STX NO LONGER SNAKE FREE!

Aren't you living in FL now?
You should really worry about snakes and other reptiles.
Don't think we will find alligators in our pools on STX!

There's been many snakes found here and STT. Pythons and boas. (Not including the native tree via) Irresponsible pet owners to blame. When will humans learn?

Aren't you living in FL now?
You should really worry about snakes and other reptiles.
Don't think we will find alligators in our pools on STX!

Don't worry. I don't live anywhere near alligators, have a large fenced yard where pool located, tall privacy pvc fence, regularly mowed yard.
Machete at hand, in any event but thanks so much for your concern.

Keep your little pets safe.

You are never safe from dangerous snakes in FL.

I live deep in suburbia and had a small dog that was bit by a rattlesnake five feet from my back door. One of the worst days of my life.

He survived - but the vet bill was over $5,000.

Pygmy rattlesnakes and southeastern diamond backs are pervasive in FL suburbia - particularly pygmies that can look a lot like small black racers.

Have a chat with your neighbors before declaring your yard snake free.

Thanks for the head's up.
I didn't think my yard would be completely snake free but I won't have to worry about gators, in or out of the pool, at least!

We need to import Honey Badgers. They'll clear this whole loose snake issue up... no problem.

Of course that may lead to a Honey Badger problem. :S

I'm not the least bit concerned about boas or pythons having handled them extensively.

They might actually be good for controlling the feral cat and dog population.

we have had them for a few years now, that i have heard of. big boas or pythons. something big

It is troublesome that there are a couple hundred red tail boa constrictors on STX according to several sources. Some as long as 5-6 feet have been sighted. They are currently pretty much concentrated in the NW section of STX. How a few got here in the 1st place is disturbing & they rapidly are multiplying. Some claim they were pets & released, others claim they came here on Hovensa ships. Total riddance should be a priority. They are at the top of the food chain here & have no enemy except man. These boa constrictors might not concern some people but it sure bothers the hell out of me.

Jumble

They had local Boas at agfair a few yrs back, kinda old news.......

It is troublesome that there are a couple hundred red tail boa constrictors on STX according to several sources. Some as long as 5-6 feet have been sighted. They are currently pretty much concentrated in the NW section of STX. How a few got here in the 1st place is disturbing & they rapidly are multiplying. Some claim they were pets & released, others claim they came here on Hovensa ships. Total riddance should be a priority. They are at the top of the food chain here & have no enemy except man. These boa constrictors might not concern some people but it sure bothers the hell out of me.

Jumble

Yeah, but think about their impact.. what are they eating?

My bet: rats and mongoose... invasive anyway... so why bother with any effort?

I'm PERFECTLY fine with loose "pets" on the island (since they are already there and we can't do much about it).. if it was a Mamba or pit viper... I'd be concerned.

"Boas are parthenogenic, meaning a female can reproduce without a male, which adds to the problem of estimating numbers, he added."

"The red tail snakes are not venomous, Coles said, but they have a nasty bite that can lead to infection. They climb as well as slither on the ground and are attracted to food sources such as rodents, birds and small dogs and cats."

I'd imagine all sorts of small prey are at risk including frogs, lizards,baby iguanas, bats, etc.
Now, if they only ate feral chickens and roosters....!

Can the consume large politicians?

Even better...if only!

How terrible about your little dog, GatorsMom!

I'm a FL native and my older sister was bitten by a pigmy rattler when I was a child. Thankfully, her hand was saved, and she later went on to keep snakes as pets for years, but the incident stayed with me. Not a snake lover!

I thought mongoose dem were natural predators of snakes.

Not huge ones. The pythons are preying on Mongoose.