Richard Evans
UGA Extension Agent
This is the time of year the Bryan County Extension workplace gets a great deal of calls concerning snakes and associated activity. Though they are not able to endure severe cold or hot temperature levels (just like the last number of weeks of this heat wave), snakes will move throughout summer season nights, specifically after rain.
Snakes consume pests, fish, amphibians, birds, rodents, eggs and other reptiles. Actually, lots of snakes consume annoyance animals too. In truth, one rat snake can consume 2 or 3 rats every 2 weeks. That is significant rodent control! Therefore, one snake can significantly affect an environment by lowering the capacity for major illness, like Lyme illness.
At the very first indication of risk, or human contact, snakes will generally get away. Most snakes strike in defense as a last option and as such non-venomous snakes are generally safe. While I can reveal a fight scar or 2 from a snakebite (non-venomous ones!), I was to blame in each circumstances.
There is nobody universal indication to differentiate a poisonous snake and a non-venomous snake, nevertheless there are some practical characteristics to watch out for. Head or eye student shape is one such difference, round student typically suggests non-poisonous and venomous have actually slit or cat eye formed students. Then you would attempt to prevent triangle shaped heads.
Rattlesnakes have a tail rattle. Red and yellow bands that touch are implied to fend off predators and us also.
To be generously clear, there are lots of exceptions, and their characteristics are simply a starter for recognition, no quality explained here is to be utilized as a factor to get a wild snake! That being said, here are a couple of snakes frequently discovered in Georgia.
King snakes are discovered in a wide range of environments. Adults can reach 4 feet in length. Eastern king snakes are black with light yellow or whitish crossbands.
The black kingsnake, discovered in northwestern Georgia, is black with spread flecks of yellow. The tummy is a mix of black and yellow. They eat the routine snake fare and other snakes too, consisting of poisonous types. King snakes are unsusceptible to the venom of rattlesnakes, cottonmouths and copperheads, making them a certain friend of the lawn.
Water snakes are discovered in marine environments. However, some types have actually been spotted a number of hundred feet far from water.
Water snakes frequently grow to a length of 4 feet and are light brown on the top with darker squares on the back and sides. The brown water snake is the most typical and is frequently incorrect for the poisonous cottonmouth. While the water snake often basks on tree limbs that overhang the water, cottonmouths on and off do, making stories about them dropping into boats primarily misconceptions.
Garter snakes are discovered in environments that perspire, although not always near long-term water.
They are generally less than 2 feet long, however can be longer. They have 3 yellow longitudinal stripes on a dark body and have black lines on their lip scales. Although this pattern prevails, some garter snakes in Georgia have a checkered body pattern with badly specified stripes and a grayish body color.
Their tummies are white or light yellow. This types brings to life live young, in some cases having more than 50 children. Garter snakes eat fish, little reptiles and amphibians.
Rat snakes are usually discovered in woody or swampy locations.
Adults grow to more than 4 feet in length. The seaside types we have here are olive with 4 dark stripes on their backs. Inland types vary from black to light gray or brown. They eat birds, rats, mice and squirrels. They are referred to as “chicken snakes” in farming locations due to the fact that they easily consume caged chickens. Unless you have birds, rat snakes are another snake that does a great deal of good in our yards/gardens.
Black racers are discovered in a wide range of environments. Racers are often seen crossing highways throughout the day. Adults are generally slim, 3 to 5 feet long and black other than for a white chin. They eat frogs, rodents, birds, lizards and pests. Commonly, puzzled with rat snakes these snakes are seen much less often in our lawns.
Lastly, we do have the eastern indigo snake. This is the biggest snake (approximately 9 feet) in North America and is not to be puzzled with an enemy of any kind. It is a rainbowlike black and releases appealing color scheme when sun shows off its scales. This types is regrettably threatened and supplies us with the important service of managing populations of poisonous snakes. Consider yourself lucky if one calls your property home.
To address a concern everybody is believing, there is no magic bullet to keep snakes out of your property. In order to prevent all snake types, beware when gardening and carrying out yard tasks. You can likewise restrict your encounters with snakes by not developing environments for them in your lawn. I would suggest staying away from items that utilize naphthalene (moth balls), while these items do certainly smell bad to reptiles, consisting of snakes, they are harmful to other animals that may consume them, such as family pets or perhaps kids. On top of that, if you utilize a naphthalene item you may be trapping a snake inside a location you don’t desire it by dissuading its exits. The finest thing to do is manage the food source (rodents in many cases) and attempt to omit them from your property with barriers.
For more details on snakes, call me at the Bryan County Extension Service workplace at 912-653-2231 or uge3029@uga. edu.
