave you alone. Avoid the places where you are likely to encounter them. In the hot weather they probably do like to be near water. Also, snakes often live under rocks.

Your neighbor is right. The snakes had that space long before the people did!

Your fear sounds close to a phobia. You can't let your fear of snakes control your life. I suggest you look up and read about the snakes, especially the poisonous ones, and then read something practical about what you are supposed to do if you get bit. At least then you know that you know what to do.

You could also desensitize yourself by watching Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indiana Jones is afraid of snakes, and look how cool he is. You should watch that scene where Indiana Jones and Marion have to go down into that pit with the hundreds of asps. Then Texas won't look so bad!

[SeventhFloor]

Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801

I think Peter Stuyvesant drove all the snakes out of Manhattan. Or maybe that was somebody else. And a different Island.

i think you're thinking of st. patrick driving the snakes out of ireland.

[luvbug66]

Fool, you know darn well there are snakes in Texas. Haven't you heard the saying "everything is bigger in texas". Gonna tell ya like this. I moved to Raleigh NC little over 3 mths ago and I can't wait to move out. I was born in NC, been gone to long I guess. Never seen or heard of wolf spiders til I moved here. Child getting bit by copperhead at school. Snakes at my daughter's job. Oh hell to the no, we moving up outta here. Just like the Jeffersons moved on up, we're moving on out. So if NC is having its share of problems, mainly due to construction. I sure can't imagine Texas, good luck.

[loratliff]

Wow, first of all: take a deep breath. You sound absolutely crazy.

As a native Texan, I can tell you that if you're living in any sort of suburban environment, which it's likely that you are, you are not likely going to encounter very many snakes.

Secondly, the snakes that you will encounter in suburbia are going to be completely harmless grass snakes - itty bitty snakes that eat insects and small vermin. I don't think I would have ever seen one if it weren't for my parent's cat catching them and bringing them in.

If you go hiking or go out to west Texas, you will see more snakes - I've had close encounters with rattlesnakes, water moccasins and coachwhips and am no worse for wear. Snakes give you fair warning (or try to) before they bite you. If you're that worried, learn what they look like and learn what a rattlesnake sounds like.

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801

I think Peter Stuyvesant drove all the snakes out of Manhattan. Or maybe that was somebody else. And a different Island.

Originally Posted by SeventhFloor

i think you're thinking of st. patrick driving the snakes out of ireland.

I guess the humor didn't come through.

[SeventhFloor]

Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801

I guess the humor didn't come through.

lol sorry thats the 1 problem with the internet....reading text makes it hard to figure out emotion sometimes!

[DarkWolf]

Maybe the snakes can fix the growing rodent population of NYC

[mgt04]

Originally Posted by Nexis4Jersey

Maybe the snakes can fix the growing rodent population of NYC

I guess the problem with that is all the snakes will grow big and huge because it'll be like a never-ending buffet for the snakes!

[MikeInQueens]

The hotter the temperature and further south you go, . .
the more bugs, and more snakes, and flies, .. etc.
I was in NC last year and I saw a spider that scared the sh*t out of me.
I like it cool anyway. I hate the heat.