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I have an orange tabby that hangs out outside looking for snakes/moles, etc. Has come up with a couple of snakes in about 6 years time. They are not everywhere in Wilmington, because its densely populated. They hate short grass...and most folks have centipede, so they just aren't around that much.
I actually like the spiders we have, help with the flies in the summer...and I keep their webs around until Halloween for a more natural haunted look :-)
Your words are all very encouraging. Ever since I had kids, everything worries me! I'll maintain the grass for certain and get more educated on making my yard 'snake safe'. I'd NEVER let my babies out without me, I'm just saying that we don't have much experience in having snakes around so I don't know how great I'd be at seeing them. Makes me want to live in an apartment, lol.....
Yeah, the snakes really aren't that big of a concern. What you really have to watch out for are all the rabid raccoons and foxes in the area. And with the recent influx of coyotes, I suppose we'll be adding them to the list soon.
A fox in Brunswick County that attacked two people and a cat tested positive for rabies.
The Shelter Director of the Brunswick County Sheriff's Animal Protective Services, Lt. Thomas Tolley, confirmed a fox that was sent to the state lab for rabies testing Tuesday tested positive for the rabies virus.
A woman in the Juniper Creek Subdivision off of Old Fayetteville Road in Leland was walking in the area with a child when she was approached by an erratic behaving fox that proceeded to attack her, resulting in a bite to her leg. The woman immediately contacted Animal Protective Services and an officer was sent out to inspect the area.
In just a five week span, Pender County saw almost as many confirmed rabies cases as it did in all of 2014.
Between May 19 and June 23 the county had six cases (three foxes and three raccoons), said Carolyn Moser, Pender County’s health and human services director. In 2014, the county had seven animal rabies cases, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
Location: Sodo Sopa at The Villas above Kenny' s House.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BarLatGo
Yeah, the snakes really aren't that big of a concern. What you really have to watch out for are all the rabid raccoons and foxes in the area. And with the recent influx of coyotes, I suppose we'll be adding them to the list soon.
That's not helping. Not to sound mean but the fear the OP has is an irrational fear. When it comes to dealing with fear the best route is to diffuse the danger not replace it with something else.
BarLatGo, you must not have children. While my fear may be 'irrational' it's coming from a very real desire to protect my kids. I joined this forum for this specific question... should've known I'd get trolled by an ******* or two. Thanks for the advice.
Did I say your fear was irrational? No, I didn't. I will say it's misplaced, however. Yes, I happily admit I was picking on you with the snakes, alligators, sharks post because I find it amusing that certain people from other states apparently view North Carolina as some wild, exotic land where every shrub is home to venomous reptiles.
BUT I'm entirely serious when I bring up rabid animals as a very real concern in this area. in addition to the stories that are reported in the news, there are many encounters with rabid animals that go unreported. My neighbors directly across the street from me had a rabid raccoon attack their dog right next to my mailbox. My dog found a dead fox in my back yard that animal control had tested and which came back positive for rabies. This is something that happens all over the county multiple times every single year, and I find it odd that people choose to be worried about the minimal chance of encountering a poisonous snake, yet nobody mentions this.
I detest snakes, too, but having grown up in NC, almost never see them and have NEVER seen a venomous one except in science museums (or dead).
It really is true that they fear us--imagine being their size, with no arms or legs, and seeing a huge "giant" coming at you? You'd get the ____ outta there before it even saw you if you could. But if it surprised you or threatened you, you'd defend yourself in literally the only way you could, by striking.
Get in the habit of stomping your feet on the ground when you approach underbrush and they will detect you and scram. I don't know what kind of a place you're moving into--whether it's a typical suburb or more rural/woodsy, but if it's a "typical suburb" with no woods behind the house, it's very very unlikely you would see snakes even if you wanted to.
Also avoid wading in the water in lakes, etc unless it's a "developed" lake area for boating, swimming, etc. and lots of traffic. Quiet lakes with water plants could be appealing environments for cottonmouths, though they are quite rare.
Again, I grew up being terrified of snakes, in NC long before it was nearly as populated as it is now, and have never seen a poisonous one in the wild.
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