Snakes!!! (San Antonio, Alamo, Alamo Heights: scorpion, to live in, to move)

[Camper1]

Originally Posted by NMCamper

Why would you kill a Coral snake? You have a better chance of winning the lottery than being bitten by a Coral snake. Do your research.

Cuz that's what we do here at my house. We kill scorpions too.

[prim8]

Originally Posted by NMCamper

Why would you kill a Coral snake? You have a better chance of winning the lottery than being bitten by a Coral snake. Do your research.

I imagine that the odds go up dramatically if there is one in your presence.

[tortuga29]

Originally Posted by Sonny Chiba57

They are not those ugly colored ones with sharp points at the end that you buy at the Poteet flea market are they? Talk about ooogly...They're made to kill cockroaches in the corners of the wall with those pointed ends.

Flea market? Um, no. What kind of Texas woman do you think I am?! No, no, no. Mine were specially made for me by a friend of my grandfather who used to work as a boot maker in South America and was a "guacho" if you will, after he left the great state of Texas to retire in the farmlands of Argentina. But I do have a pair of Jim's I got from a travelling show in North Carolina a few years ago. Point isn't so much roachkiller but more rounded off. They're actually a good pair of riding boots. Heel hooks into the stirrup well.

[Diana_cy]

We are planning to move soon in San Antonio. Buying a plot and build a house near La Cantera. Could someone tell us if there are snakes around and other dangerous venomous types of snakes or scorpios? I really hate snakes, there is nothing worst and just so gross for me let's say to see a snake in my yard one day or to leave the door open and to find one inside the house!!! I would just not be able to live in that house after that. I will just get so sick.

[Pancho-Villa]

We've had 4 snakes in 9 years. One Coral and Three non poisonous. Have had a handful of scorpions and spiders as well. One snake in the house (you don't have to leave the door open, it'll find a way in...dog alerted us to that one), the others right outside. Anyone who tells you there are NO snakes is flat out lying. They may not have seen one , but they are there.
Sorry, but this is South Texas, these things lived here long before us.
The biggest surprise for us was the amount of property crime here.

[huckster]

There are no snakes in south Texas. All long time locals know this. It is but a long held myth perennially perpetuated by films of the western genre. Six shooters blazing away at Rattlers is bologna. Venomous snakes have long been extinct, for perhaps twenty years...
I maintain there are no hazards in South Texas at all. It is a mild and peaceful place, a paradise nowadays.
At least I have never seen one. Then again I have led a very,very pampered life. I might be wrong, but at least am not lying.
Research up Rattlers and scorpions and Tarantulas in South Texas in wikipedia to be certain however.
Don't believe everything you read here.

Originally Posted by Pancho-Villa

We've had 4 snakes in 9 years. One Coral and Three non poisonous. Have had a handful of scorpions and spiders as well. One snake in the house (you don't have to leave the door open, it'll find a way in...dog alerted us to that one), the others right outside. Anyone who tells you there are NO snakes is flat out lying. They may not have seen one , but they are there.
Sorry, but this is South Texas, these things lived here long before us.
The biggest surprise for us was the amount of property crime here.

[rattle axis]

Originally Posted by huckster

There are no snakes in south Texas. All long time locals know this. It is but a long held myth perennially perpetuated by films of the western genre. Six shooters blazing away at Rattlers is bologna. Venomous snakes have long been extinct, for perhaps twenty years...
I maintain there are no hazards in South Texas at all. It is a mild and peaceful place, a paradise nowadays.
At least I have never seen one. Then again I have led a very,very pampered life. I might be wrong, but at least am not lying.
Research up Rattlers and scorpions and Tarantulas in South Texas in wikipedia to be certain however.
Don't believe everything you read here.

Wow. Long time local here, and I gotta say, I've had quite the opposite experience regarding snake encounters.

To be fair, now that our once quiet city is damn near paved over with the onslaught of urban sprawl, I'm having less encounters in recent years. Also, I haven't lead the "very, very pampered" life of huckster there.

I've spent many years hiking, camping, exploring, off roading, working in my yard, and working as a mechanic. Basically, a LOT of outside time. Around 33 years in the 78249 (not far from La Cantera).

Snake encounters tend to increase with new construction, when their habitats are disturbed. I think if you see many at your La Cantera home, it will be during and after construction. Scorpions as well.

Not that my experience is particularly common, but this quick recollection presents a contrary to the above posted opinion.

One snake inside the house - non venomous.
Two coral snakes in my yard - venomous
At least a half dozen non venomous in my yard as well

Three mature rattlers - venomous- outside my prior place of business (about 2 miles from La Cantera)
Four immature rattlers inside the business
and again, at least half a dozen rattlers on the road or adjacent property of that business.
(There was a lot of construction in the area at the time, so I assume a den was destroyed and they were all displaced. They all showed up about the same time)

Hiking in Friedrich Nature Park (near La Cantera) I've seen a fair variety of snakes, all non venomous aside from coral snakes which are pretty common there.

Hiking, camping, off roading, exploring ghost towns in rural area of Texas: Countless snakes. BUT - that's where you'd expect to find them of course.

Scorpions are going to be more common than snakes. Especially with new construction. I can't even recall how many I had inside the house after it (and the entire neighborhood) was newly constructed. Get a cat. Scorpions enter the house under doors, or nest in the attic and enter through light fixtures and ceiling fans. It's just part of living here. They tend to be active at night. I've been stung many a time, feels like an unexpected flu shot. Regular pest control is somewhat effective. Any yard work - wood piles, gardening, disturbing rocks - you will encounter scorpions.

Tarantulas - have never seen one in the wild east of the Pecos.

[rattle axis]

Originally Posted by Pancho-Villa

We've had 4 snakes in 9 years. One Coral and Three non poisonous. Have had a handful of scorpions and spiders as well. One snake in the house (you don't have to leave the door open, it'll find a way in...dog alerted us to that one), the others right outside. Anyone who tells you there are NO snakes is flat out lying. They may not have seen one , but they are there.
Sorry, but this is South Texas, these things lived here long before us.
The biggest surprise for us was the amount of property crime here.

If memory serves correctly, Pancho-Villa and I live nearby each other... Hausman Road, PV?
That's 2 honest accounts for you that are relatively nearby La Cantera.

[GEM-Texas]

I might remember folks at a MD was bitten by a rattler jogging near the med school. He was in super serious condition.

https://www.facebook.com/kens5/posts/10154804560725045

We get a nonpoisonous snake in the garage about once a year. Get them in the yard . This is the far NW part of town.

Neighbor had a rattler and a coral snake. The latter was taken out by a shovel in the middle of our street.

[Azure110]

I rarely ever seen snakes but I had one in my pool taking a swim once. I just scooped it out and threw it in the alley. I won't kill a snake unless it tries to attack me. Snakes generally try their best to avoid humans.