Snakes Coming Out in The Woodlands (Houston, Corpus Christi: rentals, neighborhood, living in) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

cockermom · 05-06-2014, 06:17 PM

Anyone else in The Woodlands notice a plethora of snakes coming out lately? I've spotted four baby snakes on my street and one adult in my yard: two I'm not sure of (I have pictures if anyone can identify them), one was a garter and the other was a cottonmouth which is what concerns me.

I've never lived in The Woodlands during the summer months and wanted to know what to expect. Should I expect more of the same until the fall or is May their most active month?

I ran into someone on the trail who spotted a large black snake with white dots -- not sure what kind that is. And apparently someone on my street was bitten by a cottonmouth in their yard and was in the hospital for nearly a week.

I lived in Houston for many years and in that time I only saw three garter snakes and they were either in the arboretum (near or in the pond) or in the woods so I'm not used to this. Any advice would be appreciated as it's getting difficult to walk around here lately.

EasilyAmused · 05-06-2014, 06:42 PM

Nothing new. I was up there around 2005. Three copperheads and several black widows made appearances in my rentals yard. Never seen either living near the bayous of Houston proper.

cockermom · 05-06-2014, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EasilyAmused

Nothing new. I was up there around 2005. Three copperheads and several black widows made appearances in my rentals yard. Never seen either living near the bayous of Houston proper.

Thanks for your letting me know about your experience. Where was your previous rental in The Woodlands? Which village or cross streets?

Wow, now you have me worried about yet another pest: the black widow. Eek! I'm in a rental in Grogan's Forest at the moment. Funny how you haven't seen any snakes living in Houston (even by the bayou) nor did I in the loop. I guess it's time to move back to Houston.

colcat · 05-06-2014, 07:42 PM

I've lived in TW for 16 years and have never seen an adult snake. I have seen a couple of babies. Do they exist? Yes. I have heard of people seeing( and killing) copperheads.They are all over, not just in The Woodlands.

LocalPlanner · 05-06-2014, 08:52 PM

I grew up in Houston, on the westside, in a neighborhood bordering Buffalo Bayou and Rummel Creek. We killed quite a number of copperheads in our yard over the years. Never saw a cottonmouth in the yard, thank goodness, but you could reportedly easily find them down near the Bayou. Raccoons and possums were also common. A turtle lived in our yard when I was little. There was a report of an alligator in the Bayou, but I never saw one. And the neighborhood had a horrendous armadillo problem - turned your yard into a putting green (all the golf holes they dug).

My current office building is next to Buffalo Bayou and Terry Hershey Park. A year or two ago a coworker went walking on one of the trails and saw two coral snakes.

nana053 · 05-06-2014, 08:59 PM

cockermom · 05-06-2014, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colcat

I've lived in TW for 16 years and have never seen an adult snake. I have seen a couple of babies. Do they exist? Yes. I have heard of people seeing( and killing) copperheads.They are all over, not just in The Woodlands.

Hmm, already spotted an adult in my yard (a garter though), neighbors have confirmed that they have had adult snakes in their yards (copperheads and cottonmouths as well as garters) and people I've met in TW have told me of adult snakes they've seen on the trails (coral snakes & copperheads) so I know it's not uncommon during the warmer months.

It's no surprise there are more snakes in The Woodlands than in Houston as Houston is more built up and urban (as confirmed by pest control companies I've spoken with). I lived in Houston for many years and never heard of nor saw anything other than a garter (which again was spotted in the arboretum or woods) and Easily Amused relayed similar information. Snakes aren't exclusive to The Woodlands obviously but they are spotted more frequently in certain areas.

***And by the way, baby poisonous snakes are born with fangs and venom as dangerous as adult snakes.***

cockermom · 05-06-2014, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

I grew up in Houston, on the westside, in a neighborhood bordering Buffalo Bayou and Rummel Creek. We killed quite a number of copperheads in our yard over the years. Never saw a cottonmouth in the yard, thank goodness, but you could reportedly easily find them down near the Bayou. Raccoons and possums were also common. A turtle lived in our yard when I was little. There was a report of an alligator in the Bayou, but I never saw one. And the neighborhood had a horrendous armadillo problem - turned your yard into a putting green (all the golf holes they dug).

My current office building is next to Buffalo Bayou and Terry Hershey Park. A year or two ago a coworker went walking on one of the trails and saw two coral snakes.

LOL about the armadillo holes. Had one in my previous yard. They do love to dig but they're so cute and harmless. Would rather see an armadillo than a snake personally but I know snakes have their role in the ecosystem.

The Rummel Creek area is more suburban (than the loop) and is west of the beltway therefore, it doesn't surprise me that you had copperheads in the yard when you grew up although I wonder if it's the same now or if things have changed since so much has been built up west of the beltway.

The Terry Hershey Park is quite woodsy, has the bayou running through it and is west of the beltway (for those who aren't familiar with it) so there are all sorts of critters in there -- kind of like The Woodlands.

Interesting that a coral snake was spotted there but I guess it shouldn't be surprising since it is similar to The Woodlands.

I never saw any snakes by the bayou in the city of Houston and I walked along the bayou trail but I might have just been lucky.

Wasn't there a report of a gator in Clear Lake a few days ago?

Oildog · 05-06-2014, 10:27 PM

You don't see mice or rats where snakes are present. Snakes will leave you alone, its not like Raiders of the Lost Ark here.

cockermom · 05-06-2014, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oildog

You don't see mice or rats where snakes are present. Snakes will leave you alone, its not like Raiders of the Lost Ark here.

Love the Raiders of the Lost Ark (great movie minus the snakes. LOL!) reference but like I said, at least one person on my street has been bitten by a cottonmouth and that's one too many as far as I'm concerned. And considering I personally have seen four snakes on our street in the last few days I'm concerned about what's to come since this is early in the season. I don't think it's a Snakes on Plane scenario but all it takes is one poisonous snake that wasn't spotted in time (e.g. a poisonous baby that's camouflaged in the grass).