CULLMAN, Ala. – Reports of snake sightings are on the rise, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the snake population has increased from previous years. The Tribune spoke to naturalist and wildlife biologist Marianne Hudson, conservation outreach specialist with the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to find out why more snakes are being reported.
Hudson explained, “In the spring and summer months are when cold blooded animals like snakes are most active. You do have the potential to see snakes at any time, any month of the year in Alabama. However, they are more active in the spring and summer months.”
She gave several reasons for the increased activity right now.
- Body temperature dependent on air temperature so more active when warm
- Abundance of prey available (baby birds, eggs, young rats and mice)
- Searching for mates
- Searching for places to lay eggs
Hudson added, “Combine that with the fact that people are in quarantine and tend to be doing more outdoor activities, they are going to see more snakes. That doesn’t mean there are more snakes. It just so happens that we may encounter them more because we are outside enjoying activities in the same place they are.”
Social media can also give the illusion of more snake sightings.
“I do think we are more connected to other people than we ever have been before,” said Hudson. “We hear a lot more about snakes because we are interacting with more people because of social media.”
According to Hudson, the majority of snake bites occur when people are trying to move or kill a snake.
She said, Snakes don’t actively seek out to bite people. They bite out of fear when they are cornered. The best way to avoid conflict with snakes is to make sure you aren’t purposely trying to move towards them, you aren’t trying to kill them and you aren’t trying to catch them. You can just move away from them and keep in mind that, as long as you leave it alone, there are no dangerous snakes. So, no snake is dangerous so long as you leave it alone.”
Snakes are actually very beneficial to people.
Hudson said, “Snakes are excellent rodent control. They eat the mice and rats that cause a lot of problems for people. A lot of the pest species that we encounter are more likely to reproduce if there aren’t snakes there to control their numbers,”
Hudson also asks people to take simple steps to discourage snakes from being on their property by eliminating piles of brush or piles of junk or places snakes like to hide.
“Avoid coming into contact with them and try to eliminate the places where they hide,” she stressed.
For a list of venomous snakes or to help identify a species, visit www.outdooralabama.com/reptiles/snakes.
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