Florida Snake Flood

[Crowfingers]

So when this storm floods the Everglades and flushes out all the invasive reptiles, how surprised do you all think people will be? I'm guessing there are more species hiding in those swamps than just burms and black and white monitors, and they will be all sorts of displaced and looking for higher ground / shelter (I would imagine at least).

*I just imagining the viral videos when the first burm or other large snake crawls onto someone's porch

[JodanOrNoDan]

We will see. I am going to be right in the middle of it. Animals have not started freaking out yet. I am trying to feed tonight to get rid of rats before the power goes out. Still going to end up with a lot of wasted rats I think.

[ckuhn003]

We will see. I am going to be right in the middle of it. Animals have not started freaking out yet. I am trying to feed tonight to get rid of rats before the power goes out. Still going to end up with a lot of wasted rats I think.

Curious what you do in case of a power outage? How long can a snake (BP) survive? I'm in GA and have no idea what it's going to be like in a couple of days.

[Crowfingers]

That really sucks, stay safe! At least the temperatures shouldn't drop too low for too long in Florida.

[JodanOrNoDan]

We will see. I am going to be right in the middle of it. Animals have not started freaking out yet. I am trying to feed tonight to get rid of rats before the power goes out. Still going to end up with a lot of wasted rats I think.

Without food, a healthy snake can probably go six months or more. My problem is going to be the heat. I have about 50 adults and 50 babies right now and one clutch still in the incubator. It has been getting above 90 outside so that means above 90 inside which is bad. I am going to have to get very creative if the power goes out. I was thinking about putting all the tubs on the floor and covering them with wet blankets. Anyone with any other ideas feel free to chime in. There is no gas here to run a generator even if I had one.

Good news is absolutely everyone is eating, which is pretty rare. So I will probably end up only losing a weeks worth of rats.

[DLena]

You folks are all in my prayers. Please keep us posted; you never know who will be able to help!

[Sunnieskys]

Throw ziplock bags in freezers now so if power goes out you can use those for cooling.

Oh what about throwing wet towels in the freezer Too?

[bcr229]

It has been getting above 90 outside so that means above 90 inside which is bad. I am going to have to get very creative if the power goes out. I was thinking about putting all the tubs on the floor and covering them with wet blankets. Anyone with any other ideas feel free to chime in. There is no gas here to run a generator even if I had one.

Have you checked the water temp as it comes out of the tap after whatever is in your pipes has cleared out? It won't be cold but it should be fairly cool so if each snake got a big bowl of cold water every day around noon that would probably keep their enclosures or tubs from overheating in the afternoon heat.

Also do you have anything you can set up outside the house after the storm passes to physically block the sunlight from hitting your windows? Interior shades still get hit by the sunlight which allows heat in the room.

[JodanOrNoDan]

I lost power soon after posting and it was back within 48 hrs. Temps inside did not go above 90 so the snakes were fine. We had prepared a lot of ice before hand so I ended up only having to toss one rat out of the hundred or so that were in the freezer. All the windows were shuttered so it kept a lot of the direct heat out. I need a better plan for next hurricane season. Probably going to break down and buy a generator and a small AC unit.

[danielwilu2525]

I'm impressed by how hardy these animals are. Me and my family decided to evacuate, I also brought my snakes. I own a yearling BP and 2 hognoses. We were out of the state for about a week if I remember correctly. All I did was pack my BP in a pillowcase and the hognoses went into deli cups. For heat, I microwaved some water and filled 2 plastic bottles and put those warm bottles in the back compartment of my backpack. Yeah, my snakes literally stayed in a backpack for a week. Every time we made a stop I offered water and took them out so they can stretch out and cool off. No one got sick and they were perfectly fine. The only thing I was concerned was the maids finding a backpack of snakes in my hotel room, they'd be scarred for life! The ride wasn't perfect though, once we got back I left them alone for the next month or so, and still not bothering them.