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Things to know ...
The safest thing to do is not to try and handle or kill the snake. Keep children and pets well away, then call our snake control and removal team.
Our team of snake professionals will find the entry and exit site for the snake. Once retrieving the reptile, we will safely remove it from your property. Additionally, we will seal up the area where the snake entered the property to prevent future unwanted snake friends. Snakes commonly burrow for shelter, but also do so if they are trailing a rodent. We can also offer a deterrent to rodents, more so reducing the return of the snake. See below for some home protection tips:
Home Safety
The safest thing to do is not to try and handle or kill the snake. Keep children and pets well away, then call our snake control and removal team.
Our team of snake professionals will find the entry and exit site for the snake. Once retrieving the reptile, we will safely remove it from your property. Additionally, we will seal up the area where the snake entered the property to prevent future unwanted snake friends. Snakes commonly burrow for shelter, but also do so if they are trailing a rodent. We can also offer a deterrent to rodents, more so reducing the return of the snake. See below for some home protection tips:
Home Safety
- To ensure security around your home, you can do the following:
- Keep any piles of debris as far from your residence as possible: wood piles, livestock pens, trash dumps, etc.
- Be cautious when entering crawl spaces. A snake’s long, slender body make them adept to entering tiny spaces.
- Maintain any storage areas or barns, even over turned boats. Snakes are beckoned to these areas because they provide great shelter.
- Visit local sites and read up on First Aid in cause of an unexpected bite.
- Keep the yard trimmed low.
- Wear shoes outside.
- Do not attempt snake removal if you do not know how to handle snakes.
- Call wild animal and pest control if you find one on your property; always better to be safe than sorry. Leave it to the snake professionals!
Backround information
Texas is home to approximately 15 venomous and poisonous snake species. Luckily, around 50% of the snakes found in Texas are not venomous or poisonous. Fun Fact: Venomous and poisonous are not the same thing, a very common misconception. Poisons are encountered through touch, ingestion, or inhalation, while venom is encountered directly from being injected through the bite/wound. No matter what type of snake, it is best to allow pest control to come collect the reptile. Below are a few of the most popular snakes found throughout the great state of Texas.
copperheadsThese snakes get their fitting name from their copper-red heads. Copperheads are medium-sized snakes, ranging between two and three feet long. Female Copperheads are longer than males, although, males have proportionally longer tails. This species of snake has a distinct pattern on their bodies: dark, reddish brown cross bands, each shaped similarly to an hour glass. The belly is most commonly a white, yellowish hue. Copperheads are known as pit-vipers, meaning they have heat-sensory pits between their eyes and nose. This helps the gauge the temperature and strike the source of heat. Copperheads have a mild venom; rarely fatal to humans.
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cottonmouths
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Water Moccasins, also known as Cottonmouths, are North America’s only venomous water snake. Cottonmouths are known as semiaquatic, meaning they have enjoy swimming in the water or sunbathing on land. Due to the climate and weather, these snakes are most commonly found in the southeastern United States, especially Texas. They are deemed this suited name due to the white coloration of the inside of the snake’s mouth. The Cottonmouth is also a pit viper, like its friends the Copperhead and Rattlesnake. This species ranges from two to four feet long. They have triangular shaped heads and thick, muscular bodies. Their underbelly is paler than their bodies.
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Rattlesnakes
Rattlesnakes are split into two groups called the Sistrurus. Texas has two of them: the western and desert massasauga. These two types of rattlesnakes are dangerous; they produce a cytotoxic venom that destroys tissue. Seek first aid help immediately and call animal control to have the reptile removed from your premises. The other most popular rattlesnake found throughout Texas is the Diamondback Rattlesnake. This is the most common and widespread venomous snake in Texas, found in all but the easternmost part of the state. The Diamondback can reach 3 ½ to 4 ½ feet; some have reached up to seven feet. It is easy to spot due to its brown, diamond-shaped markings along the middle of the back. They also have distinctive alternating black and white rings around their noisy tale. |
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coral snakes
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Coral snakes are small, vibrantly colored, highly venomous snakes. They have the second-strongest venom of any snake, but they are generally considered less dangerous than rattlesnakes. This is because coral snakes have a less effective poison-delivery system. Coral snakes are slender and small, typically between 18 and 20 inches long. The Eastern Coral Snake is the primary breed found in Texas; its body is entirely covered in bright bands of black, red and yellow. Narrow bright yellow rings separate wider red and black rings. There is a yellow ring behind the snake’s black snout. The tail is ringed in black and yellow, with no red.
Fun Fact: What is a snake’s favorite dance? The Mamba. |
benefits
Snakes provide a plethora of benefits to the environment. First and foremost, the snakes act as a natural form pest control. Their dietary habits, of being herbivores, help the planet. They eat small mammals such as rats and mice, which reduce those animals from destroying crops or personal property. Smaller snakes eat bugs and insects, again helping reduce the impact of crops and farms. Their dietetic options truly help maintain the ecosystem’s balance.
habitat
Copperheads mostly reside in western realm of Texas. This species is known to have a wide range of habitats. They enjoy rocky, wooded areas, mountains, thickets near streams, desert oases, canyons, and other natural environments. They like almost any habitat with both sunlight and shade. Copperheads are quite tolerant of habitat alteration. This means that they can survive well in suburban areas, too. Copperheads can sometimes be found in wood and sawdust piles, abandoned farm buildings, junkyards, scrap metal piles, and old construction areas.
Cottonmouths/Water Moccasins live in the southeastern United States, and populate the eastern side of Texas. Water moccasins may be found swimming in swamps, marshes, drainage ditches, and at the edges of ponds, lakes and streams. On land, they're found near water and fields. They like to sun themselves on branches, stones, and logs near the water's edge. Basking keeps up their body temperature, which chills quickly in water.
Rattlesnakes: the western and desert massasauga are found throughout the middle of state in the grasslands, marshy and swampy areas.
Coral snakes are nocturnal and isolated. Because of their mysterious habits, they may be found in suburban areas. They spend most of their time keeping cozy in burrows or under rocks or rotting leaves. They are most ordinarily seen in the spring and fall.
Cottonmouths/Water Moccasins live in the southeastern United States, and populate the eastern side of Texas. Water moccasins may be found swimming in swamps, marshes, drainage ditches, and at the edges of ponds, lakes and streams. On land, they're found near water and fields. They like to sun themselves on branches, stones, and logs near the water's edge. Basking keeps up their body temperature, which chills quickly in water.
Rattlesnakes: the western and desert massasauga are found throughout the middle of state in the grasslands, marshy and swampy areas.
Coral snakes are nocturnal and isolated. Because of their mysterious habits, they may be found in suburban areas. They spend most of their time keeping cozy in burrows or under rocks or rotting leaves. They are most ordinarily seen in the spring and fall.
