Steve’s Snaketuary offers tips as snakes come out during warmer months

BOSSIER CITY, La. (KSLA) - In addition to alligators, many people say they’re seeing more snakes around their homes. But snakes aren’t always a bad thing.

“Snakes are reptiles. Reptiles are ectotherms. That means they can’t regulate their own body temperature. They have to use the outside temperature to warm up and cool down. And so that’s why when it starts to warm up, people see a lot more snakes because they come out, they’re warming up, and start bringing the food chain out and start looking for food,” said Steven Kennedy with Steve’s Snaketuary.

The ArkLaTex sees a number of different kinds of snakes during the warmer months, including the plain belly water snake, speckled kingsnake, coachwhip snake, and rat snake. According to Steve’s Snaketuary, most snakes a person is likely to encounter aren’t venomous.

“We only have five venomous snakes here in this area. We have the copperheads, water moccasin, which are also called cotton mouths, pygmy rattle snakes, timbers or the Canebreak rattle snakes, and we have coral snakes,” said Kennedy.

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Snakes are known for blending into their surroundings; experts say snakes can mimic other reptiles too.

“One thing people say, it’s venomous because it has a diamond or triangle-shaped head, but these guys will actually flatten their head out into a diamond or triangle shape to mimic venomous snakes,” said Kennedy.

Despite the dangers of venomous snakes, not all snakes are bad.

“And when you see snakes, it’s hard to tell what kind they is, you know, you don’t be looking at all that,” one resident said.

“I don’t like them. I don’t like anything slimy,” said another resident.

Trying to kill a snake yourself is also not the answer.

“So if you do cut the head off, they can still envenomate. You can try to gently spray it with a water hose. That can kind of deter snakes. There is nothing you can actually put in your yard that’s going to keep snakes away. Lime, sulfur, moth balls, even the Snake Away stuff doesn’t do anything for snakes,” said Kennedy.

Most snakes eat mice and rats, while some eat frogs and toads, but a snake will not make your home its home unless there is a food source.

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