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Old 04-16-2015, 10:15 AM
 
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How common is it for snakes to actually be found IN your house? I am deathly afraid of snakes but my boyfriend wants to move down to Florida and I keep imagining snakes coming our of the toilet!!
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Old 04-16-2015, 10:17 AM
 
Location: Central Mexico and Central Florida
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Never had one in the house. Geckos yes, snakes no.
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Old 04-16-2015, 02:09 PM
 
Location: Huntsville, AL
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cheerbaby112 View Post
Ive had multiple snakes in my apartment complex here in new tampa... Usually they are in the parking lot (I live on a Lake) I just run them over....whoops.
I don't know if it's at all enforced, but in some states it's against the law to knowingly kill a non-poisonous snake.
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Old 04-16-2015, 02:12 PM
 
Location: Huntsville, AL
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Originally Posted by Beezwacks View Post
I wish gators and snakes were more active when it came to snowbirds!
I was born in Broward General in 1960 - so I'm a true Floridian... and can get away with this...

If it's Tourist Season, why can't we shoot them?
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Old 04-17-2015, 09:59 AM
 
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Originally Posted by mortpes View Post
The truth is Snake and Gators are in all areas, you just can not see them most of the time. It is wise to learn the habits of poisonous snakes and the gators and walk wisely.
Yes very true. But snakes are not poisonous, some are venomous and you must be injected with the venom into your blood stream to be effected. Luckily not every successful bite contains venom, there are dry bites or misses entirely. Snakes don't want to bite thats a last resort of not paying attention to where you are putting your hands and feet. Venom is used to catch meals not bite humans or dogs in self defense. And the great majority of snakes are not venomous even more true in urban areas.

A recent example was the K9 St. Petersburg police dog biten by a Diamondback near Gandy Blvd. Had that dog received a full dose of venom it likely would have died shortly after arriving at the vet. Based on the size of the snake that bit it.

Be wary of your location the gentle but potent eastern Diamondback is a avid swimmer and enjoys the keys and shores such as the name "Rattlesnake Key" at the mouth of Tampa Bay references. I've been in awe as some beautiful large Diamond Backs on Honeymoon Island and sometimes you will catch one swimming across hurricane pass in North Clearwater. Once a kid caught a young Diamondback in the parking lot of my Condo in Palm Harbor. He had it in a rabbit cage I gave him $10 for it before he could get bitten and set it loose in Brooker Creek Preserve.

It is rare but has been reported rattlesnakes even on the water front in the bay downtown St. Pete.

Around McDil AFB and the port there are plenty of rattlesnakes both pygmy and diamondback. A friend who worked at a petroleum distribution plant had his dog on the job daily and it was tagged 2 times, fatal the second time. Should have been on a leash not roaming freely.

North Tampa was a great area for Diamondbacks before the New Tampa build out. Also rednecks love to kill `em and gassed so many gopher tortoise holes. If you see gopher tortoise holes be aware that a rattlesnake could be in the Vicinity . Much more common is the small dusky pygmy rattlesnake. You often can't here its little buzzer of a rattle but its feisty and will bite much more quickly then a eastern Diamondback.

I have only seen one cottonmouth so far this year, but many harmless water snakes around Boyd Hill where I live in Lakewood St. Petersburg. Every one who sees a water snake claims its a venomous water moccasin, which is a mythical folklore bad guy. It is a dangerous snake but its reputation has been shot down by scientist so many times its funny. Now a harmless water snake can mimic the colors of a water moccasin and it will bite you nasty. Water snakes can be very aggressive and bite quickly. Usually I see 3 or 4 water moccasins around Lake Maggoirre yearly, however I am looking for them. One myth about water moccasins that constantly surfaces is that they like to fall out of trees into passing boats below. It could happen however genrally venomous water moccasins don't hang out in branches but rather lower on the trunks or stumps of trees to about 3'. A water moccasin would go on a higher limb in search of young birds nesting but not for sunning.
Non-venomous water snakes do hang out in branches over looking water.

A good spot is on the sidewalk off MLK by the fire station 8 in the canals. Also this is a excellent spot to see alligators. People never notice them as they jog, walk, ride bikes next to these drainage ditches. Instead they are looking into the lake for alligators which are more stealth unless its hot then you can find them on the shore directly along MLK near 30th Ave S. Also in Boyd Hill itself.


A strange comment in this thread was from the person who said "alligators are attracted to dogs". Weird, actually alligators are attracted to any thing that they consider edible when hungry. Just so many dog owners are clueless with fido off the leash by the water. I walk my 3 little dogs against the Lake daily. I see alligators regularly but I don't allow my dogs to the water front or ever off a leash. It's called common sense , such as not standing on the roof with lightning darting out of a thunder head.

The most common snake seen in suburban or urban yards is the Eastern Black Racer, a harmless snake that moves quickly. Young ones are colorful gray, brown splotched bands but with age its just black and thin about 3'.

Last edited by mph101; 04-17-2015 at 10:15 AM..
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Old 03-12-2017, 07:47 AM
 
147 posts, read 308,941 times
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Southwest Texas anyone? Plenty of sunshine and great Mexican food here.
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Old 03-12-2017, 08:50 AM
 
Location: Tampa
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o......k?
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Old 03-12-2017, 08:57 AM
 
30,163 posts, read 20,881,966 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SomervilleCat View Post
How common is it for snakes to actually be found IN your house? I am deathly afraid of snakes but my boyfriend wants to move down to Florida and I keep imagining snakes coming our of the toilet!!
Never found a snake in the house jake, but seen a hamster and a mouse in the house. Did have 2 snakes together in the garage once.
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Old 03-12-2017, 01:11 PM
 
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Originally Posted by georgste View Post
Southwest Texas anyone? Plenty of sunshine and great Mexican food here.
Sure but missing the ocean.
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Old 03-15-2017, 08:56 AM
 
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Coming from a lifelong Florida resident, I wouldn't worry too much about it. If you go looking for alligators you can find them, but they aren't going to bother you as long as you don't bother them. Anything large enough to be considered dangerous is normally removed. As far as snakes, I think I see maybe a few snakes every year. Only seen two Copperheads in my entire life, although I don't go walking around through the swamps. Sure if I did, I would see them a lot more. I wouldn't worry too much about the alligators and snakes. What I would worry about is the mosquitoes, I hate them way more!
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