cottonmouth

[johno]

I was so pleased with the garden pond in the center of my garden. Sometimes I would stand in the garden at dusk and wait... then all of the sudden there was an army of toads singing from every sheltered hiding spot, making their way towards the water. (The toadsong experience is cool - it rattles your inner ear bones, but in a pleasant way.) Also there was a big bullfrog and a few females, with pond scum-green throats, whatever they are called... and my goldfish who ate all the mosquito larvae. Fantastic ecosystem going on, it was.

Then I noticed them all disappearing. One afternoon I heard the bullfrog shrieking a distress call, and I found him at the rim of the pond with the jaws of a snake grasping him across his chest. I moved in and swatted at it, and the snake let go and retreated under the satellite dish that is the pond.

Hmm. All I could see of the snake was it's bottom jaw, so I didn't know what kind it was. I had 'removed' a few small copperheads early in the spring, but hadn't seen any of those since. I hoped, in a way, that it was a king snake - I had a pair of them in the garden last year, and they eat copperheads so I didn't mind. But they didn't seem to make a dent in the toads, frogs, and goldfish last year. Wished I got a better look.

The bullfrog who had escaped, a regular fixture of the pond, was never seen again. That meant there was a good chance it was a venomous snake that bit him. That meant it wasn't likely a king snake, which was a relief because I wouldn't want to remove one of those. There's a dilemma also that whatever snake it was, it was a natural part of the little ecosystem...

I was out inspecting the garden again, and I saw the snake's head in the water. I went in and tried to flip him out of the pond with my cane, but he was too fast. So I started running cold well-water into the pond to try to slow it down, which didn't work... I went round and round following where the snake head popped up through the lily pads, trying to get at least a good enough look for identification. Finally I settled for letting it get away so I could see the body: Dark color, large head, short fat body - definitely not a king snake. As best as I can figure, it looks like a cottonmouth. So now I'm a little wary poking around the thick vegetation.

Question is, how do I outsmart the little sucker and get rid of it?!

[flowerpower]

King snakes would rather feed on other snakes than anything else. I bet the cottonmouth can hold his breath fairly well. He is more comfortable in the water than on land. But wouldn't you think if there is one, there are more? With your back, you should not be playing with the poisonous snakes. lol

Here's a good link with all the pics and the areas of Arkansas where they are found.

www.snakesofarkansas.com/

[plantsnobin]

Yikes-I am not exactly afraid of snakes, but a cottonmouth in my pond, that would be scary. We have copperheads around here, and rattlesnakes in an adjoining county. We treated a few copperhead bites while I worked at the hospital, and they aren't as bad as people think they are going to be. Usually no treatment is required, just observation. I have had my pond for a few years now, and have never seen a snake in it. Come to think of it, I haven't even seen a snake in the yard all year. I am usually all for letting snakes live, but I think a cottonmouth would have to go.

[flowerpower]

There are both copperhead and now rattlesnake here in NY. You don't usually come across them. There is a big black water snake here, but its not poisonous. They do get maybe 3 ft long. I am more worried about finding a snapping turtle in the pond. I have seen a few good sized ones around here. I have no problem with snakes. I have a few that live in my shed. Rather them than the bees. lol

[johno]

snakesofarkansas was a great link - very useful - thank you flowerpower. I knew it has been said that watersnakes are often misidentified as something else, so I was a little unsure about that. It looked somewhat like the watersnake, but the body shape was exactly like one of the pics of a cottonmouth. What was atypical for either of them was that it never tried to strike at me? I'm surprised it wasn't more aggressive.

Whatever it is, it looks enough like a cottonmouth to put the fear in me. All my senses are really alive when I'm in the garden now. I always revert to the little boy with a frog in one back pocket and a slingshot in the other when I see a snake... but cottonmouths have my respect. They have always been a fixture and known hazard here in the hills, because we have so much water. One of our dogs was killed by a snake in '05, and we think it was a cottonmouth or water mocassin, because copperhead bites don't kill them, and we could smell a snake in the area (near the creek in the backyard.)

We had a snapping turtle in the garden last year, but I just moved him to the creek. We used to get paid to remove the big ones from farmers' ponds when I was a kid, 'cuz they ate all the fish. We made soup out of them. I think they're protected now - haven't killed one since way back when.

[flowerpower]

My friend has a pet snapper. We just drop things in the tank and suction out water. No one touches him. He's only 8 in in the shell, but he could do damage to your finger. So he is in a 75 gallon tank, plenty of room for him.

[johno]

I met up with the snake again. The first thing I did was find the hoe... then I remembered I had the camera in my pocket. I got a few good headshots before commencing to pester it some more. It got away again.

Just now I was comparing my pics with the ones on snakesofarkansas.com, and after close inspection I'd say it is a plainbelly watersnake (nonvenomous.) I still wouldn't bet much on it, but it really isn't as aggressive as I'm accustomed to for a cottonmouth, and there are subtle differences in the head that make it look more like the watersnake. I think I'm relieved...

But I still need to relocate it away from my frogs and goldfish. Anybody got an idea how to catch a fast watersnake?

[flowerpower]

Its good he's not poisonous. You can try to get him on the shore and pin him down at the neck. Get a pillow case or something similar and put him in tail first. After he is pinned, I would grab it right behind the neck to put him in the bag. But I worked in a pet store for a long time dealing with reptiles. Alot of people are uncomfortable handling snakes. Even when the snake is not poisonous, it still hurts like a bitch if you get bitten. lol In a water snake, the chance for salmonella is bigger because of their diet. So be careful.

[johno]

I'm comfortable handling snakes. We didn't have the Crocodile Hunter (RIP) whem I was a kid to show us how to catch snakes gently by the tail. We used the quickness of youth to grab them just behind the head. A little too slow and you grabbed it a few inches behind the head, and that was bad.

I'm definitely too slow to catch this snake with my hands... in fact, I haven't been able to pin it with a cane nor a hoe. The "shore" where he gets out of the water is about 12" wide - a little raised bed surrounding the satellite dish pond. He darts into a hole under the rim and is gone in a flash. I thought about hanging a noose out from the end of a pipe and creeping up on it when it's head is out of the water, but it is wary...

[flowerpower]

Maybe you could see if anyone has a fishing net with a handle.

[hoosierheightsfarm]

You might be able to use a fish trap to get it in. Depending on how thick it is a minnow trap might work. Half in the water half out with some easy pickings inside would probably catch it.

[johno]

I haven't seen the little rascal lately, and the remaining goldfish have taken to showing themselves again. I think it's possible he/she moved on to more fertile ground. Of course, I can't catch it with a net when I don't see it, but the minnow trap is a great idea. It's a little large for the opening as I recall, but I bet it would squeeze in if there was a fat juicy frog waiting inside.

Thanks for the ideas.

[canadamike]

Snakes are used to search for a way out. They are not as dumb as fishes ( or Jessica Simpson for that matter, our chicken of the sea queen !!) Mind you, if the opening is small enough to get in but too small for a filled up snake, you've got your solution....maybe!!

[johno]

I guess repeated pesterings did the trick. Haven't seen it in for weeks.

[hoosierheightsfarm]

I used to run a nuisance wildlife removal business. I've caught snakes that way, or using glue traps. Glue traps are great for a variety of critters, and to get them off just use some cooking oil.