# Site General > Off-topic Cafe >  Do you kill snakes you find in your yard?

## Mike Cavanaugh

This should be an interesting conversation IF everyone keeps their cool.  

I voted yes.  I live in NE Florida.  I have a sewage retention pond near my back yard and 9 times out of 10 the snakes found are either water moccasin or another undesirable snake for my kids to come across when playing in the yard.  shovel to the head... then throw it in the lake so nature will dispose of the body.

HOWEVER!  If I found a Ball Python, or a Cornsnake, or some other "pet" that was likely let loose, I would more then likely take it to the vet and attempt to keep it...  but have never found anyting like this.

How bout you?

Mikey

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## missi182

NO!!! Oh NO!!! heh...kidding...I wouldn't find anything poisonous so no, but I can't say I know what I would do if I did.

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## LYDIA

yeah.. i get rattlesnakes in my back yard during the summer.. =/

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## djansen

No, I would not kill them.

I dont live in a area that has dangerous snakes nor do I have kids but wouldnt a better Idea be to keep the areas where snakes hide off limits or teach your kids what to do if they see one?

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ballin (10-18-2009),Nocturnal (07-03-2010)

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## Purrrfect9

I live in the suburbs, so you wouldn't normally see many venomous snakes. But if I lived on a bunch of land, I'd set metal sheets in my yard to 'collect' them, then call a professional to relocate them.

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## Jyson

My vote is no. I love it when I see snakes come into my yard since I don't get to see them often. I live just feet from a wildlife reserve, I usually just catch and release them, or just watch them slither on by. 

I live in NW Fl. and I have seen my fair share of vemonous snakes too. I don't kill them either, I usually just call my neighbor (vemonous snake wrangler expert) and we catch them and place them back deep in the reserve. A majority of the vemonous snakes we get are diamond backs, the biggest one I have seen in my neck of the woods was a 6 footer, and by the looks of it, it was an old one.

Now if say I saw a "pet" snake such as a ball python, burmese, boa, etc. I would take it in, quarantine it (of course), take it to the vet, get it back to health if its sick, and when it passes quarantine and is healthy and eating, put it up for adoption. Fortunately I have never had to do this since I have never seen any pet snakes roaming around my area.

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## nybp

> No, I would not kill them.
> 
> I DO NOT HAVE CHILDREN...BUT IF/WHEN:
> 
> 
> I dont live in a area that has dangerous snakes nor do I have kids but wouldnt a better Idea be to keep the areas where snakes hide off limits or teach your kids what to do if they see one?



i doubt it. BOYS WILL BE BOYS....and i know i'd definately go to where snakes were to see them. the problem is, if a dangerous snake was in my yard, and my kid came across and was to young to differenciate between my pet, and a harmful one..... :Fishslap:   :Bonk: ....and no more dangerous snake. sorry to say but my child's safety is far more important

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## Mike Cavanaugh

> No, I would not kill them.
> 
> I dont live in a area that has dangerous snakes nor do I have kids but wouldnt a better Idea be to keep the areas where snakes hide off limits or teach your kids what to do if they see one?


Uh.... the area where the snakes hide would be the entire yard, and every other neighbors yard too.  My boys have been very well educated what to do / not to do when they come a cross a wild snake.  However, considering most "attacks" come from accidentilly stepping on them, their knowing what to do when they see one would not prevent most of the problem situations.

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## Barbee

I voted no, because now that i live in NE georgia, i dont come across many and if and when i do the typically arent dangerous. 

HOWEVER.... I used to live in central FL till 2 years ago, and there i had problems with dangerous snakes and if and when i came across them...yes i killed them. but never any that were harmless

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## 2kdime

NO WAY!!! My fiance and I snatch em up and relocate them to a more snake friendly area.

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## djansen

> i doubt it. BOYS WILL BE BOYS....and i know i'd definately go to where snakes were to see them. the problem is, if a dangerous snake was in my yard, and my kid came across and was to young to differenciate between my pet, and a harmful one..... ....and no more dangerous snake. sorry to say but my child's safety is far more important


I can agree with that, who knows what kinda trouble I would have got in if I was around dangerous snakes growing up lol.




> Uh.... the area where the snakes hide would be the entire yard, and every other neighbors yard too.  My boys have been very well educated what to do / not to do when they come a cross a wild snake.  However, considering most "attacks" come from accidentilly stepping on them, their knowing what to do when they see one would not prevent most of the problem situations.


true, I do agree that people are more important than animals so if you dont want to relocate them its your call.

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nybp (02-06-2009)

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## nixer

i have never killed one snake at work home on the farm or any of that.
when i was little my mom did all the time and they were just garters.
she still doesnt like them and i was informed in the fall they killed a bullsnake at our cottage it was in our golf cart. and i asked them why they eat rodents leave them alone.

at work ppl have found snakes and asked me about them or ive caught them and showed ppl what they do is pretty much just defense. around here your not going to see much in hots. usually its just a brown snake or garters ive even showed them that those snakes are good for us to have and they dont hurt when they bite.

as for other herps i have had turtle soup, alligator, rattlesnake, and frog legs.
personally if your going to kill it you better be willing to eat it, but some animals get into places where there is nothing more to do but to kill them.

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## nybp

> No, I would not kill them.
> 
> I dont live in a area that has dangerous snakes nor do I have kids but wouldnt a better Idea be to keep the areas where snakes hide off limits or teach your kids what to do if they see one?





> I can agree with that, who knows what kinda trouble I would have got in if I was around dangerous snakes growing up lol.
> 
> 
> 
> true, I do agree that people are more important than animals so if you dont want to relocate them its your call.



THIS IS THE PERFECT DISCUSSION, ONE MEMBER CAN SEE THE OTHERS POINT. if i came across the snake and it was not a threat to me, and i had no kids...leave it be. but my kids will come first.

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## DutchHerp

Just remember it's venomous, not poisonous...

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zamora (01-28-2010)

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## nixer

it should also be noted that some animals will come back if they are relocated like rattlesnakes going back to the same den.

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## azpythons

yea ive killed rattlers

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## anatess

> Just remember it's venomous, not poisonous...


Hah hah!  YEP!  My son has a tall pile of reptile books and one of them - a kid one - says Poisonous Snakes in the book cover - and my son complained that I got him a stupid book.  It has really nice pictures though, so he still spent a good time reading it over and over.

Anyway, I'm in NE Florida too.  Retention pond in the backyard that occasionally coughs up a water moccasin.  We also have a family of racer snakes hiding somewhere between our house and the hedge next to it.  We see them race across our yard once in a while.  The kids would sometimes come home with a racer among other things like lizards, tree frogs, caterpillars, butterflies, and the like - we have a rule they can only keep them until dinner time and then they have to let them go.

One time we had a hurricane, the water went half-way up the backyard of my friend's house (also on a retention pond).  When the water receded, it left a water mocassin on the yard.  They had a 3-year-old and she was running towards the pond and was about to run towards the snake but their dog rushed ahead and attacked the snake - the snake bit the dog on the face and it made his head swell up like a balloon.  My friend killed the snake, rushed the dog to the vet and spent $1200 on medication.  But, hey, that could have been the daughter.

Another time, my next-door neighbor had a children's party in their backyard and one of the racer snakes - he was about 6 feet long - crossed my backyard and crawled under the fence to my neighbor's yard.  My husband caught his tail before he got all the way across the fence, and yelled at the other parents to stay back.  But, the racer was hissing and trying to bite my husband through the fence.  The kids at the party and the parents were panicking and my husband couldn't pull the racer back under the fence so he made a snap decision and chopped the racer up with the hoe.

When I lived in the Philippines, my mom would line our house with garlic to ward off snakes.  We had 2 snakes go inside our house, both got chopped up.  We had 1 that the doberman chewed up.  I didn't know anything about snakes then, so I don't know what kind of snakes they are.  My dad shot a 14-foot reticulated python one time that got tangled across the tennis court net.  My family there will kill a snake if they see it - unless it's in a zoo!  They still think I should kill my snakes before they kill my children.  Sigh.

Anyway, I guess the short answer is - venomous or not, we let it be, unless it poses a danger to the kids.

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## mainbutter

NO WAI I take poisonous snakes and grab them and bite them on my arm to increase my poison resistance I'm hardcore like that.





But seriously, I used to live in the south(Live in MN now), and I have never killed a snake in my life.  I can't count the number of cottonmouths and copperheads I've had to deal with being in the outdoors in Louisiana and southeast texas.  If we ever found any snake in our yard/pool, we'd relocate it a few miles away simply to get it further away from roads.

If you kill a handful venomous snakes, you're deluding yourself that it makes you or your children safer.  The ones you have to worry about are the ones you don't see.

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_DutchHerp_ (02-06-2009),_Exotic Ectotherms_ (02-08-2009),_Michelle.C_ (02-07-2009),Nocturnal (07-03-2010),_TheReptileEnthusiast_ (02-06-2009)

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## TheReptileEnthusiast

I came across venomous snakes(rattlesnakes)as a kid and since I have been a herp nut from the get go, I knew to just keep my distance. I know my two boys are smart enough to do the same. That being said, I would not just leave a venomous snake in my yard in South Florida, since boys tend to run around without looking where they are going, and my kids aren't the only ones who frequent my backyard either. I would not kill a snake though, I'd simply grab my trusty snake hook and trade it with one the many venomous keepers here for cash or a nice ball python morph!

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## icygirl

There should be a poll option for "I love my gartersnakes!"  :Very Happy:  That's all we have around here..

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## sg1trogdor

Well I live in a rather urban area so chances of finding a snake in my yard are rather slim.  But if I did come across anything I would leave it be poisonous or not.  I understand you (op) have children but Even if I did I still would not.  I would educate the children and urge them to use caution.

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## dizzy

lol I'm the only person that voted there's no snakes around me. Of course there are technically some snakes in Wisco, but I don't think I've ever seen one in the like 8 years I've lived here. Not wild ones, anyway.

Totally off topic but I'm super excited... I just finished paying off the 4 snakes on the bottom of my signature and the lady is throwing in a free 5th BP! Woo hoo! I can't wait to get them on Tuesday.

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## littleindiangirl

I see no reason to kill any animal because it's just happened across your path or in your yard. I'm all about calling in professional snake wranglers and relocation.

We've taken enough of nature, we don't need to destroy it anymore.

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_DutchHerp_ (02-06-2009),_joepythons_ (02-06-2009),_Michelle.C_ (02-07-2009),_mooingtricycle_ (02-09-2009)

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## JohnNJ

I keep trying to attract snakes to the yard to kill all of the GD chipmunks !!!

I have never seen a snake in my yard (a turtle once) but we see lots on hikes and camping.  We let them pass.

JohnNJ

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## boboso

Not that I would want it to happen to my boy, but being bit by a copperhead when I was young got me into reptiles...

We have a couple of rattlesnake varieties where I am at (we are up against a wilderness area), so education for my boy (and dog) was/is the key.

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## ARamos8

Only the copperheads.  Rat snakes and yellow belly racers can roam free.

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## mcbrayerreptiles

I would never kill a snake in my yard, I simply catch and release elsewhere, even if it is venomous..... If you relocate an animal, there is no longer a threat to your kids or animals in your yard.....

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## Michelle.C

Personally, I love when I get a wild herp in the yard, venomous or not. 

We has seven inside dogs, so when one turns up, I grab the snake hook and relocate it away from humans, domestic animals. 

There are so many preventatives we can utilize, so we do not have to destroy creatures we find to be problematic. They sell a mesh you can place at the perimeter of your land that snakes can not come through. I've never tried it, but supposedly, snakes do not like passing over strips of copper. Along with repellents, and humane traps, there are other alternatives.

I voted "No".

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_DutchHerp_ (02-06-2009),_Jyson_ (02-07-2009),_littleindiangirl_ (02-07-2009)

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## Epona142

Living 11 miles from a ROAD in the middle of forest, you can imagine we come across plenty of wild herps.

Among the treasures are water moccasins, copperheads, the occasional rattler, and the rare gem, coral snakes.

Nothing delights me more than seeing them! Even coming across a hognose or ratsnake makes my day. Finding a coral makes my week! 

We don't bother them. They rarely come close to the actual house, and there is little they can harm out here. I consider spotting a herp as a sign of a good day personally.  :Smile: 

However, I can understand the need to remove snakes in other situations.

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_Michelle.C_ (02-07-2009)

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## AndrewGeibel

I actually got into a debate with my dad about this one. My dad killed a copperhead last summer. And from what I have been able to research there have been very few deaths from copper heads and most involved multiple bites to a child or elderly person. He said that it was a dangerous snake. I countered by saying next time I found a stray dog that I thought might be dangerous I would just kill it. Clearly I am not serious on that statement but I think it proved my point to him because he never had a response.

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## JohnNJ

> I actually got into a debate with my dad about this one.


Andrew:

As a father I try to teach my children to respect nature and life in general.  We spend a lot of time outdoors and we practice the "Leave No Trace" concepts taught by the Boy Scouts.  Basically, if they find something special, even a rock, I encourage them to leave things as they found them so the next person that comes through can have that same experience.

That said, I would not hesitate or give a second thought to killing anything that could possibly harm my family.  I would try my best to avoid it, and have done that so far, but I long ago made up my mind as to how I would handle a real threat.

Don't come down too hard on your Dad.  I'm sure he's trying to do the best he can with what he has.  I know I didn't make it easy for my father and my children are returning the favor ten fold.  :Rolleyes2: 

JohnNJ

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## hoax

> Well I live in a rather urban area so chances of finding a snake in my yard are rather slim.  But if I did come across anything I would leave it be poisonous or not.  I understand you (op) have children but Even if I did I still would not.  I would educate the children and urge them to use caution.


You say you lie in an urban area correct?

Why would you just leave a venomous animal be? Would you not worry about the other people in your neighborhood that might not be educated and get bit or kill the animal? 

I am not saying kill it but calling animal control (which will probably just kill it) might be a better solution to at least try and protect your neighbors and more importantly the animal.

I live out in the country so I come across a few snakes, this year I have found 3 copperheads and a yellow belly water snake. I tried to catch one copper head but ya know trying to free handle a copperhead with little experience is just plain retarded so after a few strikes I left it be. The yellow bellied water snake I misidentified as a water moccasin at first my wife wanted to kill it....

But have no fear I caught it and relocated it to a stock pond (the closest body of water) and let it be I have not seen it back yet.

I am really excited about this upcoming Spring and summer because that means I get to do some serious field herping. I can only hope I will have some snakes in my yard and hopefully I can get a few hots to look at.

Mike

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## TheReptileEnthusiast

I can't say that I comprehend the need to kill a venomous snake. If someone doesn't know how to handle one, simply call someone who does. There are other options, even in states like Florida where relocation is illegal. Some people love hots as pets just like we love our BP's.

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## AndrewGeibel

> Andrew:
> 
> As a father I try to teach my children to respect nature and life in general.  We spend a lot of time outdoors and we practice the "Leave No Trace" concepts taught by the Boy Scouts.  Basically, if they find something special, even a rock, I encourage them to leave things as they found them so the next person that comes through can have that same experience.
> 
> That said, I would not hesitate or give a second thought to killing anything that could possibly harm my family.  I would try my best to avoid it, and have done that so far, but I long ago made up my mind as to how I would handle a real threat.
> 
> Don't come down too hard on your Dad.  I'm sure he's trying to do the best he can with what he has.  I know I didn't make it easy for my father and my children are returning the favor ten fold. 
> 
> JohnNJ


That probably sounded a little stronger than I meant it to. It was all done respectfully and my father and I have a wonderful relationship. This wasn't a yelling type debate by any means. More of a debate while having a beer. That is kinda how my family works. If we disagree with another family member we let the family member know in a calm respectful way and then we agree to disagree and once its over its over and no hard feelings.

Thanks for the concern though. In the situation I didn't feel like anybody was in immediate danger and I had the means to safely move it. So that is what I chose. If I had felt that anybody was in danger I would probably have a different opinion.

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## Muze

I don't have kids, but I have dogs and I would not want them coming across any venomous snakes.  However, I can't picture myself killing anything, so I'd just have to keep them out of the yard.  I don't know what I'd do if it were inside my home, though.  

I found a Boa once in the day care I used to run.  I caught it & took it to the wildlife rescue right by my house.  I lived with someone at the time who was terrified of snakes so I couldn't keep it.

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## Muze

> I don't have kids, but I have dogs and I would not want them coming across any venomous snakes.  However, I can't picture myself killing anything, so I'd just have to keep them out of the yard.  I don't know what I'd do if it were inside my home, though.  
> 
> I found a Boa once in the day care I used to run.  I caught it & took it to the wildlife rescue right by my house.  I lived with someone at the time who was terrified of snakes so I couldn't keep it.


I think I would use a snake hook, stick it in one of my extra tubs with holes, secure the lid, and figure out a safe place to relocate it.  Yeah, that's what I'd do.

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## mainbutter

A note to the people who do kill venomous snakes they find in their yard:

I lived in Anchorage, Alaska for a short while when I was a kid, and my parents just moved back this past summer.

There are bears and moose everywhere.  I saw two bears on average on every riverside hike when I was on the kenai peninsula last summer(some were repeats, but I'm sure I saw at least 15-20 individual brown bears, and maybe 4 or 5 individual black bears).  If my dad treated bears and moose as you treat venomous snakes, we would have had to shoot every single one.  They are a considerable threat and quite dangerous, and you have to be careful.

However, that doesn't mean you shoot the bull moose at your kids' bus stop(happened more times than I could count) wandering around the neighborhood.  You just left it alone and kept your distance, and drove the kids to school yourself.

Just a thought I had.  I don't see why snakes are treated differently than other dangerous wildlife.

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9Catsz (08-05-2009),_DutchHerp_ (02-07-2009),_littleindiangirl_ (02-07-2009),_mooingtricycle_ (02-09-2009),_TheReptileEnthusiast_ (02-09-2009)

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## bsd13

Where I live now don't see many snakes unless I go looking. Where I used to live I'd see all kinds including timber rattlers. I've never been one for killing them if it was avoidable. Only had to kill 2 that I can recall. One that my dog mangled had to be put out of its misery (an eastern garter if memory serves) and one of the rattle snakes. 

Usually tried to catch the rattlers and move them about 5 to 10 miles away but one of them we shot and used it along with a shock collar, and some fishing line to teach our dogs that snake's should be avoided. Did the trick but in hindsight I think a rubber snake would have worked just as well.

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## FlowRock

Since there are now venomous snakes around where I live and it would be illegal even to touch the nonvenomous, which are rare enough, i voted that there a no snakes around.
The only time I had to deal with a large number of snakes was on a fishing trip, where a couple of dozen ringneck snakes (german name is Ringelnatter) tried to cross a street, with a lot of casualties. I picked up every one of them I saw and carried it over the street and because some of them were around 4 to 5 feet, got some nice love bites.

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## JamieLynn

I have never killed a snake. Around here we have prairie rattlers, and although the state does not recognize them as native, there is a lake a few miles away that has water moccasins.
Both my husband and I agree, that only if someone gets bit, we would first try to "box" the snake, but if it could not be boxed without other bites we (he) would kill it. The only reason we would do that is that for many types of anti-venom it is best to have the snake for ID purposes. 
Any other time snakes are relocated. A lot of people we know kill them just for the sake of killing something, so if we see one around these people, we will relocate. 
We also stop the car for any snake in the road, I keep a long stick (4-5ft long dried willow branch) in both of our cars, so in the event it is something other than a bull, or garter (the 2 we see all the time) we can use the stick to help move the snake out of harms way.

But in my yard we hardly ever find anything, only little garters, we pick them up and show them to our little girl, and tell her that they are a good snake, that if she sees them its ok. We have a SD herp book, and show her the ones that are ok and the ones to stay away from.

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## cheryls

We have no venomous snakes that I know of, but when I see a snake in my yard, it's usually sunning and I like to take pictures of them.  I did have a small garter living under my pool filter last summer and we spent some good quality time together because the filter kept breaking down.  Eventually it stopped scooting away every time I came near and would just hang out while I worked on the filter...an outdoor pet snake!  It was fun!

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## butters!

i vote no!
its not there fault we wreck there natural habitat and build homes.you invaded its home,where is it supposed to go?wouldnt you be mad and wanna bite too?

if i seen a neighbor killing a snake or turtle for no reason except its dangerous to the kids i would seek revenge for the snake.

if where you live is dangerous to kids MOVE!

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## Boanerges

Nope  :Wag of the finger:

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## alohareptiles

However, once garter snake slithered under my riding lawn mower...Thus, I didn't intentional do it...Sorry had to confess... :Bowdown:

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## Snakemaster24

I'm gonna say this one time and one time only THERE IS NEVER AN EXCUSE TO KILL A SNAKE THERE ARE ALWAYS WAYS TO REMOVE A SNAKE WITOUT HARMING YOURSELF

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## jrosen123

I WISH I found snakes in my yard, the only thing we have where I live are garter snakes in open fields. 

HOWEVER, for the sake of the poll,  I would NOT kill them.

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## mooingtricycle

I find it HIGHLY irresponsible to kill any native wildlife where it can be avoided, if not for food purposes. ( I make an exception for some bugs... Mosquitos are quite plentiful! but even i dont kill spiders i see.... or even every wasp, or bee) 

There is no reason to kill snakes in ones yard, regardless of species. If you find that you have problems with Venomous species, i suggest hiring someone to come and remove the species for you, to relocate them. And checking your yard regularly when your children go out to play, if they are that much of a problem. Also teaching your children where to play, and what to do when they come across a snake in the wild is far more responsible than killing an animal that is, more than obviously quite fit for survival, and is continuing its species. 
 I think it a great waste when people kill snakes, and other reptiles/animals in their yards, just because they can, for no other purpose than because they dont want it there.  :Wag of the finger: 

i dont care how plentiful that species is unless it is a nonnative species that is causing destruction of the local habitat. ( Burms/Iguanas/Feral Cats/Feral Dogs)

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## Mike Cavanaugh

Just an interesting observation.... Seems like most that are ABSOLUTELY against it are ones that live in areas that don't have hots, or don't have kids, or both.

The ones that feel this way and don't have kids... consider your neighbors kids.

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## mooingtricycle

> Just an interesting observation.... Seems like most that are ABSOLUTELY against it are ones that live in areas that don't have hots, or don't have kids, or both.
> 
> The ones that feel this way and don't have kids... consider your neighbors kids.


I was a kid, and we have Timbers as well as Copperheads up here. Never had a problem! I knew that if i came across a snake that i couldnt identify, i would leave it alone!

I say, have some common sense, and check your yard before your kids play, if they are THAT much of a concern and you live in a very active area for snakes. Take some initiative! Why not be responsible for your childrens saftey, AND animals by preventing a problem, possibly before it starts?

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## Mike Cavanaugh

> Take some initiative! Why not be responsible for your childrens saftey, AND animals by preventing a problem, possibly before it starts?



LOL... that is exactly what I do.  If there is a water moccasin in my back yard, that sucker is history!  Then he is fish food!

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## DutchHerp

> I was a kid, and we have Timbers as well as Copperheads up here. Never had a problem! I knew that if i came across a snake that i couldnt identify, i would leave it alone!
> 
> I say, have some common sense, and check your yard before your kids play, if they are THAT much of a concern and you live in a very active area for snakes. Take some initiative! Why not be responsible for your childrens saftey, AND animals by preventing a problem, possibly before it starts?





> LOL... that is exactly what I do.  If there is a water moccasin in my back yard, that sucker is history!  Then he is fish food!


I think what he's referring to by being responsible is to NOT kill it... getting rid of venomous snakes is not hard.

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## mooingtricycle

> I think what he's referring to by being responsible is to NOT kill it... getting rid of venomous snakes is not hard.


 :Smile:  Thanks. 

She! though.  :Good Job:

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## BMorrison

All we get around here is corns and garters and the occasional rattler or black rat snakes so I don't kill them. I catch them and play with them for a bit and then take them far enough away and let them go. Minus the rattlesnake. I put thick gloves on for that - no play time.

In MI it would be impossible for a Ball or Burm or most pet snakes to survive too long with the night drops but I'd take them in and keep them haha

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## DutchHerp

> Thanks. 
> 
> She! though.


 :Embarassed:

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## temec

i voted no.. i get lots of venomous snakes in my yard but i live about 20ft from a huge dried river bed... but the crazyest thing the happened was when an escaped yellow anaconda ended up in my garage.. it was my neighbor's down the street..

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## redpython

Even on a snake forum you get a lot of dumb responses about snakes.   

Even supposed snake people do not know the snakes that occur in their own backyard.  how sad.

Some rattlesnakes are very delicate, when they are relocated they often times do not survive.

It should not be a matter of relocating a snake, but a matter of dealing with the fact that you live in a certain species' habitat.

I expect the general public to be ignorant when it comes to snakes, but "snake" people...LOL  come on!   

There are 10,000 venomous snake bites in the united states each year.  8 people die.  Your odds are pretty good of surviving if you are bitten. 

The majorioty of the bites occur in a situation where the human is touching or attempting to touch the snake...in other words they could've avoided the situation.

True, sometimes people do experience death from a venomous snake bite, but your odds are much better at dying from some other cause.  You are 500 times more likely to die from lightening than a venomous snakebite in the United States.

So, even if you do not live in a venomous snake infested area, you should lock yourself and your family inside your home so that there is zero chance that anything you encounter will kill you.

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9Catsz (08-05-2009),_DutchHerp_ (02-09-2009)

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## _Venom_

No snakes in Chicago.

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## Mike Cavanaugh

> It should not be a matter of relocating a snake, but a matter of dealing with the fact that you live in a certain species' habitat.


How many kids do you have?

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## Mike Cavanaugh

another interesting fact...  the poll shows like 95% of the people voting no.  However the actual typed replies show many more would if it were a venemous species.

Relocating sounds like a great idea, just not one that happens here.  There is nobody I can call to "relocate" a water moccasin.  Also, to be clear, I don't live on a big property backing up to a nature reserve... nor do I live out in the woods somewhere.   I live in a community with LOTS of cookie cutter houses.... the traditional florida kind where your neighbors house is literally 5 feet away from yours.  No woods.  Nothing but houses and sewage retention ponds in this immediate area.

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## mooingtricycle

> No woods.  Nothing but houses and sewage retention ponds in this immediate area.


All the more reason you can take preventative mesaures in your yard, to keep snakes out. 

Jason made a good point, that some rattlers are delicate and do not do well when relocated, and that was something i had forgotten about. ( thanks for pointing that out, it should be mentioned to anyone looking to "relocate" snakes from their yards. 

Your children playing in a yard where your native species might be hanging out, is not an excuse to kill those snakes. BUT your children would be good enough reason for you take a more proactive role in prevention in the first place. 

There is NO reason you cannot find other means in which to protect your children from venomous species other than your own unwillingness to find a better way to protect your children.

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## Skiploder

> Just an interesting observation.... Seems like most that are ABSOLUTELY against it are ones that live in areas that don't have hots, or don't have kids, or both.
> 
> The ones that feel this way and don't have kids... consider your neighbors kids.


I don't kill them and we regularly get rattlesnakes in our backyard - and I have two kids.

What good is killing one or two snakes going to do?  I bag them and deliver them to a wildlife relocation center/hospital in our area.  We always seem to find more.  As someone else said, if your backyard is habitat - it's habitat.  Killing the odd one you see out in the open doesn't mean your kids aren't still going to run the risk of being bit.

I keep our firewood and other stacks of materials well away from where the children play and have fenced the area off.  Educating the kids and relocating potential habitats away from where my kids and other pets play has worked fine for me.

Every few weeks I'll check the firewood and other building material piles and bag any rattlers I see.  I get maybe four or five a year.

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## Beardedragon

I vote No, and trust me, we have our fair share of Hots on my new land ( Five acres, two acre pond on it, wooded area, see where im going?)  

If I can remove it, I will.I see no point in killing it when removing it is just as effective. But, I do not recommend anyone trying to remove a hot without knowing what they are doing. If I see one not close to any trails or passing through I just leave it be. Many times Ive gotten close ( less than an inch, under the foot close) to steping on Hots and none have even flinched. Though it does scare the Crap out of me, I cant bring myself to kill them. I bring a hook around sometimes because id never reach under something with my hands, its all about knowing the basic things to do which I think would be great to teach your kids just so they know.

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## JohnNJ

> There are 10,000 venomous snake bites in the united states each year.  8 people die.  Your odds are pretty good of surviving if you are bitten.


Surviving, yes, but in a lot of pain.




> True, sometimes people do experience death from a venomous snake bite, but your odds are much better at dying from some other cause.  You are 500 times more likely to die from lightening than a venomous snakebite in the United States.


What are the odds of severe damage to your body from a venemous snake bite?  Do the odds go up for children?

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Clyde Frog (02-10-2009)

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## candyman88

We live up in il we have snakes but no poisonous snakes we live by a few ponds and the fox river so we get alittle bit of every things snakes frogs turtles.i wouldn't hurt any anmal thats not going to harm any 1 else  :Dancin' Banana:

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## Oroborous

I definantly don't...there are plenty of others that do that I know of though.
When I worked at a local pet store, I had a woman bring in the head of a harmless gopher snake, telling me she thought it was a rattler. I think a lot of the people who do kill snakes on their property do so either because they are uneducated about the animals, and view all of them as a threat, or they do it for fun. 
As a kid growing up I saw a lot of snakes killed out of sport. I doubt I'd even kill a rattler if it bit me...

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## TheReptileEnthusiast

I also have 2 small boys, but do not kill any snake, hot or not that I find in my florida backyard.

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## AaronP

Nope, if it's a venomous snake I take my hook and bag them and relocate them to a area near my uncle, hardly anyone out where he is.

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## DutchHerp

> We live up in il we have snakes but no poisonous snakes we live by a few ponds and the fox river so we get alittle bit of every things snakes frogs turtles.i wouldn't hurt any anmal thats not going to harm any 1 else


VERY few people get POISONOUS snakes in their yard...  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## Slim

Not anymore I don't, but I have been guilty in the past.

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## redpython

The only child that i personally know that took a hot bite was from a copperhead. 

The doctors told the parents that she may loose a finger, but nothing happened and she is fine.  

I do know a couple others that have taken hot bites.  One from a cottonmouth...the hosptial probably did more damage to his thumb than the actual snake bite.  

The other was a copperhead bite and the person did not seek treatment.

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## Melicious

> VERY few people get POISONOUS snakes in their yard...


-Snickers.-  Agreed.

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## pitbulls4me

No... I have found a couple baby copperheads and we just get them in a bucket and release them deeper in the woods. I dont like the killing of any animal really. And especially if the snake is in his habitat, I mean they only have so much space to live in. And where I live that space is growing smaller by the day. you dont see too many copperheads around here and from what i hear they dont lay as much or have as many in their clutches. So my answer is definitely no!

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## anatess

Mike, seems like you and I are the practical cold-hearted ones out here.   :Rolleyes2: 

Okay guys, I hear ya... the only bad snake is a dead snake. 

BUT... listen.  I have a 5 and 7 year old.  Yes, they know A LOT about snakes - from the books they read.  Have they ever seen a diamond back?  Yeah, in the book.  Maybe in the zoo (do they have one in the zoo, Mike?).  A water mocassin?  Yeah, at the pet store.  A coral snake?  Yeah, in the book and that one Bindi the Jungle Girl episode.  Would they recognize one if it slithers down the backyard?  Well..... I'm not leaving that up to chance.  So yeah, they probably won't die if they get bit - PROBABLY.  Am I going to take that chance?  HECK NO.  Nobody dies from falling off the swingset too.  But, when my son flew off the swing and shattered his elbow, I cannot begin to tell you how difficult it was for my husband and I to sit there and wait while my son went to surgery - all these dreadful things going through our heads - would he have any bad reactions to general anesthesia, what if he doesn't wake up, what if the bone cannot be set and he'll lose mobility in that arm.  Anything can happen out there.  I am not about to willingly put my kids through that experience if I have anything to do about it.

I live in the city.  We don't usually go out the backyard and see a copperhead.  Most of our neighbors have young kids as well.  We are one of the very few in our 150+ family neighborhood who can identify a racer snake.  I feel that it is even more of a danger for my little kids to see a hot one out there because they THINK they know everything about it and have that "false confidence".  There's a reason you have to be certified to own a hot - because you have to know what you're doing before you go "snake hooking" it.  I don't know of anybody in my neighborhood who has that certification.  I can see this now - people saying - that's why you need to educate your kids about not touching hots...  Okay, try that on 5 and 7 year old boys and let me know how it works out for ya...

So, if I ever find an aggressive water mocassin in the backyard while the kids are out playing and the husband is not around, I'm fairly certain he's going to be fish food.  It is EXACTLY the same thing if I would be driving, and an animal - be it a dog, a cat, or whatever - crosses the road, and I have kids in the back, and I can't be confident that if I apply the brakes or swerve that the car won't turn turtle, or skid, or whatever, heck - I'm running over that thing whatever it is.  The safety of my kids ALWAYS come first.  ALWAYS.

By the way, those of you who said to call animal control or whatever to relocate the snake - have you ever done it?  Because I have (before I found out that the racer snakes living in my hedge are non-venomous), and they charge $425.00 to take the snake out.

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_Mike Cavanaugh_ (02-10-2009)

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## starmom

My heart says 'no' and my reality is 'yes'.

We have 64 acres in eastern Oregon. Big rattlesnake country. Not evil, nasty rattlesnakes that would sooner kill you than warn you, but rattlesnakes none the less. Some years are snake years while other years aren't. That's how they breed. 

The older grandkids know the sound. The younger ones don't. When my own kids were little they didn't know the sound until they were old enough. When they were old enough to know the sound, they thought they were old enough to wrangle them. Wrong. Call someone? Ummm, even if we had a phone out there, the closest rancher would come with his .22. 

If a rattler comes into the homestead, we shoot it. They return to the same place to breed, so relocation is kind of a drag. If the kids are out of the homestead area, then they are with adults and when we run across a snake (or vice-versa) the snake gets left alone. 

It's just that simple for us. We're almost 2 hours from the closest hospital and doctor. We won't take a chance with one of the kids being bit. We give our dogs the rattlesnake vaccine each May; they don't make them for humans!!

Rattler bites are a drag and cause pain and sickness, hospital and fluids, and it's a real drag. I don't advocate the killing of animals nor do I advocate the harming of children. We do the best we can out there to respect the environment and all the critters in it, and sometimes that means we need to kill something to protect something else. It's just a reality.

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_anatess_ (02-10-2009),bamagecko76 (05-30-2010),Clyde Frog (02-10-2009),_Mike Cavanaugh_ (02-10-2009)

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## Typical_08

No. We get a few venomous species around here, but I have done my best to educate the kids on what they can and can not touch. And they are still younger, so they aren't in the yard without myself or my wife out there with them. 

But we have only found two snakes in our yard. An eastern diamondback (which are protected), and a coachwhip. Both times they went back into the woods on their own.

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## AndrewGeibel

I do see the argument with kids. That makes a lot of sense. I do not have kids and therefore did not consider that. I would have to be in the situation to make that decision. For me right now though I do not kill them. I would be a little more hesitant moving a rattle snake than a copperhead though. I live in a pretty heavily wooded area though and I know even if I kill or move a snake there is just gonna be another one the next day. I think it just comes with where I am living and it is something I have to deal with. In all honesty there are so many more dangerous things to worry about.

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## littleindiangirl

> another interesting fact...  the poll shows like 95% of the people voting no.  However the actual typed replies show many more would if it were a venemous species.


I was under the impression we weren't talking just venomous snakes, but all snakes.
This thread has certainly gone off towards "just venomous snakes deserve to be killed".  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic): 

I think all mosquitos/ irritating bugs,  disease ridden birds, large road crossing/ roaming herds of dangerous animals, frogs, toads and squirrels need to be killed when met. They cause* so much* damage to cars and people. Oh, forgot turkeys. We got a lot this year running amok, pooing on things and running into cars.

It's only right.

Oh, and also dihydrogen monoxide. Yes, it is a big killer. It actually forms WEAPONS of mass destruction that will break off of a colony and spear any helpless creature walking below.

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## Mike Cavanaugh

> I was under the impression we weren't talking just venomous snakes, but all snakes.
> This thread has certainly gone off towards "just venomous snakes deserve to be killed". 
> 
> I think all mosquitos/ irritating bugs,  disease ridden birds, large road crossing/ roaming herds of dangerous animals, frogs, toads and squirrels need to be killed when met. They cause* so much* damage to cars and people. Oh, forgot turkeys. We got a lot this year running amok, pooing on things and running into cars.
> 
> It's only right.
> 
> Oh, and also dihydrogen monoxide. Yes, it is a big killer. It actually forms WEAPONS of mass destruction that will break off of a colony and spear any helpless creature walking below.


Who said it was only about hots?  *My* personal belief; kill a species I find in my yard that poses a threat to my kids, or the neighbor kids who know NOTHING about snakes.  *In my case, because I am fairly educated about the local species, that is only hots.* 

I honestly feel that some arguing just aren't in touch with the reality of having kids and being in the situation.  When your kid, or the neighbors kid gets accidentally bit by a hot, and it becomes known that you have known about it being around but did not kill it or pay $425 to have someone else come and kill it (They do NOT relocate in my case a water moccasin.  They take your money, take it away and they kill it) you can get in BIG trouble.  No snake is worth a visit from HRS.

As stated by Tess in the state of Florida, you have to have a license to mess with hots.  That license is almost impossible to get, and for good reason.  You have to be taught how to do it by someone who knows, and have many hours of practice under supervision.  Yeah, I know how to pick up and handle ball pythons, corn snakes, boas ect.  I DO NOT know how to catch, bag and relocate a hot.  I have no interest in asking a "friend" to do it who may claim they know how to do it.  Heck, once they get bit, trying to remove it from my yard they can sue me!  

This is a snake forum.  Obviously most people will immediately say "NO WAY" to the question.  But what will they actually do in the situation?   Exactly.

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## DutchHerp

Why do you need a license to touch hots in Florida? Also, how do they enforce that?

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## Jsh

Personally I would not kill the snake. I would pull out the tongs and the trash bin put the snake in there and transfer it to a suitable location. Some  might be against relocation but this way neither the snake, me or the neighborhood kids are harmed in anyway. I'd rather take an hour out of my day then somebody or something getting injured or killed.  :Smile:  I haven't went through all the pages so I'm sure this has been mentioned but I wanted to say what I personally would do. --Josh

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## Jenn

I have to go with no on this one. 

Is there really such a thing as a "pet" snake? Aren't they all just wild animals that we happen to keep in boxes in our homes?

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## anatess

> I was under the impression we weren't talking just venomous snakes, but all snakes.
> This thread has certainly gone off towards "just venomous snakes deserve to be killed". 
> 
> I think all mosquitos/ irritating bugs,  disease ridden birds, large road crossing/ roaming herds of dangerous animals, frogs, toads and squirrels need to be killed when met. They cause* so much* damage to cars and people. Oh, forgot turkeys. We got a lot this year running amok, pooing on things and running into cars.
> 
> It's only right.
> 
> Oh, and also dihydrogen monoxide. Yes, it is a big killer. It actually forms WEAPONS of mass destruction that will break off of a colony and spear any helpless creature walking below.


I didn't get that feeling reading these posts... unless I'm mistaken, I think everbody here agrees that nothing DESERVE to be killed.  Not even a mosquito.  But, like one of them said, sometimes it comes down to a choice... when a mosquito bites, you make the choice to swat him not because he deserved it but because it's either that or get bit over and over again.

And venomous snakes is nothing like dihydrogen monoxide (H2O - yeah, funny).  Venomous snakes are a REAL threat.  We have wild turkeys running around the neighborhood as well and nobody has ever gotten bit by them.  They've crossed the yard while the kids were playing and we can just shoo them and they fly away in a quickness.  If they run after somebody, I would completely understand somebody having it for dinner.  And it's not like we go out looking for venomous snakes just to kill them.




> Why do you need a license to touch hots in Florida? Also, how do they enforce that?


No no... you need a license to OWN hots.  You need a license to own burms and retics or any snake that can potentially grow longer than 8 feet as well.  What I was trying to say is that they make it look easy on TV to pick up hots but there's a lot of training and practice that goes behind that.  But for a HUGE majority of city dwellers out there - including me, they would get bit if they tried.  But see, the trick is, unless it's a racer, a ball python, or a hognose snake, I wouldn't know if that snake is venomous or not.  And I will bet you a gazillion bucks 75% of the people living in my neighborhood wouldn't as well.  So yeah, if you live in the woods or something, you see those snakes all the time, so you would know what to do.  It's like me growing up in the Philippines, I know exactly what to do if I got stung by a sea urchin, whereas a lot of land-locked Americans wouldn't even know what a sea urchin is.

I guess my point is, it's easy for somebody who has pet snakes to get on their high horse and say, You evil, foul creature killing snakes for no good reason... it is the same thing for somebody who owns rabbits to get on their high horse and say, You evil, foul creature feeding a rabbit to a snake...  You just can't pin people like that.  Everybody has their own perspective and they can only act according to what they know.  It doesn't make them foul.  It's all a matter of education.  And that's why I TRULY TRULY MISS STEVE IRWIN!

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## FIEND_FO_LYFE

> NO!!! Oh NO!!! heh...kidding...I wouldn't find anything poisonous so no, but I can't say I know what I would do if I did.


please tell me you kidding?
snakes are venomous.
not poisonous, unless you plan on eating it.

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## Colin Vestrand

i think it's funny how many people are mentioning 'relocating' snakes...

you can't relocate snakes - you're better off killing them.  that said, i would never kill a snake, venomous or not.

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## DutchHerp

> please tell me you kidding?
> snakes are venomous.
> not poisonous, unless you plan on eating it.


I believe there are some poisonous snakes out there.  Just not in the US  :Wink:

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## Mike Cavanaugh

> It's like me growing up in the Philippines, I know exactly what to do if I got stung by a sea urchin, whereas a lot of land-locked Americans wouldn't even know what a sea urchin is.


Ok, i not knowing the answer to this is killing me!  Do you pee on it?

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## Melicious

> Ok, i not knowing the answer to this is killing me!  Do you pee on it?


ROFL!  Oh boy.

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## Mike Cavanaugh

> ROFL!  Oh boy.


its not that far of a stretch... I know that it works for jelly fish bites!  :Smile:

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## Tikall

> Ok, i not knowing the answer to this is killing me!  Do you pee on it?


Lol! Running the sting under hot water (not enough to hurt you, but still hot) for 30+ minutes is cleaner. The heat breaks down the venom. Also you need to remove any bits of spine from the wound of course.

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## Typical_08

> Lol! Running the sting under hot water (not enough to hurt you, but still hot) for 30+ minutes is cleaner. The heat breaks down the venom. Also you need to remove any bits of spine from the wound of course.


Vinegar soaks or wraps tend to be more effective.

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## mainbutter

> i think it's funny how many people are mentioning 'relocating' snakes...
> 
> you can't relocate snakes - you're better off killing them.  that said, i would never kill a snake, venomous or not.


Sure you can.  The degree to which you "relocate" a snake doesn't need to even be big, but the further away you move a snake, the less likely you are to encounter that specific snake anytime soon.

I often relocate snakes off a path I'm walking on, if I can't get around the snake.  Usually a quick prod with a stick does the trick.  I would relocate snakes that got in my pool, especially if I was about to take a swim.

I also relocate(read: rescue) turtles all the time, dumb things just walk right into the middle of the road.  When I lived in Louisiana, I had the experience saving a hatchling alligator snapper from an almost certainly squishy death.

I understand that you probably meant that relocating snakes doesn't do too much in the long run for reducing the likelihood of venomous snakes winding up in your yard, but if I saw that I had a big copperhead in my back yard, I wouldn't be out mowing until I moved it somewhere that kept both myself and the snake relatively safe.

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## anatess

> Ok, i not knowing the answer to this is killing me!  Do you pee on it?


You are correct, Mike.  No, you don't pee on the sea urchin, you pee on your foot that got stung by the sea urchin.  :Very Happy:  But, usually, when Filipinos go to the beach, they bring barbecue to be dipped in vinegar, so chances are there's vinegar around - so it is more practical to soak it with vinegar after you pull out any spikes that are sticking out.  But, I have to tell ya, it hurts like you won't believe!

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## Typical_08

Ya know. I didn't notice any real pain from the vinegar. Heated up the vinegar compress, and the heat killed the pain, while the vinegar broke down what little spines did not come out.

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## littleindiangirl

> I didn't get that feeling reading these posts... unless I'm mistaken, I think everbody here agrees that nothing DESERVE to be killed.  Not even a mosquito.  But, like one of them said, sometimes it comes down to a choice... when a mosquito bites, you make the choice to swat him not because he deserved it but because it's either that or get bit over and over again.
> 
> And venomous snakes is nothing like dihydrogen monoxide (H2O - yeah, funny).  Venomous snakes are a REAL threat.  We have wild turkeys running around the neighborhood as well and nobody has ever gotten bit by them.


Deer, squirrels and turkeys crossing the road is a REAL threat too. So are any wild animals. _So is being hammered in the head by icicles._  (_You a water enthusiast or something?_ )

Mosquitos are real threat, they spread malaria. Birds spread around the asian flu. Cows make us mad! 

Sure sounds like everyone here believes that if the animal can kill you, it should be killed.

Is that why all the big warm blooded carnivores are either gone, or in severe decline?



I'm not a peta advocate in disguise, but I still don't see a reason to kill any animal because you came across it and it _might_ hurt you or your wee little kittens. 

I will say that over and over, no matter how often you bring up the "kids are in danger and always come first" bull hooky. I will remain stubborn on that fact, because someone has to.

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## Colin Vestrand

> Sure you can.  The degree to which you "relocate" a snake doesn't need to even be big, but the further away you move a snake, the less likely you are to encounter that specific snake anytime soon.
> 
> I often relocate snakes off a path I'm walking on, if I can't get around the snake.  Usually a quick prod with a stick does the trick.  I would relocate snakes that got in my pool, especially if I was about to take a swim.
> 
> I also relocate(read: rescue) turtles all the time, dumb things just walk right into the middle of the road.  When I lived in Louisiana, I had the experience saving a hatchling alligator snapper from an almost certainly squishy death.
> 
> I understand that you probably meant that relocating snakes doesn't do too much in the long run for reducing the likelihood of venomous snakes winding up in your yard, but if I saw that I had a big copperhead in my back yard, I wouldn't be out mowing until I moved it somewhere that kept both myself and the snake relatively safe.


what i meant was that you can't relocate a snake and expect it to live, or the other populations to not be adversely affected. genetic diversity, locations of hibernacula, number of prey, overlapping ranges, etc etc are all potential killers to entire populations of snakes.  transporting a snake from one geographic area to another is NOT a good idea.... you might disagree, but i challenge you to find a wildlife biologist to back you up.
moving them off a trail or out of yard is obviously fine... not what i was referring to at all.

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## anatess

> Deer, squirrels and turkeys crossing the road is a REAL threat too. So are any wild animals.


Agreed.  With a deer - it's a bad situation for both deer and passengers especially in icy roads, you do the best you can.  Squirrels and turkeys crossing an icy road will be run over.  Because, the first thing that will go through my head in that split second before impact is not, "Oh no!  The squirrel is gonna get hurt!"  but rather, "Oh no!  My kids are gonna get hurt!".




> Mosquitos are real threat, they spread malaria.


You wear mosquito repellant.  And even then, if a mosquito lands on you, you might shoo it away, but if it lands on me or my kids, he gets swatted.




> Birds spread around the asian flu. Cows make us mad!


If left up to you, you might relocate a mad cow or a flu bird.  But if it was left up to me, mad cows and flu birds get killed.




> Sure sounds like everyone here believes that if the animal can kill you, it should be killed.  Is that why all the big warm blooded carnivores are either gone, or in severe decline?


I think you misunderstood this one.  Nobody believes that.  Otherwise, you'll see people raiding the forests or everywhere looking for "animals that can kill you" and shooting them all down.




> I'm not a peta advocate in disguise, but I still don't see a reason to kill any animal because you came across it and it _might_ hurt you or your wee little kittens. 
> 
> I will say that over and over, no matter how often you bring up the "kids are in danger and always come first" bull hooky. I will remain stubborn on that fact, because someone has to.


We will have to agree to disagree.  Okay, let's put this another way.  Some strange aggressive guy comes into my house and puts my kids in danger.  Maybe if he goes inside your house you will try to "relocate" him.  Sorry, but if he comes into my house, he is going to get shot.  I guess that's where we differ.

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_Mike Cavanaugh_ (02-15-2009)

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## littleindiangirl

> We will have to agree to disagree.  Okay, let's put this another way.  Some strange aggressive guy comes into my house and puts my kids in danger.  Maybe if he goes inside your house you will try to "relocate" him.  Sorry, but if he comes into my house, he is going to get shot.  I guess that's where we differ.


Oh we can agree to disagree.... wait, you have ONE more analogy, to see if I "get" it right?
*reading*

Okay, lovely. Do snakes chase after you, or do they feel the vibrations of someone coming along their way and try to move away or  sit and hide? When they get in your house, are they out to hurt you or steal from you, or just going bout's their business because that's their nature?

And we do tend to relocate intruders don't we? We put them in jail and prison away from our tender wee ones. Apparently you believe we should get a shovel towards their neck as well? 

You see, frankly, you can continue to post whatever you like, quote my posts and what not, and every time I will come back and say that I really don't give a flip for your reasons, because *to me* they are not good enough. :Cool: 

You see why trying to "explain" why I'm wrong will never work?  :sploosh: 

Where's Aaron's little image, "someone is _wrong_ on the internet."

Oh my....  :Good Job:

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_DutchHerp_ (02-12-2009)

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## anatess

> Oh we can agree to disagree.... wait, you have ONE more analogy, to see if I "get" it right?
> *reading*
> 
> You see why trying to "explain" why I'm wrong will never work? 
> 
> Where's Aaron's little image, "someone is _wrong_ on the internet."
> 
> Oh my....


I apologize profusely.  I did not realize I was coming off like I was wagging my finger.  Completely not my intent nor is it what I was trying to say.  I do not think you are wrong.  I was just trying to explain why I would do it if I am put into that situation.  That's why I put analogy after analogy - to explain how some people might handle it differently, but that I would handle it the way I know is best for me and mine and I'm not singling out venomous snakes - it applies universally.  We may disagree but it doesn't mean you're wrong or I'm wrong - it just means we're different.

I don't argue wrong or right on anonymous forums.  For me to say somebody is wrong, I have to know the other person, otherwise, I don't have enough information to know where the other guy is coming from and what makes him think that way or what experiences he has to back up his side.  You can say, "The sky is green" on a forum like this one and all I can say is, "well, in my town, it is blue".  I can't tell you you are wrong because who knows, in your neck of the woods, some condition might really exist that turned the sky green!

So, again, I apologize for coming off as preachy.

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## WizzySRT10

I really can't answer yes or no. Yes to poisonous no to non and that also depends on which place you talking about in GA I know we have more poisonous snakes at my houses then here where I live.

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## Colin Vestrand

the good thing about poisonous animals is that you basically have to lick them to get sick.

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## Typical_08

> Some strange aggressive guy comes into my house and puts my kids in danger.  Maybe if he goes inside your house you will try to "relocate" him.  Sorry, but if he comes into my house, he is going to get shot.  I guess that's where we differ.


I am about as militant as they come, and I see what you are saying. But if someone breaks into my home, they will likely be shot, but if I am able to deescalate it I will. Same with a snake, or anything that I don't have to kill.

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## tarzan07

i would never kill a snake! i couldn't even picture myself hurting a snake of any species! we get the occasional rattlesnake in the yard. when that happens we just relocate them so the anklebiters next door don't get bitten.

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## Mike Cavanaugh

> I will say that over and over, no matter how often you bring up the "kids are in danger and always come first" bull hooky. I will remain stubborn on that fact, because someone has to.



This will change when you have kids I hope.

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## mainbutter

> This will change when you have kids I hope.


There is a difference between keeping your kids safe, and being overprotective.

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## Raptor

I voted yes, however, venomous snakes only. We have livestock, and thus, tall grass around the house (pens up around the hosue is for the silk animals), so, walking the yard to make sure that there's nothing nasty is pointless, as is putting up special anti-snake fencing on the fences (goat horns get tangled in almost anything small).

Last year, we have a purebred baby goat that we were talking about registering. One evening, he came home with the rest of the herd. Back end wasn't working right. We looked him over and discovered where he had been struck on the leg by a snake. He never really recovered. A possible $500+ gone...That, and I've been chased by cottonmouths a few too many times :|

On the otherhand, I havne't seen a venomous snake in a couple years now.

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## DutchHerp

Old ass thread... LOL

Later, Matt

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## DutchHerp

> That, and I've been chased by cottonmouths a few too many times :|


I'm skeptical.  To say the least.  Seriously, do you mean what you say?

Later, Matt

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## mainbutter

> I'm skeptical.  To say the least.  Seriously, do you mean what you say?
> 
> Later, Matt


Absolutely.  I don't use the word "chase" per say, but I have been charged by a couple PO-ed cottonmouths.  They don't just stand in S-position waiting for you to get close when they feel threatened, they come at you a couple feet at a time, position, stare you down, charge a few feet again.

Granted the couple of times it happened, I gave the snake more than enough reason to be pissed off (stepped on a log that the snake was hiding under, almost stepped on a near-invisible mud-covered snake itself more than once)

I don't know if they would have actually tagged me, but they put on a very aggressive show to try to scare you off.  They are the ONLY snake I know to actually move TOWARDS a human when they feel threatened.  Most snakes pose, hiss, and try to run away.

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## SerpentesCiconii

I can't believe some of you actually voted yes.

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## jparker1167

i agree with serpentes.  it would be one thing if a venomous snake was getting ready to bite someone in your family but for one to just be in your yard you would kill it.  coming from people that are suposed to stand up for snakes thats strange to hear.  you can call someone to remove venomous snakes.

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## SerpentesCiconii

How are we supposed to convince the general public that snakes have their place when some of "our own kind" don't even respect them? Quite hypocritical to say the least.

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_TheOtherLeadingBrand_ (08-04-2009)

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## TheOtherLeadingBrand

No way!!! NEVER.

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## Neal

I voted no simply because even if the snake is dangerous, it's not intentionally trying to cause you any harm, plus I don't believe in killing any snakes, no matter how dangerous or big they are. What I would do, and have done in the past dealing with copper heads & cotton mouths, I catch them, walk down the road, and set them free. If you have kids, I still wouldn't justify killing a snake, but that's my opinion. I would just teach them about snakes, and the danger. Although I rarely see anything venomous anymore due to a 4-5" kingsnake roaming around, and the help of me relocating them.

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## DM1975

I do not kill snakes I find in my yard,venomous or not. They are doing nothing wrong. My kids are taught to not touch snakes they find outside and by god it works.

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## DM1975

> I voted yes, however, venomous snakes only. We have livestock, and thus, tall grass around the house (pens up around the hosue is for the silk animals), so, walking the yard to make sure that there's nothing nasty is pointless, as is putting up special anti-snake fencing on the fences (goat horns get tangled in almost anything small).
> 
> Last year, we have a purebred baby goat that we were talking about registering. One evening, he came home with the rest of the herd. Back end wasn't working right. We looked him over and discovered where he had been struck on the leg by a snake. He never really recovered. A possible $500+ gone...That, and I've been chased by cottonmouths a few too many times :|
> 
> On the otherhand, I havne't seen a venomous snake in a couple years now.



That is a very understandable reason.

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## DutchHerp

> Absolutely.  I don't use the word "chase" per say, but I have been charged by a couple PO-ed cottonmouths.  They don't just stand in S-position waiting for you to get close when they feel threatened, they come at you a couple feet at a time, position, stare you down, charge a few feet again.
> 
> Granted the couple of times it happened, I gave the snake more than enough reason to be pissed off (stepped on a log that the snake was hiding under, almost stepped on a near-invisible mud-covered snake itself more than once)
> 
> I don't know if they would have actually tagged me, but they put on a very aggressive show to try to scare you off.  They are the ONLY snake I know to actually move TOWARDS a human when they feel threatened.  Most snakes pose, hiss, and try to run away.


Then we do indeed have different definitions of the word "chase"  :Wink: 

Later, Matt

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## guambomb832

Well if it is venomous I don't want to mess with it so I let my dad do whatever he wants with it, which is usually killing it, but then if it isn't, I will just put it back where it was or relocate it. I would deal with the venomous, but then that is really dangerous so yeah.

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## Raptor

> How are we supposed to convince the general public that snakes have their place when some of "our own kind" don't even respect them? Quite hypocritical to say the least.


Sorry if I want to protect my animals..Which themselves can be worth as much as some of the ball python morphs.

Think of it this way. You have numerous bps that are worth lots of money. Would you sit around, twiddle your thumbs and let something injure or possibly kill them?

No!

I'm protecting an investment. Unlike you and me, goats aren't going to go 'hey, that snake is venomous. I should stay away.' They're going to walk right up to it and stick their nose in its face. Goats are exceptionally curious animals, which gets them in a load of trouble. A snakebite from a venomous snake will result in a dead goat, be it right there, or later down the road.

Unlike those who talk about moving the snakes, I don't have the balls or expertise to be handling a venomous snake. Calling someone to remove it? Pft. They'll just say kill it.

But like I said, I haven't seen a venomous snake in a few years.

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## Simpson Balls

NEVER IN LIFE!

Daniel

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## Denial

My vote is no. Anytime I see a snake in my yard or on the road I stop and either take it off the road or if its in my yard I take it way down back to the woods and release it out there. My children know not to mess with outside snakes as they call them. venomous or non. Both venomous and non venomous snakes do a great job maintaining the ecosystem where I live and I would much rather have them slithering round my yard then a ton of rats and mice lol. Also in my experience venomous snakes around here actually seem alot less cranky then our non venomous. I have had some really pissed off kingsnakes take a whach at me and Ive  had some others muck all over me. But the copperheads and cottonmouths usually just let me hook them and move them

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## jparker1167

[QUOTE=Raptor;1123838]Unlike those who talk about moving the snakes, I don't have the balls or expertise to be handling a venomous snake. Calling someone to remove it? Pft. They'll just say kill it.
QUOTE]

you can find people that will remove the snake and dont say just kill it..    what kind of goats do you have that are that expensive i have a friend that has goats and i havent heard of them being very high priced.  he told me about a goat that was pretty expensive cant remember the strange name it had tho lol.

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## CoolioTiffany

Never found any snakes in my yard, since snakes are not likely to come down here from the mountains. Though, I find many lizards around such as Arizona Whiptails. If I ever find a snake that is not venomous I would most likely just take a look and it and handle it a bit, then most likely go somewhere where it wouldn't come in contact with people much or on a hiking mountain. If it were to be venomous, simply calling animal control to remove the snake would be the safest way. The snake doesn't want to die, and was probably out hunting for something to eat. And I always remember, it's us that have moved into their territory so there is no need to kill them for coming into our yard that once was their territory.

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## Raptor

> Originally Posted by Raptor
> 
> 
> Unlike those who talk about moving the snakes, I don't have the balls or expertise to be handling a venomous snake. Calling someone to remove it? Pft. They'll just say kill it.
> 
> 
> you can find people that will remove the snake and dont say just kill it..    what kind of goats do you have that are that expensive i have a friend that has goats and i havent heard of them being very high priced.  he told me about a goat that was pretty expensive cant remember the strange name it had tho lol.



Lol, like I've said in the past two posts, I haven't seen a venomous snake in years. I've just seen the standard colubrids and such. As for the goats, we mainly deal with Kikos; it's a breed that was imported from New Zealand. Here are some auction results from the associations showcase sale: http://www.hcrhorses.com/AKGAcatalog.html On the last page, there's a goat that sold for $3600 (shame there's not a picture, would have loved to have seen her). The majority range between $500-$700 which is about the average price for some of the more common BP morphs.

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## DutchHerp

Relocation of snakes often has the opposite of the desired outcome.

Later, Matt

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_mooingtricycle_ (08-05-2009)

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## Hulihzack

> Relocation of snakes often has the opposite of the desired outcome.
> 
> Later, Matt


That's nice, but perhaps you should explain why for the people on here who don't know.  They're less likely to take advice if it's just yelling at them in big bold letters without anything supporting it...

I won't kill any snakes I find in my yard, venomous or not.  It's good to be familiar with local herp associations or clubs in case you find something venomous (especially here in Phoenix) cause they can send people out and deal with it properly.

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## Seneschal

I voted no. We live in NE Florida right by swamps and several state parks. Inevitably, we end up with snakes on our property. I don't see the point of killing them, since because of where we are, more will always come anyways. Indeed, I enjoy finding snakes! Even the venomous ones. I've lived in areas with venomous snakes my whole life, and my family just taught us to recognize and avoid venomous snakes, and to keep an eye on where we walk. As for snakes in our yard; we usually just keep the dog inside if we see them, and wait for them to go away on their own. For a while we had a black racer camping out in our garage eating toads, lol.

Whenever I'm walking in the woods, I carry a stick to prod the ground ahead of me, and to lightly poke at any brush where a snake might be hiding so that I will give them plenty of warning to get out of the way, and I watch what I'm doing. So far, I've had no problems. I do relocate any herp I find in the road, and take it into the woods to release. That includes a coral snake, and, I suppose, would include any other venomoid, if I had the safety equipment necessary to move it. 

I can understand the fear of your animals or children finding them, and it's really up to each individual to assess each individual situation to find the best possible solution. I, personally, don't like to think of killing an animal as a solution at all, but that's just me. I don't know how I missed this thread, lol! In any case, while I don't like hearing the "yes" answers, I also cannot condemn them. Unless, of course, they're killing animals that don't pose a danger just because they don't like them. :/ I would argue with someone who did that, lol.

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## mooingtricycle

> Relocation of snakes often has the opposite of the desired outcome.
> 
> Later, Matt


Its true, there are many delicate species that DO NOT take well to relocation and often die because of those changes. ( I learned about this myself not too many moons ago  :Smile:  )

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## DutchHerp

> That's nice, but perhaps you should explain why for the people on here who don't know.  They're less likely to take advice if it's just yelling at them in big bold letters without anything supporting it...
> 
> I won't kill any snakes I find in my yard, venomous or not.  It's good to be familiar with local herp associations or clubs in case you find something venomous (especially here in Phoenix) cause they can send people out and deal with it properly.


Snakes, especially the ones that use communal hibernacula, usually do not fare well when relocated.  The reasons range from not finding suitable places for hibernation, not finding enough prey, competition with other snakes/wildlife, etc.

However, baby snakes that do use wintering dens generally do better than their older counterparts.

Later, Matt

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_Hulihzack_ (08-06-2009),_mooingtricycle_ (08-05-2009)

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## Neal

Well when I say relocate, I mean like down the road, which is only a 1/4 mile, but down at the beginning of my road is pretty dense woods.

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## Repsrul

No! I will not kill them I will relocate them. I do not have kids yet but I do have dogs and it is always in the back of my mind. With me having 30 plus Ball Pythons and 20 plus Bearded Dragons I don't think my dogs would know to be afraid of a wild snake. I would hope that they would start barking and and keep their distance from it. I hope! I could get Northern Copperheads and Timber Rattlers as far as the venomous stuff goes. I think I am more concerned about the four legged creatures that could crawl under my fence and give my dogs a disease.

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## 9Catsz

I don't kill any snake on my property. If it's venomous and in the yard, I just use a snake hook and urge it to go back into the woods....timber rattlers and copperheads thrive where I live.

After working with snakes for over 15 years I've learned one thing, most venomous snake sightings are not copperheads or cottonmouths at all but harmless water snakes. Ppl know I love snakes and over the years I've had tons of ppl bring me carcasses of dead 'cottonmouths' or 'copperheads' or pics for a positive identification and not one of them has been a cottonmouth, copperhead or even a venomous snake for that matter. 

Mostly northern water snakes and everything from rough green snakes, garter snakes, speckled kings to prairie kings and even a ringneck, yep a ringneck was misidentified and killed as a cottonmouth. 

As for the kids, you have to teach them to leave wild snakes alone. Just as you teach them to look both ways before they cross the road. If one wants their kids safe, then one better lock them in their bedrooms and even then they can break their arm falling off the top bunk bed! And when that happens do you get rid of the bed? It's dangerous and caused a broken arm and pain.

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## SGExotics

Well i live in new york... So the only snake i've ever seen out here was a copperhead when i went upstate to my cousins house... But i really want to move to florida.. The only thing that makes me not want to move there is the venomous snakes... I have dogs, and i wouldnt want to risk them being out in the yard and getting bit.. The same way you wouldnt want to risk your children getting bit.. My dogs are like my children lol... So i would try to get something to maybe Repel the snakes away.. And if the snakes werent close to my dogs, or kids, i would catch it and move it somewhere else... But if it was too close to kids (family..), or my dogs, and i didnt have time to get a stick, pin it and bag it, you better believe im gonna put the snake out, b4 its ever touching kids or my dogs... If 1 of 2 things had to die.. its going to be the snake, rather than my dogs or kids & family, etc... But I hope I'll never have to do that... Killing a snake is really a desperate last resort.... I hate to kill anything thats alive... Except rats.... And cows.... Maybe even turkeys... And i guess chickens too... And.. Yeah ill stop now..

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## 9Catsz

I wonder how much of a threat our native venomous snakes are to dogs. My stepmother's rottweiler was bitten on the face by a timber rattlesnake and, except for the pain and swelling at the site, the dog was fine. The vet told her to keep an eye on the dog and gave her some antibiotic pills. Her other dog was bitten by a copperhead and the vet told her not to bother bringing it in.

Within a few days of being bitten, both dogs were fine. The rott lived to be 12 and the shepherd mix 11.

I was very shocked at how many people, on a snake website no less, think it's okay to kill snakes. I belong to caged bird websites and none of those people kill the animals they chat about. Yeah, yeah, birds aren't venomous, I know that. But I think ya'll are blowing the danger factor of a venomous snake in your yard way out of proportion to the actual danger those snakes propose.

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## Raptor

> But I think ya'll are blowing the danger factor of a venomous snake in your yard way out of proportion to the actual danger those snakes propose.


Tell that to the goat I had that ended up have nerve damage in his hind legs from being bit.

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## DutchHerp

> Tell that to the goat I had that ended up have nerve damage in his hind legs


Out of context.

Later, Matt

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## Neal

> Out of context.
> 
> Later, Matt


LMFAO, I seen that one coming.

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## oliverstwist

i liev in north Mo so i dont find anything really but grters and usually a cat is carring one so I CATCHIT and SAVE ITS LIFE! :Good Job:

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## SlitherinSisters

I don't, but the only snakes I would ever find in my yard, which I never have, are garter snakes. When I lived in the country as a child we had a lot of bull snakes, but we never killed them. In fact my brother liked to bring them in the house as pets and would "accidently" let them loose.

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## euphuistical

I don't kill any but if I found a venominous then I would kill it (I live in central Florida, only snake I've seen in my yard was an indigo, but my brother had a run in with a water mocasin.

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## Ginevive

If I came across a non-native, harmless snake, I would make every effort to catch it, QT it, and get it to a good home. Non-native animals to me, should be removed from the wild if at all possible, because they don't belong where they are, and are dangerous to native wildlife. Some would kill them on-sight; I think that it'd be kewler to rehome or keep one. Like if I found a ball python in my yard...
If the snake that I saw, was a threatened/endangered species, I would definately not kill it unless I was cornered or something. If it was a common nonvenomous, I would definately never kill it if it was native. And if it were venomous and I personally, or someone I was with, was in danger by it at that moment, then it would die because I am all about self-preservation. But I would not kill them on-sight. That would be like killing mountain lions or other dangerous, native animals on-site because they "could hurt a person." To me, that is wrong. Humans enroach on animals' territories enough as it is; if we are around them, it is up to us to beware. Accidents happen and I feel bad for people who get injured by snakes; but I am not about an animal's guilt until proven innocent.

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## BPelizabeth

well I live in SW Arizona and 99% of the snakes in our yard or near our yard are rattlers.  I am so scared that my 9 year old is not going to be paying attention and step on it.  Soooooo....I do not go anywhere near them.  If we see them we call the Fire Department and they relocate them.

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## stealthk7gsxr

i voted no. i saw a garter snake for the first time in about 20 years up close. i was working and walked up to a house and saw the last 4-5 inches slithering in the cracks in the sidewalk. i thought it was cool. far from wanting to kill it

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## Crazy4Herps

I've never actually found a snake in my yard, but I see plenty hiking in the foothills ten minutes away (walking). Rattlers, Cali kings, garters, etc. Even if I found a N. Pacific rattler in my yard, I would NEVER kill it, but I would sure as heck remove it. I've got 4 cats living outdoors.

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## Foschi Exotic Serpents

I voted NO. 

I live in the burbs as well and it is uncommon to find anything other than a rat snake or garter around here but it is not unheard of. In fact, there have been rattlesnakes found in grant park in the city of chicago. Not to mention the cougar they killed in the city last year. (for no good reason might i add) 

So no. Even if i did come across a venomous snake i would not try to kill it. I would avoid it but i would not hurt it. About the only thing i kill is rodents (humanely) for my snakes, & the occasional spider or house centipede if its in my house. Those things just CREEP ME OUT!

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## Oxylepy

I would if it were poisonous and near my door. Otherwise I'd pretend I never saw it.

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## T&C Exotics

Normally I would read an entire thread prior to responding but in this case i do not need to ebcause it is an opinion thread so here we go.

I would not kill any snake if it is on "my' land because the snakes were here first this is where they live. The reason we have "problems" is because we decided that we needed to live where the snakes once lived and now the snakes are pushed as far away as possible from us and now have nowhere to go. When I see snakes in my yard I just leave them alone or move them as far away from humans as possible. Currently I live in WA state but did once live in Florida and I never once killed a snake for any reason. There are many points of view and i am not going to argue with anyone on any part of that. I just state my points. I know for a fact that a snake will not bother being close to you if the yard is kept well cut because they do not have any where to stalk or hide. Any snake I have ever seen in the wild have either been in tall grass, under a log or other such item, or on the road at dusk when it is still warm. Ok done now.

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_Crazy4Herps_ (10-17-2009)

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## Brunoheart

I would not kill a snake if I found one in my yard (though I rarely do).  My children are taught to stay away from all animals that they are not familiar with (even a neighbors dog) without asking.  I was taught that if you don't do what you are told, there are consequences and if that consequence is getting bit by animal I should not have been near, maybe I'll learn.  Being over-protective of our children is not going to teach them how to live in the real world.  We are told by the powers that be in my state that there are no venomous snakes here, but I have heard several accounts of sightings in limited areas.  I have caught several snakes at different places where I have worked without knowing what the snake is because leaving it there would have meant someone else would kill it.  These snakes I just moved in a bucket to a more wooded, less traveled area of the property for their protection.  If you really want the general public to be more tolerant of all species of animals, you can't say, "but that one was threatening me or my family".  We, as herpers (and animal lovers), have the duty to educate ourselves (as well as the general public) on the best ways to deal with that threatening native species that does not involve death to the animal. If our fear of the possible threat makes it okay for us to kill, then anyone that perceives a threat from any animal should have the right to destroy it.  Just my opinion.  I am not a PETA supporter and feel that the AR groups out there are more of a threat to animals than a help, but I do feel killing creatures that we feel threatened by is wrong.  





> Old ass thread... LOL
> 
> Later, Matt


Not trying to be rude, but if us newbies don't read/search through old posts for info before asking a question, people will respond to our questions with "why don't you try searching for that info" but if we do search and bring up an old post like this, there is always a comment about it being an old post. :Weirdface:   Sheesh, sucks to be a newbie trying to educate yourself.

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## aybe.sea

> I would if it were poisonous and near my door. Otherwise I'd pretend I never saw it.


snakes aren't poisonous, they're venomous. (with 1 or 2 exceptions  :Smile: )
I wouldn't kill one no matter what kind it was. If it was venomous I would relocate it for my own safety. I would leave it be in any other case.

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## Drew87

I live in arizona with alot of open lots near me, go outside and pretty often hear a rattle I have not killed one ever just find me a nice long stick and point him in the correct direction. Now I do not own any dogs or kids that would go outside but if I did the story might be a little different.

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## CA cowgirl

In my eyes it is awesome to find a snake near my home.  When I lived in the hills I found a couple of small (small as hatchling western hognoses) snakes.  I looked them up back then and I believe they were juvenile sharptail snakes.  Both snakes and I were lucky because I was busy with the weed wacker.  They were gorgeous little things!

If I found a venomous snake near my home, I'd secure it and call in someone appropriate to relocate it.  The only critters I ever knowingly kill without intent to eat are silverfish, ants, an occasionally a spider.   :Smile:

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## withonor

I don't even kill spiders I find in the house. I pick them up and put them outside. The only thing I kill are ants.

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## WingedWolfPsion

Not a chance.  If I were to find a venomous snake in my yard, I would capture and relocate it to a suitable habitat.

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## PyroPython

I live smack in the middle of TX. I find Rattlesnakes, Copperheads, and Corals all the time. Never kill them though, Im a venomous lover. However, I might start knocking of some Texas Rat snakes. So tired of those guys, pushing out the kingsnake/great plains rat around my area.

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## mpkeelee

out in el paso i see all kinds of venomous snakes. i usually avoid them but if they r somewhere they can be hurt or hurt someone or their pet i will call animal control. they just take them and release them into the desert

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## Mike Cavanaugh

LOL, this is old!

Still haven't changed.  Venomous / questionable snakes found in the yard are still introduced to the shovel and thrown in the water to be recycled.

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## BabysMomma

I live in an area where the most dangerous snake I'm likely to find is a common garter snake. Snakes I find get picked up, shown to the roomies, then placed way out on the park land.

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## Tim Mead

What is common TODAY might very well be gone TOMORROW, 
Then your child might say dad whats a toad,snake,frog..
The big picture is the organism, Earth is in decline and man is killing it..
A big and brutal statement but if your in tune and have some age you'll likely agree..Extinctions occurr everyday and it can happen anywhere..
According to the public 99% of the snakes that crawl out of the water are 
water moccasins/cotton mouths when theres numerous other species of bland colored water snakes..
So NO we don't..

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## Raptor

> According to the public 99% of the snakes that crawl out of the water are 
> water moccasins/cotton mouths when theres numerous other species of bland colored water snakes..


S'why it's handy to be familiar with the local snake species.

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## jacob985

im the same way i dont see snakes as a newsence. even the poisionis ones.

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## SpencerShanks

I don't, I usually just have lizards, which are fun to chase around the yard. However, if there was a snake in my yard it would most likely be a rattle snake, so I would find a way to contain it then call whoever it is that helps with this kind of thing.

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## alittleFREE

If they are venomous, then yes I would. Don't want the little kids or the dogs to stumble upon them.

If they aren't, then nope! (Although, sometimes the dogs take care of them before I have any say  :Razz: ) They help control the rodents and aren't a danger to anyone so I don't see a reason to do anything. I just let them go on their way.

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## RichsBallPythons

I leave them be. They were here first and for us to take it upon ourselves and kill them in unlawful.

They can be relocated away from homes, but killing them is just wrong.  :Wag of the finger:

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## twan

I would leave em alone thats not my thing. :Wink:

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## DJ_Bizarre

nope not here, in my area we have garter snakes if you ever happen to see them so I wouldnt kill them at all, no threat here.

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## Lolo76

I live in San Francisco, where (at least in the city) it would be highly unlikely to find a live snake... we do have some wild snakes in neighboring counties, but I think they're just garters and the like. So if I did find a snake around here, there wouldn't be any need to kill it.  :Wink:

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## trikesorz

I only kill the venomous snakes that come into my yard but it's rare that any snake comes into my yard.

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## wax32

Nope.

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## mechnut450

no    cause I am the one people call to remove said snake(s)  in the area.  I this wat started my reptile hobby and donig he rescues as people  decide they no longer want the snake.  I laugh as people  freak out as I pick up any snake I find bare handed and handle it like it my personal pet. I don't mind the getting bit  or any of that.  it comes with the hobby in my book. I  keep a laundry type bag wit ha draw tope in the truck all year caus  you never know when it will be needed.

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## SpencerShanks

Nope! In the five-six years that I've lived here in AZ I have never seen a snake that wasn't on a mountain or in a cage. However, if I did spot one, I wouldn't kill it. It's pretty easy to identify venomous snakes here, as it's pretty much limited to rattlers and sidewinders. There are a few species that aren't safe because their saliva is mildly toxic, but that's about it. Lizards, on the other hand, show up in my yard (And unfortunately in my pool) all the time. I've caught one that was at least 10" from nose to tip of the tail in my pool when it was emptied. It walked right onto my hand. For that  brief moment I was the lizard whisperer. Now they run away at the sight of me  :Razz:

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## AkHerps

I wish we had snakes or any wild reptiles here...T_T

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## LP.

> I leave them be. They were here first and for us to take it upon ourselves and kill them in unlawful.
> 
> They can be relocated away from homes, but killing them is just wrong.


Agreed 100%

As for me; I wouldn't kill anything I find in the wild. 
Up north last year I came across 3 rattle snakes. Out of all the times I've gone to any place "up north", I very seldom come across any sort of snake. I got bit by one of the rattlers, but I safely caught them, bagged them, took them deeper into the woods, and let them go. Besides the one that bit me. My friend killed it. (Kind of funny, I've "relocated" venomous snakes easily, with no venomous experience before hand, and no idea what to do)

Since I was 12 (I'm not even 15 yet, FYI) I've been called on quite a few times to get snakes out of backyards or houses, etc. It's mostly garters, and I've found a corn once (somebodys pet, lavender, I could tell) and I just bagged them and relocated. I nursed the corn back to health though.

If I was ever to come across any sort of venomous snake besides "up north" though; I would not kill it. I wouldn't even attempt to relocate it or capture it by myself. I know quite a few people who are very experienced with venomous snakes so I would give them a call.

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## infernalis

No way, I feed them and take photos.

 My yard is my big natural viv, I get disappointed when I don't see snakes in my yard.

 The day there are no snakes in my yard, I'm moving.

 I won't sell my house right now, because I'm concerned that the new owners may not appreciate all the snakes as much as I do.

 Here is my yard.....it goes all the way up over that hill and 1/2 way down the back of it. 40+ acres of bliss.



it keeps on going.....

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bamagecko76 (06-29-2010)

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## maverickgtr

Yes. The only ones we really find are various rattlesnakes, water moccasins and copperheads. We've found non-venomous chicken snakes at my aunt's ranch before and they kill them because the horses don't really see them when they're running around and can get bitten and even though they're not venomous, the wound can get infected and damaged to the point where the horse would have to be put down. If I found a non-venomous in _my_ yard, I wouldn't kill it, I'd capture it and release it in the Trinity River Project (kind of like a nature reserve that's right by where I live) because that's probably where it came from anyway. Venomous I'd have to kill. Most of them are pretty aggressive, except for the copperhead we found in the middle of the winter which we left alone and never saw again, so we wouldn't be able to catch them if we wanted. Besides, our Siberian husky has a knack for finding and attempting to kill snakes, so venomous ones could very well kill her back.

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## reggi-BP

well i kinda do sometimes it really depends if there venous but if i know it cant harm then i wont but that doesnt stop my dog :ROFL:  :Snake:  :ROFL:

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## NomiGold

I'm told that we do indeed have snakes up here, but I have yet to see one. In the case one ever did show up in my yard, I would only be shooting it with a camera. But even if I lived in a climate where there were numerous or even venomous snakes, I think killing one would be a last resort.

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## kellysballs

Not at all. I live in Volusia Co. FL (just south of daytona), and I have a very well trained 9 yr old who knows not to touch wild snakes.

I have at least one if not a few Florida Banded Water snakes (commonly mistaken for cotton mouths) that come out of the canal and eat toads on my porch. I also have a resident black racer, big old gal that suns on the side of the house. I have only once found an actual cotton mouth in the yard and I just shooed it back into the canal with a broom. I have also found the rough green snakes in my trees and a yellow rat. 

I Love finding wild snakes it makes my day when I see one!

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_infernalis_ (07-01-2010)

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## steveo

NO NEVER! , i couldnt harm / kill any wild animal just for poping up in its natural enviroment going about its daily business.
The only venomous snake in my country is the adder (viper berus) , that aint very dangerous at all. i'd love to see one in my garden. its illegal to harm or kill them in th uk ...even though people still kill them on site for no reason.  :Mad: 
but if i was living in any country with deadly snakes and saw some in my back yard , id run... for my camera  :Very Happy:  
i can understand to a degree with people with kids but can never agree with anyone who kills a venomous snake for just appearing in the back yard, there are better ways around it..... there are more than enough people to call on to relocate snakes in the states...why kill them???

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## SDballp

unfortunatly we get rather large and dangerous rattlesnakes around me at least once or twice a year.. if i have the ability to safely move them far away i will do so. but having a 3-5 foot rattlesnake in an area where tons of children play just isnt safe


but on the other hand there are plenty of garter snakes and boas that u just enjoy watch for a while then let them go on thier way  :Smile:

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## zina10

> NO WAY!!! My fiance and I snatch em up and relocate them to a more snake friendly area.


I've never seen one in my yard, ever. Lived at diff. locations, too. I always keep the yard very tidy and have no bird feeders around, so I don't think the snakes like my yards, LOL

What I did see one day was a large legless lizard. That was really cool. At first I thought "snake" but they have such a distinct head and eyes, plus he blinked. Very cool. 

If I had a dangerous snake I would call for someone to come and get it. But yes, my daughter and pets are my first priority. Hopefully I would never have to make that choice, but I understand the people that do.

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## PghBall

Mostly see garter snakes around here.  I just found the remains of one the other day that was run over by a car.  I usually help the GF's dad remove them from his pond.  We pick them up and relocate down the road.

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## smd58

no, but the first snake i ever saw in my life, was killed with a hoe by my dad. little did he know that it would turn me into the snake collector i am. and after about 40 years he still dont get it.

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## Lupe

Garter snakes are about the only thing I see around here. I have only seen bull snakes here twice. And one time I found a little brown snake and I have seen a similar one that was gray (baby bull snake?) and my dad has seen snake with bands, 3 colors but it was very dull. Don't remember what we thought it was. Nothing dangerous so no need to kill.

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## corgigirl9

Its not me that kills the snakes in my yard its my four legged friends.  Nothing could be worse then when they find a baby bunny nest :Sad:

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## Foschi Exotic Serpents

Never. In fact I just had a tiny little baby brown snake put up a heck of a fight to avoid being caught lol. I treated him for mites, showed him to my son so he wouldn't be afraid of wild snakes in the yard, and then we let him go behind some plants and a wood pile behind the garage. It was quite fun  :Smile:

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## lance

Never if I come across any snake I let it be UNLESS it's venomous and could harm the people in the neighborhood, However I take it up in the mountains away from people and release it safely where it can't harm anyone and won't be harmed for being a snake  :Smile: 

lance

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## infernalis

> Never. In fact I just had a tiny little baby brown snake put up a heck of a fight to avoid being caught lol. I treated him for mites, showed him to my son so he wouldn't be afraid of wild snakes in the yard, and then we let him go behind some plants and a wood pile behind the garage. It was quite fun


 That is so cool!! Kudos to you.

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## fndjason4

i dont believe in killing anything unless it is used for food. since i dont eat snakes i see no need in killing any snake.  in north louisiana we have a large number of snakes.  I simply give them their space and they always give me mine.  however there have been a few cases when it was necessary to relocate a few away from populated areas.

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## Erfic Tick

no if venemous i take my tongs and move it if non venemous i keep it i have 14wc garters 3wc corns 4wc rats and i took in a rattle snake with broken fangs for awhile till i  found somone1 who could proporly care for it plus i have foun a killerbee python in my yard i assume it wa let go it is in great condition  :Snake:

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## Dixie Serpent Den

I live in FL, it is easy to tell a dangerous snake from one that means no harm. If I know it is dangerous to my kids I will be sure it is gone. I do know people that will come and catch it for me so I don't have to kill it but if I had know other choice I would kill it to protect my kids. I have been raised in the country with a lot of dangerous ones and learned if you don't bother them then usually they will not bother you but I do believe it is better to be safe than sorry. But I will always try to get someone out to re-home it first.

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## Monster Dodge

I had a nest of Cotton Mouths under my deck two summers ago. I just threw 3 boxes of moth balls under there and they split and havent seen any since. No need to kill them :Good Job:

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## drifter0069

no, i dont kill snakes just cause they are in my back yard. i don't want to be in the woods one day and see a copperhead with a shovel gettin paybacks....... :Very Happy:

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## purplemuffin

I said no.. I live in an area where the only snakes you really see are garter snakes or other small brown ones that aren't venomous... And if there were to be a venomous snake in my yard, I know that the local animal control has people who relocate them to safer areas, which would be a nicer option. 

Of course I know to do what is needed if in the future there was literally a dangerous situation where my (future) child was confronted by a venomous snake and there was not the option to move it!  :Sad:  Bleh! Hopefully I am never put in that situation!


I am just glad I am informed and know of all the snakes in my area! Unlike my parents... When I was younger we found a snake that had fallen into our pool, because it was in water they assumed it was a water moccasin. I remember it clearly... It was the prettiest snake I had ever seen! What they killed was a grey banded kingsnake! And I know of dozens of garters my family has killed.. This is why people need to be more aware of snake species and what is and is not dangerous! Yuck!

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## Austin236

I will not kill any snake in my yard, i get cotton mouths, all i do is catch em and relocate them to the everglades. But if there something very interesting like the wild leucistic rat snake i caught then i keep em and treat for internal parasites, ticks and mites.

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## dembonez

you guys have to understand that you guys LIKE and KNOW about snakes so to the average person they can't tell if its a corn snake or a python they just think all snakes have poison so they will most likely kill

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## Bellabob

No way. Ilive in a house subdivison but theres a big feild right acroos the street from me that has snakes in it (I've never seen any but I have found skin.) If I found one in my yard that wasn't venomous I would handle it. not what kind of snake it is, nand just let it go. Howver, if I found a venomous snake, say a Rattlesnake, copper head, coral snake, etc I would grab the snake hook or tongs and put it in a secure container. Then I would bring it deep into the feild by my house (because it would have had to come from there) and let it go.

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## Redneck_Crow

I don't kill them.  I've never had venomous snakes in my current yard, but I have relocated copperheads that liked to visit my stepfather's yard when he was living 20 feet from a creek in West Virginia.  We used to take a trash can, pole them into it, drive them a mile or so down the road, and dump them out.  He was a cool guy.  He didn't believe in killing anything that wasn't harming him unless he was going to eat it.

I have a resident gartersnake in the front yard.  On the occasions that I've got something available, I've fed her.  And here's something that y'all might not have known--wild snakes will eat f/t rodents.  Or at least one of them will.

I haven't seen Sadie yet this year, and she may have succumbed to old age or lawnmowers.  I'm keeping an eye out for her though.  I've still got a couple of smallish mice tucked away in the freezer for her just in case she shows up.

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## iHAZreptiles

I have yet for that to happen to me, though there is a woodsy area behind my house that I have seen a few snakes in, but none were venomous as far as I know.

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## kevinb

I never kill snakes. Ever. Hence why I have 2 of my three now because I saved them from my mom attempting to mow them over with the lawnmower. I get to go do some snake hunting today. There a supposidly eastern diamond backs there...at the place I'm going but I haven't seen one. I'm not quite sure what ill do if I find one.....let it be seems the smartest option.  :Smile: 

1.0 High Yellow Jungle "Bruce"
0.1 Mack Snow Tremper Albino "Ava"
0.1 Rainwater Patternless "Pita"
1.0 Albino Checkered Garter "Herbert II"
0.0.1 Common Garter "Lucile"
0.0.1 Eastern Milksnake "Tiffany"

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## AK907

Absolutely not! My wife and I love finding snakes in our yard. We welcome all walks of life besides bees, ants and our neighbors cats. If we found a venomous snake in the yard we would do the right thing and relocate it to a better area.

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## R_lopez

Yup we have a ranch in Texas we always see rattlesnakes and put a .44 to there head but if it was harmless I'd just leave it alone

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## AZ_Equine

> yeah.. i get rattlesnakes in my back yard during the summer.. =/


   If in my yard yes. We have venomous snakes here too.  Mojave green's, diamond backs and sidewinders to name a few.  If harmless ones than no. We also have whip, king, gopher and garter snakes. I would leave them alone because they keep down the mice population. But if I find them while out hiking or horseback riding in the desert  NO...

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## AK907

> Yup we have a ranch in Texas we always see rattlesnakes and put a .44 to there head but if it was harmless I'd just leave it alone


Some good eatin' right there, buddy! I miss rattlesnake. As far as I know Texas doesn't have any laws against selling wild caught snakes. Those would no doubt be worth a pretty penny to somebody, even if only sold as food.

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## AZ_Equine

> No, I would not kill them.
> 
> I dont live in a area that has dangerous snakes nor do I have kids but wouldnt a better Idea be to keep the areas where snakes hide off limits or teach your kids what to do if they see one?


  My grand kids have been taught what to do if they see a snake but if a rattler took up residence in their back yard I guarantee dad isn't going to let it stay. Kids like to play and allowing a venomous snake stick around would be asking for trouble because eventually it would strike when someone wasn't paying attention.  Kids have a short attention span and if retrieving a ball under a large toy they will be caught up in their game and forget to look. Snakes move around and they would not always know where it is hiding. Besides they can't teach the pets to keep away from all the places in the yard where a snake could hide.

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## Raptor

> My grand kids have been taught what to do if they see a snake but if a rattler took up residence in their back yard I guarantee dad isn't going to let it stay. Kids like to play and allowing a venomous snake stick around would be asking for trouble because eventually it would strike when someone wasn't paying attention.  Kids have a short attention span and if retrieving a ball under a large toy they will be caught up in their game and forget to look. Snakes move around and they would not always know where it is hiding. Besides they can't teach the pets to keep away from all the places in the yard where a snake could hide.


That's how my mom was when I was a kid, sorta. We lived by a creek and were always getting cottonmouths. It was bad enough that any dark colored snake got killed because there were so many.

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