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Increase of snake sightings Rowlett area, experts say don't worry
By Kim Nguyen, Staff writer
With the abundance of moisture and wild weather North Texas has experienced this spring, area snakes are thriving and highly active.
But it’s nothing out of the ordinary, according to Jeff Ochsner, Rowlett Animal Control supervisor.
“Breeding season is upon us,” he said. “And with the city’s numerous lakeside properties, snake sightings are fairly common.”
“The chances of actually seeing a snake active during the daytime is very slim,” he said. “Just because there’s a report of snake, there’s no need for an increased fear of snakes. People have an adverse fear of all snakes and it’s unfounded.”
Ochsner agreed.
“Snakes are actually here to serve a useful purpose,” he said. “They help control the rodent population and the smaller, recently born or hatched snakes eat bugs like crickets. Snakes are not the menace they are portrayed as being.”
Snakes typically keep to themselves and will not bite unless provoked, but that doesn’t keep spooked people from reporting snake sightings.
“Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of all snake calls we receive turn out to be the Texas Rat Snake,” Sanderson said. “Those snakes will get into anywhere rats may be. It’s intimidating looking because of its size, but really, the snake is harmless.”
Sanderson also said the broad-banded water snake is common to the area’s marshy regions and due to its similar appearance, is often mistakenly identified as a water moccasin. But in reality, there is no reason to fear the snake.
Ochsner said the snakes typically seen around “Snake Ray Hubbard” are harmless water snakes.
“There are really four poisonous snakes indigenous to Texas,” he said. “But the more dangerous ones generally stay in areas east of us.”
Rowlett Animal Control has had some chance encounters with copperheads and rattlesnakes, but they are so rare that it “may not even be worth mentioning,” Ochsner said.
“In the 18 years I’ve been with [Rowlett Animal Control], I have had only three calls to pick up a rattlesnake,” he said.
Especially since the city is within close proximity to Lake Ray Hubbard, Rowlett Animal Control receives an “abundant amount” of snake calls during the spring and summer, when breeding season is at its highest. When an officer is dispatched to an area to pick up a snake, it is procedure to relocate it to a different area near the lake, Ochsner said.
As the weather warms up, more people will be working, playing outdoors or spending more time at the lake, which increases the likelihood of coming across the reptiles. However, there are preventative measures available that can lesson the risk of an encounter.
Eliminating any potential nesting spots for rats is the best thing to do if a Rowlett resident wants to reduce the chance of snake encounters at home.
Keeping a safe distance from a snake is another thing a person should so if they happen to come across a snake.
“Snakes will not bite unless provoked, so if you see one, leave it be,” Sanderson said. “Most snakebites occur around the home, when people are gardening, do not see the snake and accidentally step on it or by the woodpile in more rural areas.”
If Rowlett residents see a snake in their backyard, both Sanderson and Ochsner recommend not provoking the snake and leaving it alone to depart by itself.
However, if bitten by a venomous snake, it is important to seek immediate medical attention. Not all bites are life threatening, but the venom can cause extreme pain and other problems if not properly treated.
Should Rowlett residents feel threatened by the snake, Ochsner recommends calling Rowlett Animal Services at 972-412-6219.
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