Handling Snakes
by Linda Trueb
The most entertaining and challenging inquiries we get
at the Division of Herpetology at the KU Natural History Museum are
from frustrated (and frequently terrified) homeowners whose basements
or property are overrun by snakes.
"How do we get rid of them?" they ask. "Will they kill
my children?"
The ratio of snake calls to those dealing with other
sorts of amphibians and reptiles is probably in the neighborhood of
five-to-one. Many people call to identify a snake they found in their
house or yard; occasionally, we receive calls from physicians seeking
verification of a snake's identity in the case of patients who have
been bitten. But THE most frequent inquiries go something like this:
"My basement is full of snakes. What can I do?" Or: "Snakes have congregated
under my front porch; how can I get rid of them?"
The first bit of information we need is a description
of the snake. The most likely uninvited guests are black rat snakes
and garter snakes, with the rat snakes preferring garages, outbuildings,
and basements, and the garter snakes frequently congregating under porches.
Black rat snakes are not insignificant animals. The
rough-scaled adults are between 40 and 70 inches long, and usually dark
brown or black above and cream or yellow-white below. Youngsters, by
contrast, are patterned and, therefore, quite distinct from the adults.
Rat snakes are constrictors that naturally feed on a variety of small
animals that occur on the ground and in trees. The snakes are active
from March until about November, when they congregate in dens. In less
populated wooded habitats, these dens frequently are found on rocky,
wooded hillsides.
Black
rat snakes cope a great deal better with people than people do with
them. As subdivisions spread through the snakes' habitat and eliminate
their denning sites, the snakes have shifted to basements as perfectly
suitable and comfortable substitutes.
The bad news is: (1) They can enter through any hole,
even very small gaps (e.g., around pipes), and are accomplished climbers
(so, once in, they can make their way up pipes and walls onto floor
joists to spend the winter months), and (2) they return to denning sites
year after year.
The good news is that homeowners with these snakes around
don't need to worry about infestations of rats and mice. The bottom
line: Look for any possible points of entrance into your basement and
seal them up; then, have an exterminator remove the snakes.
There
are three species of garter snakes in eastern Kansas. These rough-scaled
snakes are 15 to 30 inches long and are distinguished by bright orange
and/or yellow longitudinal stripes on the back and sides. They are harmless,
feed on a variety of small vertebrates and commonly are found basking
in suburban yards. During the winter months they retreat to communal,
underground dens. Not infrequently, these are associated with peoples'
houses (e.g., underneath porches). The snakes emerge on warm winter
days and in the spring, at which time homeowners take notice. The only
recourse of the homeowner is to wait until the snakes leave the retreat
in the spring and then seal it up.
I should note, parenthetically, that household cats
are great predators on young garter snakes! And,
no, horsehair ropes, mothballs and "Snake-A-Way" will not keep snakes
away from your house!
Linda Trueb
Curator, Division of Herpetology
Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Research Center
Dyche Hall
The University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas 66045-2454, USA
E-mail: Trueb@KUHUB.cc.ku.edu
