What snake is this? Thanks

[Doug 351]

I got to thinking-maybe I should clarify my position just a bit. Toads are one of my favorite animals. Not too many years ago, it was commonplace to see a smashed toad on every corner. Now you don't see any. I guess they just Googled up how to miss cars.

Scientists have not been able to explain the cause of the dramatic decline in the frog and toad population. Regardless, I still look at whether a creature is beneficial to man or not. I've been down this road before so let's just cut out the bull right now.

The only way we can let nature take it's course is pack up and leave. Everyone here has and does have a major impact on the natural world and hands on killing is maybe 2 or 3% of the equation. Habitat destruction is #1.So that means if you really care so much about nature, tear your house down and leave. We can't leave it up to nature now without a time machine.
It's just not that simple. Man has already upset the "balance" of nature and just stepping away won't bring it back.

So now that we killed the cougars and wolves we must kill the deer or starvation and disease will. FACT-PERIOD.

So I have a couple of ponds and I have been trying to singlehandedly bring the toad population back and it's working (hence the constant influx of the evil toad killers).I'll go one further-how about all you Yellow Bellied Water Snake owners rise up in protest!

[Doug 351]

Originally Posted by KORBIN5895

How is it not in its natural habitat?

My backyard is whatever ecosystem I decide it should be. It is not a natural habitat. I import many lizards (local native) I control the rodent and insect population. I grow food plants.I control weed species. I have an above normal toad population. I have a small opposum population. I feed birds.I have ponds that I manage. I have a healthy population of beneficial snakes that I (and my ambassador Oscar:Texas Rat snake) have worked many years with the neighborhood to build. It doesn't even closely resemble nearby natural habitat. Does your backyard?

I have relocated many problem snakes. Several of this species. To be honest I don't even like to relocate them because they will just kill frogs somewhere else. If the frog/toad population wasn't down to less than 5% of what it was I wouldn't have a problem. Nobody can really say exactly what it was that caused this-but it was manmade. To say that man should now not interfere just doesn't wash with me.

This is like saying your house is a natural habitat and why would you mess with the natural order and kill rodents, roaches, mosquitoes, or other nuisance pests and not just let nature take it's course.

I don't really know for sure what the government is doing to clean up the environmental catastrophe that is Florida and large snakes. But I can tell you the only chance we have. There has to be a bounty on them dead or alive. Not enough people are equipped to capture these snakes alive and the situation requires drastic measures. Those people who don't want to see them destroyed will step up their game as well.

Again these snakes are "harmless snakes" but the ecological devastation is far from harmless.BTW- is a rock python a "harmless" snake?

[smy_749]

Doug, which planet are you from ? lol

[Mikoh4792]

Doug I think you are warping the argument to suit your needs. It is the snakes' natural habitat. You are the one living in it's natural home and turning it "unnatural" by creating your own ecosystem around your house. If you introduce a population of small animals around your home you can't blame the predators that come looking for food.

[smy_749]

We are changing the environment. We know that and nobody would argue otherwise. It does NOT give you free license to do as you please. Nature will still do its job, and species which can keep up with the changes will thrive, and species which do not adapt to these changes will not. If you don't like that the snakes are doing great and the toads are not, too bad.

[Pareeeee]

Did anyone actually inform OP of what the snake is? I scrolled through and nothing seems related to the OP's question.

As for OP killing the snake, I hate to see it happen, but he can't help it if he didn't know what species it was and he thought his kids were in danger. Hopefully, with a little info from others who are knowledgeable of snakes native to his state, he will be able to tell the difference between the dangerous and harmless snakes in the future.

[poison123]

Originally Posted by Pareeeee

Did anyone actually inform OP of what the snake is? I scrolled through and nothing seems related to the OP's question.

Wayne did in the first reply.

[KORBIN5895]

Originally Posted by Doug 351

My backyard is whatever ecosystem I decide it should be.

Sweet! Why don't you turn your backyard into Antarctica! Penguins are pretty dope.

Originally Posted by Doug 351

I have relocated many problem snakes. Several of this species. To be honest I don't even like to relocate them because they will just kill frogs somewhere else. If the frog/toad population wasn't down to less than 5% of what it was I wouldn't have a problem..

So what do you plan on doing when the snakes you are killing have a population of less than 5%? Are you going to setup your backyard to single handily bring them back too? But what will happen to all of your toads?

Originally Posted by Doug 351

I don't really know for sure what the government is doing to clean up the environmental catastrophe that is Florida and large snakes. BTW- is a rock python a "harmless" snake?

You really need to stop talking about things that you so obviously know nothing about.

The more of your posts I read the more I realize that you must live in a totally blissful existence.

[Hannibalcanibal]

Originally Posted by KORBIN5895

Sweet! Why don't you turn your backyard into Antarctica! Penguins are pretty dope.

LOL yeah, why not throw some polar bears in there too? I mean, they are from opposite sides of the earth, but with your backyard being whatever you want...

[Mikoh4792]

Not to kick a dead horse here but I was going to suggest sea monkeys

[Doug 351]

Hahahahaaaaaa-no.I only import local species that in many cases I already have some of and the rest are in the area. I should say relocate. We have enough trouble with introduced species already. I can see responses based on emotions here. My reaction to these snakes is partly based on emotions as well. One thing to keep in mind is that I have been in the same place for about 30 years. I have seen a lot of changes in my neighborhood.

I don't go out and hunt these snakes down. I try to relocate them when I can and like I said I don't really even like that. I don't like killing them either. I don't have the perfect solution. If you do please post.

I didn't realize I was the only one manipulating my environment. I guess everyone else here has a house on stilts in a totally natural environment. Unless you do-you are creating your own ecosystem. I have a St. Augustine front lawn. I guess everyone else has natural flora.The point is that probably everyone here creates their own ecosystem on their property whether they realize it or not.

Do you let just any nusiance species breed unchecked and let nature take care of it? The truth is that the decline in frog populations is probably tied into mans manipulation of the insect population with chemicals for food production. Again, I think the point has been missed that this is a manmade problem and just saying let survival of the fittest solve it is asinine and obviously totally out of touch with the problem.

As far as decimating the yellow bellied water snake population, I've relocated 4 and killed 2 in the last 10 years. No telling how many have been around (and may still be) that I just never see.

Talk about posting about something you know nothing about-I see a whole lot of judgment without any knowledge of the problem at hand just because a snake is killed. To believe that there are no problem snakes is about as valid as believing that the only good snake is a dead snake.

[Pareeeee]

Originally Posted by poison123

Wayne did in the first reply.

oh. Thanks, duh. lol

[StudentoReptile]

Doug, you're not the only one manipulating the ecosystem, and no one said so either. The main point we're are trying to get across is that ALL of the species you encounter were there first, not just your beloved toads. Water snakes are NOT an invasive; they are just as native there as anything else, and it behooves you to simply accept them as a reality.

If you relocate them, sure fine, do whatever helps you sleep at night. I'll relocate venomous that I see in my yard just for safety reasons for own children. But it is naive and very ignorant of you to think you can control the entire populations of toads in that little hunk of land you call your property. I'm with everyone else; you have shown any evidence that you have an accurate understanding of what is taking place here. But whatever, I can't argue with a rock. Believe whatever you want, but at least start RESEARCHING the local wildlife before killing stuff out of ignorance. YES, you did kill that snake out of ignorance.

[Doug 351]

That is the point-I have researched both animals in question. I don't have an official verification but I believe that some of the toads I have are Houston Entire Toads (bufo houstonensis) that are endangered. It really doesn't matter to me though because that is just a Government classification. I have seen this before. Years before the Government placed the Texas horned toad on the threatened/endangered species list I saw the decline. The toad population drop is more drastic. They are in trouble. My personal local population is about 24 toads.Given a good year, out of the hundreds of babies 2 will survive. Currently there are 8 species of toads and frogs on the threatened or endangered species list.

The yellow bellied watersnake has a thriving population across many southern states. I have to hold to my position that the toads need preferential treatment.

BTW- in case you got this twisted-I bought some lizards in all I did for the toads was build ponds and quit raising bullfrogs.I like toads but if there were a sustainable population I wouldn't interfere with nature. Saying that we shouldn't worry about their destruction shows a huge lack of understanding of their role in the environment on your part.

[Doug 351]

Originally Posted by smy_749

Doug, which planet are you from ? lol

The produce alone was worth the trip.