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I think when its hot they come out more, the first year that I was here(07) my dog got bit by a copperhead out by saluda lake and almost died, very scary...but that day it was over 105 degrees
OK, so I'm really happy someone else brought up the topic of snakes!!
I didn't want to be one of those typical Yankees moving to the south who is terrified of snakes but truth be told I am one of those snake fearin' yanks.
I've lived in Santa Fe, NM, the past two years and I've seen about a half dozen rattle snakes --- this is one of the reasons I am outta here!
So please give it to me straight, how careful do I have to be of snakes? I have two small dogs which if bitten by a venomous snake, would definitely die.
I'm renting a house in Simpsonville, will I see snakes in the yard? The address is Moncton Place. Will cutting the grass be a scary adventure?
Is there anything I can spray the yard with? Are there snake deterrents?
You can tell me how wonderful snakes are...how they keep down the rodent population...but snakes are something I am irrationally afraid of. I am not squeamish about anything else...I don't mind spiders or most bugs...but snakes are so scary to me I just about lose it!
I assume you always close your garage door lest snakes creep inside. Do snakes get into people's homes frequently? (I'm asking this because it DOES happen here in Santa Fe...but I thought it was because the desert gets chilly at night and the snakes are looking for warmth)
The venomous ones are copperhead and cottonmouth -- any others?
A neighbor I had here in Santa Fe was originally from Alabama and he told me cottonmouths actually CHASE you. He told me they are aggressive. Was he teasing me or serious? He told me while golfing a cottonmouth chased him in the golf cart -- and the snake was going fast.
The good thing about rattlers is that they rattle -- therefore signaling you to get the heck away. Do copperheads and cottonmouths give you a chance to get away or do they just bite?
Signed,
a former Yank who ain't gonna lose her snake paranoia
The copperhead is the only real threat in the greater Greenville area, and their venom is relatively mild. Perhaps a timber rattlesnake around the state line. You'll need to travel closer to the coast to find a cottonmouth, though they're often confused with other snakes. I wouldn't be worried about cutting the grass.
You see, saying you haven't seen a snake "so far this year" scares the dickens out of me. I went my entire childhood without seeing a snake in Massachusetts. I spent my days running around in the fields, swamps, rivers, streams (BAREFOOT), rolling around in the grass and never once saw a snake. We lived in a rural area next to a horse farm...fields, meadows, woods galore. Ok, maybe I saw a garter snake ONCE. But I never even considered that snakes existed when I lived in Mass/NJ/NY and now the potential onslaught of many varieties of snakes is like, well, it's like a horror movie.
I honestly don't remember the last time I saw a live snake in the Upstate. Perhaps last year or earlier. I'm probably fortunate, but they haven't come up in any conversations with other Upstate residents I know either—except one last week.
I haven't seen a poisonous snake in YEARS as in since I was a child and it was a diamondback rattlesnake. If anything, I see dead black rat snakes as roadkill and haven't seen a live one in over 3 years.
I doubt if you would see a cottonmouth unless you live by a pond/lake but their bite is the worst. They are the most aggressive I've heard. We have several other species of venomous snake but the rattlesnake, copperhead and water moccasin(cottonmouth) are well known.
It is important not to confuse non-venomous snakes with venomous. Generally, a triangle shaped head indicates a poisonous snake, as do bright, vivid colors. There are tons of large, non-venomous snakes here. As someone said, the main thing you need to watch out for is the copperhead. It can be easily confused with a rat snake, but is generally yellow and brown in color. Timber and Eastern Diamondback Rattlers are in smaller numbers, usually in the mountains. If you ever get a chance, go to the Snake House in Mountain Rest off 28. The guy there knows a ton.
Water Moccasins are rare in this area, but not unheard of. They are very aggressive.
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