Wildlife in Tampa area? (Safety Harbor, Riverview: house, neighborhood, live in)

[Jakaleo]

Hi there,

My husband's job may be relocated to Tampa within the next year and we are most likely going to be moving in and around the Tampa area. I have learned alot about the different cities from other threads but I haven't heard much about the wildlife in Tampa. I am a northerner so bare with me. I was mostly concerned about snakes and gators. I know that may sound silly but I am dealthy scared of snakes and I have 3 small children and gators are a fear as well. I am not naive to the fact that Florida has snakes and gators, but how often are they seen? Would I have to be fearful of my kids playing in the yard? Thanks in advance for any info you can give me.

[spainbrit]

Hardly ever see them. Gators in lakes in many areas, parks in particular where the water is bigger. Snakes are around, but many keep to themselves. In all the years I have been in my house I have maybe seen 3 or 4 in total. I spend a lot of time in the garden too. The more 'in the sticks' you are, the more likely you are to encounter real florida. Cities and population/development are driving them farther out. But I did see a coyote in Seminole a few months back, late at night. I'm sure they are the reason for the many lost pet notices I see on phone poles here, as they are always smaller animals that have gone missing.

[StPeteFLGuy]

Greetings Jakaleo,

I hate to frighten you....but snakes are everywhere, even where you live. They mostly keep to themselves, unless you happen to stumble upon one and startle it then it could strike back. If you stomp as you tread along the path then they sense the vibrations and usually retreat. It certainly depends on where you live if you'll even see a snake. If you live at the edge of some woods, then at some point you probably will. .....the same way with alligators. If you live on a pond or some body of water, you can bet at some point you'll have an alligator in there, so it's best to have a fence up next to the water. This is Florida afterall, but you have wildlife everywhere, not just in Florida.

Where I live and work, South Pasadena near St Pete Beach, isn't in the wild, so you have a slim to none chance of seeing either a snake or an alligator.

[Aconite]

Snakes are around. We have a blacksnake in our yard at the moment-- lives in the plantings under our oak tree, I think. We rarely see him, and he keeps the smaller vermin away, so I'm more than happy to play host to him.

Re: smaller vermin...I mean rats. One of our neighbors is lazy about picking up citrus when it falls, and where you have citrus trees, you have rats. (Whether you think you do or not.) Hence my affection for the snake, and the wandering neighborhood cats.

We also have coyotes in Pinellas County, and raccoons, and possums. Driving through downtown Safety Harbor one night I saw an armadillo snuffling along the gutter across from the Spa.

Don't smash large spiders. They tend to explode if they happen to be carrying baby spiders, and...well...hunting down millions of babies is not an experience you forget easily. <shuddertwitch>

And of course, there are gators, but they really don't normally crash into your kitchen, recent news notwithstanding. I almost never see them, unless I go visit my sister, who lives on golf course with a big lake. Even then, there are elderly people playing golf within a few yards of them and they just kind of lay there looking stupid (the gators, not the golfers). I suppose eventually one may figure out eighty-year-olds in plaid pants don't run fast, but thus far...not so much.

[Jakaleo]

Thanks to all who responded. I feel a little better after reading your posts. Up here in MA we have snakes of course, but none of them are venonmous. We also have the coyotes(a few missing cats myself). Spiders don't seem to bother me as much. of course they get in your house where as snakes usually do not. Thanks Aconite for the tip on not smashing the large ones(I cant' imagine seeing millions of babies). I'm not a cold weather person, so I will just have to accept that the warm climate has snakes etc. Thanks again!

[kelly3120]

snakes are good! they keep bugs, frogs lizards, mice, etc to a min. They are good for your plants. We have black long ones that I actually move before I mow the lawn if they are around. Keep kids away from lakes and don't worry about gators. ...keep small dogs away from lakes as well. Gators go through a dormant season and a mating season ....the mating season leads them to wonder.

I'd be more worried about the man eating cockroaches then the snakes and gators .....they can crawl into your bed. =)

[Jakaleo]

Didn't know about the cockroaches Kelly3120. Thanks alot! LOL That's not good. Can't you spray for them? Are these black snakes venomous? Thanks on the info about the gators.

[mrs.coach]

Even then, there are elderly people playing golf within a few yards of them and they just kind of lay there looking stupid (the gators, not the golfers).

LOL! Thanks for the laugh!

[bnepler]

I lived in MeadowPointe in Pasco county for 6 years and had all of the above from pygmy rattler snakes in the house under my puppy's cage, 8 ft gator in my back yard behind me about 6 ft away while mowing my grass, a copperhead snake in my flower bed while planting flowers and finally a black widow spider at my front entry door. Also, I forgot about the bobcat along the pond behind my home and lots of red shoulder hawks and a occasional eagle. I could hear him growling in the evenings. We had a beautiful large pond with cypress trees and conservation areas, about five acres behind us. I now live in Riverview, south of Tampa, with no pond and a fenced in yard. Not much wildlife and no mosquitoes.

[kelly3120]

Originally Posted by Jakaleo

Didn't know about the cockroaches Kelly3120. Thanks alot! LOL That's not good. Can't you spray for them? Are these black snakes venomous? Thanks on the info about the gators.

cockroaches have been know the eat small children
You can spray for them but the minute it is soaking wet outside just be ready for a few to attempt to take shelter in your home. ...you can spray.

The snakes are called black razers(sp?) They one behind our shed is called Fredrica. ....harmless and so good for the grounds. We name them. We try not to disturb them if we see them in our yard.

All those critters bnepler listed are present but I have only encountered them at my parents farm.
rule of thumb for us is spiders outside are good ....inside they DIE!