What eats SNAKES

[pennwalk]

I was reading Eddie Walkers great thread about his lake. When he got to the part about having the kids from his church over for a camp out. He said he wouldn't want kids to go out at night because of the snakes. That don't seem like the best. So what are the snake predators and how do you get them to move in.

Now I know somebody is going to suggest a rattlesnake round up and barbecue. "Them rattlesnakes taste just like chicken if you cook 'em right".

Chris

 

[Wombat125]

The only things I can think of would be mongooses (mongeese?) and some raptors. Not sure how to send the invite.

 

[dooleysm]

As much as I despise snakes, I'd rather have them around than all the mice they eat.

I was taking my son and his cousin (2 and 3 years old) out in the woods by our house to cut some sticks for roasting hot dogs last weekend. Just as we were stepping into the woods I spotted the biggest snake I've ever seen. YIKES! The boys were too young to be really scared. I am not really scared of them, but I give them a wide berth. I think the copperhead is the only poisonous one around here, and I don't think this was one, but I'm not nearly certain enough to stick around to find out. We decided to move to a different part of the woods for our stick hunting.

 

[heehaw]

two critters eat snakes and are immune to the poisonous ones: pigs and oppossums. i learned this about the "posum" on the discovery channel: have a new appreciation for the ugly little critter ever since and avoid hitting one if any way possible..
heehaw

 

[sunspot]

I know that owls eat snakes.

 

[pennwalk]

I looked up mongoose on wiki . They say mongooses go after snakes but it is not their favorite chow. Also they say they are illegal to bring into the country. Supposedly they would mess up the ecology. There are some cool videos of mongooses on youtube. Also meerkats are are a kind of mongoose.

Chris

 

[pennwalk]

two critters eat snakes and are immune to the poisonous ones: pigs and oppossums

Oh Man Eddie's wife has been shooting the pigs. Looks like the possums and going to have to start working overtime.

Chris

 

[scgargoyle]

Our dog went on a tear a few years ago and killed 4 snakes in 2 weeks. I actually saw her get one- she grabbed it and shook it, then let it fly. It was dead when it hit the ground.

I've heard that if you let pigs free range, you will have no more snakes.

 

[3RRL]

Some snakes eat other snakes too.

 

[CDsdad]

Hoot owls, hawks, possums, hogs, some dogs, some cats(ours), king snakes, some black snakes, and a few people I know eat snakes. The king snake is black with little white spots on him around here. I don't differentiate on the the black snakes, I kill them all, and king snakes if they are too close to the house. My kids are too little to let any near.

A good momma cat will give snakes fits. Ours manages to kill a couple a year. And a snake can't touch her, but she'll tear his head up and eventually kill him.