Snakes in NWA (Fayetteville, Ozark: neighborhood, tornadoes, living in)

[adenlee]

I was originally asking a question about tornadoes in NWA, but after reading more posts here, it appears that there's another poisonous snakes issue. As snakes, not to mention if they are poisonous, are my biggest fear, I wonder how often do you encounter them? And where? Do you see them in your backyard often? Thanks and have a great weekend guys!

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by adenlee

I was originally asking a question about tornadoes in NWA, but after reading more posts here, it appears that there's another poisonous snakes issue. As snakes, not to mention if they are poisonous, are my biggest fear, I wonder how often do you encounter them? And where? Do you see them in your backyard often? Thanks and have a great weekend guys!

I think you are worrying way to much about what you may see or what kind of weather we have here. As for snakes, yes, we do have poisonous snakes. Do we see them often or at all? For most of us the answer is no. WE have lived here 11 years now and we have seen several black snakes. They get quite big and eat bugs and rodents, fun to see in your garage? No, but they are good, not bad. Do we have rattle snakes? nothing like we had living in NM or So California. We did have a very tiny, dead copperhead in a insect sticky trap in our back yard. My fear was, if there is a baby there had to be a mommy and daddy somewhere. There is no real issue with deadly snakes here than in maybe, 30 or more other states in the good ole, USA. That doesn't mean we have none. No place is 100% safe from things we would rather not have invading our yards. That refers to bugs, spiders, rodents, and yes, bad weather.

[Hollynla]

There's always Iceland.

[Snaple4]

Was jogging on the trails along the water at Lake Fayetteville a few years ago. All of a sudden I see something move as I was about to step and decided to skip that step. Next thing I notice is this long snake darting off into the water. Didn't pay attention to what kind. It didn't bite me but did startle me. I also found a baby snake in our spider trap at a previous house. Still dont know how it got into the house.... Snakes and spiders call most of the world home....

[Slytrix]

Upon arriving back in SoCal our landscaper killed a 3 1/2' rattlesnake. Didn't see a snake of any kind while in NWA.

If you don't like snakes, try Kauai Hawaii, they don't have any.

[johninvegas]

nmnita---I used to live in and around Springfield about 30 years ago and my wife and I are thinking of moving back to the area, which would include NWA. Back then, we would often see cottonmouths cruising the rivers (James and Fenley) and sometimes hanging off trees over the river (Fenley, near Ozark) but I never once saw a snake of any kind when I was living inside the Springfield city limits in the 17 years I was there. I did see a rattlesnake once in the Mark Twain forest near Lebanon, but it was asleep and not bothering anyone.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by johninvegas

nmnita---I used to live in and around Springfield about 30 years ago and my wife and I are thinking of moving back to the area, which would include NWA. Back then, we would often see cottonmouths cruising the rivers (James and Fenley) and sometimes hanging off trees over the river (Fenley, near Ozark) but I never once saw a snake of any kind when I was living inside the Springfield city limits in the 17 years I was there. I did see a rattlesnake once in the Mark Twain forest near Lebanon, but it was asleep and not bothering anyone.

I have heard there are some cottonmouths in our near by lakes as well, but never seen one. I think there are a lot of places with so many more snakes than we have, but people do panic at the thought of snakes. I remember when we did have a black snake (quite long) in our garage. Not knowing what kind it was we called the police. they guy came out, picked the snake up in his bare hands and throw it across out street into the bushes. I have also seen a few very pretty and very harmless snakes in our garden: very few. We had many more growing up in So. Ca.

[biscuitmom]

Originally Posted by nmnita

I think you are worrying way to much about what you may see or what kind of weather we have here. As for snakes, yes, we do have poisonous snakes.

Yep. Next thing the OP will be asking about floods.

In 2 1/2 years here, I've seen one poisonous snake, a rattler at Devils Den State Park. I once saw 3 rattlers during a week long vacation in California.

That said, brown recluse spiders are a thing here. OP be warned.

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by johninvegas

but I never once saw a snake of any kind when I was living inside the Springfield city limits in the 17 years I was there.

A real simple policy to avoid snakes most anywhere. Live in town and not on the edge. Live away from creeks or ponds in a well established where there are no empty or non maintained lots within a couple of blocks of you. Live in a neighborhood where you have mostly grass and well maintained bushes and shrubbery around you without a lot of trees.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by eddie gein

A real simple policy to avoid snakes most anywhere. Live in town and not on the edge. Live away from creeks or ponds in a well established where there are no empty or non maintained lots within a couple of blocks of you. Live in a neighborhood where you have mostly grass and well maintained bushes and shrubbery around you without a lot of trees.

might be true but for many of us, we love our privacy, our wooded lots or in many cases our water view. I sill say, you can have all that and still not have to worry constantly about negative things. It doesn't matter where one lives, there will be possible "mother nature" arguments and she will win. Luckily she doesn't like to fight with us very often.