Warm weather brings out snakes

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — With the warmer weather, you may notice more snakes in your yard.

Some people spent their day at the Chattanooga Zoo and looked at the snakes.
David Hedrick, the herpetology keeper at the zoo, say these creatures are more active when the warm weather hits.

“Their body temperature and their metabolism depend upon warmer temperatures and in the winter time they are not active and they are hibernating or out of sight. We don’t see them,” Hedrick said.

If you see one in your yard, experts say leave it alone.

“Far and away the vast majority of snake bites take place when people attempt to move or kill or otherwise interfere with the snake and the safest thing to do by far is just to leave it alone,” Hedrick said.

If you are concerned about a snake in your yard, you can call professionals to remove it, like Charlie Hall, with Animal Control Emergency Services.

“I come out and I do an inspection and anything that we can find, we go ahead and remove it for them and then we also look around the area and tell them is there something there that is bringing the animals, the animals or snakes in this case, anything that is just a habitat or food source for them,” Hall said.

A spray can also be used.

“It is not a cure all or anything like that, but it does help and it keeps the scent from their prey from being around there. And so they are not as likely to be around if they can’t track that scent,” Hall said.

Back at the zoo, people are eyeing the snakes.

“We get a little tense in the summertime because we start seeing more snakes, but snakes are not a species that will have an infestation or a sudden population growth,” Hedrick said.

If you are interested in a wildlife removal service, the TWRA has a list of approved companies.