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I live right beside a lake and it started raining a few minutes ago so I went to the door to see how hard it was raining outside and there is a HUGE snake on the porch and nobody else is here with me.I'm terrified of snakes and I don't want it on my porch.What should I do about it?

2007-06-08 10:33:39 · 25 answers · asked by Keri 5 in Pets Reptiles

It's a cottonmouth.

2007-06-08 14:36:07 · update #1

25 answers

Better to be able to see it, than to not know where it is.

2007-06-08 10:42:40 · answer #1 · answered by Randy C 6 · 2 1

Oh my God, DO NOT call the police or a vet's office. You'll be wasting their time and they won't do anything about it; most vets know little to nothing about reptiles. Animal control might not want to come out either. If you tell us what it looks like, we can guess if it's venemous (snakes are not poisonous!). If it's not, then just wait inside until it goes away, or stomp on the porch to scare it away--it's more scared of you then you are of it.

EDIT: Just because it's out in the rain does NOT necessarily mean that it's a Water Moccasin, or even venemous. It may have been hiding in a place that suddenly got wet when it rained and it's looking for a drier spot.

EDIT2: Oh, and be sure to lock your doors, 'cause snakes know how to open doors. ...idiots.


EDIT3: How do you know it's a cottonmouth and not just a water snake? They look very similar.

2007-06-08 12:21:08 · answer #2 · answered by thisismynewage 3 · 3 1

You don't even say where you live to rule out any possibilities...

Many, many, many kinds of snakes hunt in the rain. Hognose snakes, garter snakes, ribbon snakes, all the various species of (nonvenomous) water snakes, and countless others, I'm sure come out to find toads and frogs. If you're in Florida, it's been so dry, that not only will the ones that are looking for food be out, but I'm sure there's a lot of thirsty snakes around, and I know water levels around me have come up dramatically this week (won't last long, but still.) and I'm sure some snakes have been flooded out of their dry season homes.

Figure out what kind of snake you have. Heck, if you've got one, you might as well get a field guide or find a good website with photos and information on your local snakes, because there will be more. Learn to identify the snakes that are potentially harmful in your area, and realize that no snake is out to get you, they have their own lives, and would much rather leave us alone. Perhaps in learning about that which you fear, you can overcome your fear.

Or you can not worry about educating yourself, get a shovel, chop it into sausages and forget about it.

It will go away on it's own, and it's keeping your pest population down. No big deal.

2007-06-08 12:32:47 · answer #3 · answered by gimmenamenow 7 · 0 1

Though all species of snakes are excellent swimmers the majority of them really don't like water all that much. When it rains many species will search for dryer spots in which to hide until the rain stops. Also since they tend to dwell in underground dens when it rains heavily those dens can become filled with water forcing the snake to go to the surface.

On the other hand their are species that like to hunt in the rain since that is when their prey is most active.

In either case human's are not a food source for most snakes, and so they try to avoid them. The majority of snakes will run and hide when confronted with a human being, or if that isn't a possibility they will curl up into a defensive posture and hiss to attempt to scare off what they consider to be a threat. The snake is jsut as scared of you as you are of it.

Best course of action is to simply avoid it, it will eventually go away. However if you live in a highly populated residential area and it is a poisonous snake I'd call animal control so that they can capture it and move it to a different area. For the most part if you don't bother it, it won't bother you.

2007-06-09 05:46:18 · answer #4 · answered by tentagil 2 · 0 3

It doesn't want to move in. Just leave it for the rest of the day. It will be gone by morning. Dont' freak out. Just watch a movie or stay in for the night. Relax

2007-06-08 11:45:32 · answer #5 · answered by Al 2 · 3 0

SHAM THE DOOR SHUT,AND HOPE/PRAY THAT THE SNAKE DOES NOT GET INSIDE TO BITE YOU!!!---IT'S PROBABLY MORE AFRAID OF YOU THAN YOU ARE OF IT----LEAVE IT ALONE( IGNORE IT)---CALL A TRUSTED FRIEND( MALE,or FEMALE) WHO YOU FEEL THAT CAN CONFIDENTLY DEAL WITH IT....DON'T GO OUT AND RENT THE VIDEO ENTITLED:"ANACONDA"

2007-06-16 10:12:34 · answer #6 · answered by LONG-JOHN 7 · 0 0

It might just be staying out of the rain, just wait for it to leave, or its found food and lost the scent...

2007-06-08 10:48:30 · answer #7 · answered by Erik 1 · 1 0

please dont kill it! call a local animal control center a vet office close to you or the cops... it may not be poisons but if it is its better for someone who knows how to handle them to remove it and relocate it instead of someone who dont and have a greater chance of getting bit...ohh and if only came out when it rained then it will probably hide again when it quits so i would make the call asap

please remember that snakes are creatures to and was placed on the earth just like us so they have as much as a reason to be here as we do

hope this helps

2007-06-08 11:57:40 · answer #8 · answered by organiz'd khoaz 5 · 1 3

if its venomous then call humane society. If it is not then then a bucket and a LONG stick and carefully lift it in to the bucket then put the bucket outside and tip it on its side, then run inside.

2007-06-15 06:12:51 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0 1

You are afraid for NOTHING!
You don't need animal control- geez.
If you are worried that the snake is venomous, simply DON'T STEP ON IT!
That's all there is to it!

2007-06-08 12:24:43 · answer #10 · answered by markwedloe 4 · 3 1

It's been a week now so I expect it's gone. If you're still alive award me the best answer.

2007-06-16 07:33:11 · answer #11 · answered by veg_rose 6 · 0 1

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