these snakes are scaring me!!!!!! (Austin, Lumberton: fit in, house, established neighborhood)

[emailvasally]

I recently moved to lumberton tx from Va. I have encountered 5 snakes, in my backyard, in the past 2 weeks. I have certainly figured out I need to learn more about snakes.

anyway.... can anyone give me a list of some of the native snakes? I started doing some research on the internet but cannot find anything for this exact area. My kids and dog spend a lot of time outside so I am now getting worried.

[allamericantx]

yes. first off, what part of town do you live in? that will answer a lot.

second, what color are the snakes? a bright green by chance?

name of neighborhood, color of snakes, we'll go from there

[allamericantx]

don't be alarmed or worried. here's a link to local snakes.

bit of homework: Snakes in Central Texas Friend or Foe

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by emailvasally

I recently moved to lumberton tx from Va. I have encountered 5 snakes, in my backyard, in the past 2 weeks. I have certainly figured out I need to learn more about snakes.

anyway.... can anyone give me a list of some of the native snakes? I started doing some research on the internet but cannot find anything for this exact area. My kids and dog spend a lot of time outside so I am now getting worried.

You might want to pick up a copy of Texas Monthly Field Guide, Snakes of Texas, by Alan Tennant.

There are numerous snakes native to Texas. The only ones you have to worry about are the pit vipers/poisonous ones:

Rattlesnakes (mostly the Western Diamondback, Rock Rattler, along with several other related species), Copperheads, Water Moccasins (Cottonmouth) and Coral Snakes. If I've missed one, someone can correct me.

Also, at Texas Parks and Wildlife:

Texas Junior Naturalists Snakes!

Texas Junior Naturalists Snakes!

[TexasHorseLady]

Here ya go. Austin Reptile Service with photos, divided up by stripes, blotches, and so on, making it an easy to navigate and find the snake you want to identify site.

[emailvasally]

Originally Posted by allamericantx

yes. first off, what part of town do you live in? that will answer a lot.

second, what color are the snakes? a bright green by chance?

name of neighborhood, color of snakes, we'll go from there

I live in the candlestick subdivision. Was not expecting this outside of the "woods or country"
the very first one (that died in the pool) was kind of a greenish color and very tiny. two of them were very tiny and black. (aprox 1" diameter and maybe 1 ft long)
this last one was a light color 2-3" diameter and 3-4ft long. my daughter keeps saying it had stripes but honestly I dont remember that. I caught it with the pool net and tried to hold on to it while the kids went searching for a neighbor. it made kind of a hiss/rattle noise. but it was not a rattle snake did not have the thing on the tail. My daughter heard the same thing so I know I wasnt hearing things. anyway it got away. I am now afraid to get out there and finish picking up after the dog and mow.

[BobTex]

First ... there are FAR more numerous beneficial snakes than poisonous ones. There are no diamondback or other ratters in the area except timber rattlers and they are very seclusive and more wilderness oriented. You might have a rare copperhead (the most numerous hjigh ground poinous variety). They are very distinct pattern of browns and golds(copper)...kinda brown pinestraw and light tan . These snakes also inhabit VA. so maybe you saw one there. Again HIGHLY unlikely you saw one in an established neighborhood like candlestick, but possible.

More likely you'll run into kingsnakes and Texas rat snakes ... very common along with varieties af garter snakes. Of course these won't harm you. The hisser you encountered sounds like a hognosed snake ... there defense systems include several bluffing maneuvers like "hissing", vibrating the tail (no rattles), puffing up the neck kinda like a cobra and striking (no fangs) ... the strike is a bluff maneuver, and then lastly if all that fails they will roll over and play dead (sulk). These snakes are genrally no more than 3' long and are thicker than most non-poisonous varieties and have a wide head. All the snakes mentioned in this paragraph are highly beneficial.

The most likely encounter with a poisonous snake would be a watermoccasin. They like water like bayous and ponds. Not so much Village Creek because of the current and the colder water. They are thick, gray to almost black and even looking dark brown at times. These are the most numerous poisonous snake in southern Hardin County I would think.

I live 35 miles north of you ... we have to deal with these (timber rattler):






Don't think you'll see one of these in Lumberton ... I've never heard of one down in that area. I live out in the boonies too.

Hang in there Sally ... after a while you'll shrug 'em off. My Canadian wife learned to!

[emailvasally]

Thanks Bobtex! and everyone else. I am starting to read through everything and getting even more confused. Part of me want to put up some sort of snake repellant and the other part of me knows that most of them are good, so I shouldnt. I think what I need to do is focus on the poisoness ones in this area. that way if I see one that doesnt fit in that category I wont be so freaked out. I dont mind snakes when I know theyre not harmful.

It definetly wasnt the timbe rattler. I also thought it was strange that it didnt coil up or try to strike. although it did lift up its head and pointed at me.

thanks everyone for your help.

[doss1]

Don't kill possums--they feed on these smaller snakes and spiders.

[Rocket Power]

I live not too far from you. I don't believe I've ever personally encountered a poisonous snake before. Sure, I've heard of other people around here who have, but not me.

I have had a good sized snake (3-5 feet) somehow wind up in my house before. It's quite an experience walking into the hallway and being unexpectedly greeted by a snake sitting there sticking his tongue out at you. He was harmless though