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When wildlife gets too close

jamesholtjamesholt Posts: 593
in Wildlife gardening
this is my cat and she doesn't like snakes.  I didn't teach her this?  She had this guy cornered right by the back door!  I think its bigger than her! My concern is we saw a big breeder female copperhead in the firewood pile yesterday only 20ft from the house.  She would have enough venom to kill the cat or maybe a child.
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  • coccinellacoccinella Posts: 1,428
    😲😲😲 I get annoyed at cats killing wildlife, but in this instance ... 

    Luxembourg
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    I HATE SNAKES.
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    It's a bit of a different situation here in the UK to Texas. Here all reptiles are protected by law because they're under quite a lot of pressure from habitat loss etc (and cats killing them). As far as I know, over with you is a different situation and you have over 100 species and several venomous ones to worry about. I find it hard to look at snakes that were deliberately killed though. For what it's worth I used to watch this guy on Youtube
    He promotes reptile conservation and education in Texas. I think your snake is a rat snake like in the above video and basically harmless but as I said I'm not an expert on your local wildlife.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • jamesholtjamesholt Posts: 593
    I agree with you.  This was actually a diamond back water snake.  It is nonvenomous but packs a very nasty bite with two rows of backward facing teeth.  We have provided tremendous habitats for them since they mainly eat eat fish and frogs.  I have built a 12acre lake for them full of fish and frogs and their numbers have exploded along with the many varieties of frogs.  We actually have a very good breeding population of bull frogs now.  As long as they aren't directly in the path of our back door they are left to increase in numbers.  I think I am more concerned about the increasing numbers of copperhead snakes we are seeing.  We aren't searching to hunt them but a friend of mine just spent 4 days in the hospital and 3 rounds of antivenom.  Having them that close to the house is the concern.  They do control the mice and rats.
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    As a reptile lover myself, I agree with @wild edges but I can well understand your concerns too @jamesholt.
    Do you have any access to local societies or specialist reptile organisations to report your findings and see whether they can at least explain the increased number of Copperheads you are encountering ?  Widespread in your state or a local issue ?  It always help to get as much background as possible.
    Do take care - I'm sure I'm not the only person who would miss the pics of your lake and garden  ;)  
  • jamesholtjamesholt Posts: 593
    About 5 years ago we had a bad problem with rats in our barn and house.   I had the idea I would go to the local humane shelter and pay 50 dollars each for 6 cats that had been spayed and given their shots.  I made it so they could come in and out of the barn and made a bed and food and water for them.   Soon I was losing one cat a week but didn't know why?  It took me a while to figure it out!  A breeding pair of owls had built a nest right in front of the barn.  Then another breeding pair of owls set up shop.  Well we now have lots of owls only one cat and I think the owls are eating the rats?
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    Certainly feasible..... which Owls do you have ?  I used to keep and breed them but only Tawny and Little owls.  Beautiful birds and useful too ;) Lucky you.
  • SalixGoldSalixGold Posts: 450
    jamesholt said:
      Well we now have lots of owls only one cat and I think the owls are eating the rats?
    sounds like you got the end result you were hoping for. Fewer rats more owls sounds like a good balance

  • SalixGoldSalixGold Posts: 450
    edited July 2023
    The Biggest Little Farm has an interesting take on encouraging raptors to eat pests. The documentary is saccharine, naive and stupidly romantic in its take on farming, but the coverage of their struggles and hopelessness is interesting towards the end. Set in southern California, it shows the long haul to try and achieve some kind of wildlife balance on the land, while trying to produce organic food, amid drought and wildfires. 13 years after starting the project, the farm is still going and the couple are still together.  (It's on Netflix and available to buy on Youtube).


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