Encountering a Snake - What Should You Do?

Last week, we had a large visitor of the reptile variety. A snake. He was about 4 feet long. A pretty intimidatingly sized snake to come across near your home. He first showed up right outside my window in the bushes where our resident squirrel can often be found. I imagine squirrel may have had some babies he was after...

The next day, I was walking around the yard with my cat on her harness. I heard some baby bunny screams and decided to investigate. We have a lot of rabbits on our property and occasionally I come across their nests. I saw mother rabbit nearby and as I walked along, I nearly stepped on the snake. He looked just like the one I had seen the day before outside my window.

I was about a foot away from him and he seemed much less alarmed than I did. I picked up my cat and brought her inside.

It may be more common for people to encounter snakes during dog walks. I just like to go outside with the cat every now and then. So what should you do if you stumble across a snake?

The best thing you can do is leave it alone and move along with your business. Snakes aren't there to cause problems for anyone. If you're out with your dog, a leash, good recall, and "leave it" command are helpful. Especially if your dog seems overly excited by and interested in the snake.

Our friend, the snake.

If you're able to identify the snake as venomous, you obviously should be very careful and keep your distance. If you find a venomous snake in your yard, contact animal control or someone who is able to safely remove the snake. Venomous snakes can be a deadly problem for children or pets playing outdoors.

Any pet that is bitten by a venomous snake needs to be taken to veterinary clinic for emergency treatment as soon as possible.

I think the snake decided to hand around here because it seems like a perfect place to live. Plenty of food to eat and places to hide. Not to mention the tall grass that desperately needs mowing. It's a snake paradise probably.

I always try to be aware and alert when I'm outside with the pets or kids. We avoid areas where the grass is tall and try to hang out in the more open areas. I've also never come across a dangerous snake here, thankfully. But, you can never be too careful!

For more helpful information about what to do if you encounter a snake, check out these useful links:

• What to Do About Snakes, The Humane Society of the United States
• Dealing With Snakes - Safely Handling Encounters, University of Florida Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
• Does Your Dog Need a Rattlesnake Vaccine?, Pawsitively Pets