Is it better to leave snakes where they are than to relocate them?

[GBWhite]

Interesting thought. Won't go down well with snake relocators if it can be proven...hahaha.

 

[Foozil]

Interesting. It may seem ignorant of me, but I would rather leave any snake on my property for a number of reasons. Maybe not a little suburban property, but a rural property for sure.

 

[Bl69aze]

As most people say, they are not after people not after people.
However i feel like just for peace of mind I’d want a venomous snake moved from my backyard because I don’t want to turn the corner, spook the snake, and be in ER the same day.

Perhaps if i knew they’d stay around the back of the yard and not come near the house where my dogs and that like to play, then no problems at all!

Pythons sure they can do what they want in and around my house (just don’t spread diseases :’) )

Ultimately I wish everything could live in my backyard and deter thieves with a lethal dose of venom from guard snakes, but alas that can’t be a reality

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

When you keep and breed Jack Russell Terriers, the snakes have to be moved on for their own safety. I have come home on several occasions over the years to find 7+ piece brown snakes.

 

[pinefamily]

There are new restrictions on reptile relocators that say any reptile must not be moved further than "x", and must be relocated in a similar environment. At least that's in SA.

 

[GBWhite]

As most people say, they are not after people not after people.
However i feel like just for peace of mind I’d want a venomous snake moved from my backyard because I don’t want to turn the corner, spook the snake, and be in ER the same day.

Perhaps if i knew they’d stay around the back of the yard and not come near the house where my dogs and that like to play, then no problems at all!

Pythons sure they can do what they want in and around my house (just don’t spread diseases :’) )

Ultimately I wish everything could live in my backyard and deter thieves with a lethal dose of venom from guard snakes, but alas that can’t be a reality

Even if you spooked the snake your chance of being bitten would be next to if not zero. You haven't got to worry about pythons spreading any disease, more a worry if there are any rodents around. People that don't know us think we have vens running loose around the house so we just let them think that...lol.

When you keep and breed Jack Russell Terriers, the snakes have to be moved on for their own safety. I have come home on several occasions over the years to find 7+ piece brown snakes.

Up until recently we had a couple of Jacks (male passed away last year, still got his sister) pretty fiery little buggers. We used to get Browns and Blue Tongues show up in our yard at Inverell regularly and get Red Bellies, Small Eyed's, Swampies, Green Trees, Blue Tongues, Water Dragons and Carpets show up here all the time. Our guys were trained to leave them alone. Unfortunately I've seen plenty of Jacks end up on the wrong side of snake bites as well. The father of our two used to take on snakes and ended up dead from a RRB.

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

Yeah mate, my jacks are pretty full on, they've been trained to not harm turtles thus far, which has worked really well for me, perhaps I could use my pythons to train them to leave snakes alone? Probably be better with some rubber snakes... I managed to safely remove all the blue tongues out of harm's way but snakes will come and go more frequently... but most of the time come and not go. The sire of my current dog was killed by a brown snake bite on a property about 30km from my place 4 years ago, he was chained up at the time and was unable to control the situation and lost. Jack's would probably be the closest thing to a mongoose when it comes to battling snakes, mine are the short-legged breed and provided they don't get bogged down in long grass.... I'm confident they'll be ok if and when any future confrontations arise.

 

[GBWhite]

I'm confident they'll be ok if and when any future confrontations arise.

Like a dollar for every time I've heard that. Let's hope they don't fall foul to one. Lot of farmers out western NSW use them for snakes and rodents instead of cats and told me the same thing when I used to travel around doing snake shows. Often showed up again at a show a year or more later and told me that they'd lost their Jack to a snake.

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

Like a dollar for every time I've heard that. Let's hope they don't fall foul to one. Lot of farmers out western NSW use them for snakes and rodents instead of cats and told me the same thing when I used to travel around doing snake shows. Often showed up again at a show a year or more later and told me that they'd lost their Jack to a snake.

Yeah it happens but touch wood, the Jack pack will stand tall. Before my wife came to Australia from Messina, South Africa, they had a Jack pack 30 strong and it would drive away lions that came too close. They are the boldest K9 breed ever bred in my opinion and I love them to bits. 7.5 kilos of heart.

 

[Yellowtail]

Sorry but this subject upsets me, I can't condone the keeping of any dogs that attack wildlife and it is inevitable that any dog that attacks Eastern Browns will eventually get bitten. My German Shepherds live harmoniously with Brush Turkeys that nest in my yard and other native birds, Blueys, Red bellies and Brown Snakes, I welcome the snakes because they keep down the rodents that are attracted to my aviaries. The Shepherds have been trained but generally the breed does not attack animals and are smart enough not to get bitten, they rarely bark but do so to get my attention when a snake comes near the house or aviaries. All reptiles are protected species and allowing dogs to attack them is no different than killing them yourself with a shovel.
And yes I relocate Browns from near the house to 50 metres away under my suspended aviaries where the rodents are.

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

I grew up with shepherds in the upper Macleay Valley, 3 of them. On occasion they would kill our hens but were soon disciplined not to do that anymore. They never went near any snake or reptile that I can remember. JRT's are a totally different animal, born and bred hunters and will bolt anything and everything, even a German shepherd, size doesn't mean a thing to a JRT.
What happens on the property when we're not home is out of our hands, we do our bit to keep anything from getting in but if they happen to get a hold of the odd snake... I certainly don't go out of my way to harm snakes, regularly drive out to mum's to move snakes on out of her greenhouses.

 

[Nero Egernia]

Why wouldn't you want snakes in your backyard? I try my utmost to attract them to my backyard!

I have numerous native birds around my residence and when a snake or large lizard happens to visit the birds let me know with their alarm calls. They even do it when I bring my pythons outside. I was particularly pleased when they noted me to the presence of a sizable Dugite the other day. Hope it sticks around. It'll be in no danger of people and their shovels so long as it stays at my place.

 

[SpottedPythons]

Me: *Sees snake on the driveway. Goes and gets shovel. Shoos the snake into the yard with it.*

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

Unfortunately in the world we live in not every person shares the same view of snakes in their yard. I know several property owners up here that are 4th and 5th generation Graziers who shoot black and brown snakes upon sighting them on a weekly basis. I've heard many stories, even as many as 5 in a week, these are old cocky's in their 60's miles from anywhere, and there's no changing their views on this subject believe me...
Why would someone deliberately run over turtles on the road, actually swerve to hit them.. who knows, I cant understand that but it actually does happen..
I choose to move the snakes for their own protection, so my dogs don't make chew toys out of them... thankfully it's not something I need to do often.

 

[Yellowtail]

Unfortunately that is a common attitude and one day I will end up in jail for dealing with one of these rednecks.
Why are the laws regarding harming protected species not enforced with the same zeal as they persecute us it we don't have our records in order? I've seen a car deliberately swerve to run over a bluey, sent rego to National Parkes but never heard anything.
Not being home is no excuse for your dogs chewing up a snake, it's like setting a mouse trap and saying it's not my fault it killed a mouse while I was out. Can't understand Shepherds killing hens, only problem I've had is young Shepherds do what is hard wired in them and try to round up birds etc.

Why wouldn't you want snakes in your backyard? I try my utmost to attract them to my backyard!

I have numerous native birds around my residence and when a snake or large lizard happens to visit the birds let me know with their alarm calls. They even do it when I bring my pythons outside. I was particularly pleased when they noted me to the presence of a sizable Dugite the other day. Hope it sticks around. It'll be in no danger of people and their shovels so long as it stays at my place.

Usually it's the birds that alert the dogs who then react, Birds alarmed by snakes used to be my no 1 way of locating wild snakes when it was not illegal to catch them.

 

[GBWhite]

Obviously ignorance is bliss to some and it certainly is a pity if it happens on such a regular basis up your way Kev but old (and young) grazier's views can be changed with the right approach and a bit of education. I can't count the number that would attend my live pit shows at shopping centres and local shows all over NSW and hang around at the end of each one or come up to me during down time to tell me that it was the best education they had ever had on snakes and then hang around and have a chat about the snakes on their property. I used to get heaps attend again the next year when I was back at a showground or shopping centre to tell me how having a chat had changed their attitudes toward snakes and that they had stopped killing them.

 

[Yellowtail]

Unfortunately a lot of people are trapped in the past but we hopefully live in more enlightened times. They used to shoot tigers once and much to my regret I participated in spearing harmless Blue Groper when there was fierce competition to have speared the largest of the poor helpless creatures, I used to kill sharks with powerheads too but no-one does now.

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

Unfortunately yellowtail, the law and enforcing the law are 2 very different things... she's a big wide world out there and someone on a remote property in the sticks shooting a snake to (in his eyes) protect his livelihood, is going to happen whether the law says it's legal or not and whether you or I think it's morally right or wrong.. As GB mentioned, education is the key to changing attitudes. We that know snakes, know they are not going to go out of their way to actively seek us out and randomly attack us, you'd be amazed how many people think that they do.

Similarily to your hit and run bluey incident, I once observed a fisho from a distance catch a turtle on his fishing line, disgusted by this "nuisance bycatch" he removed the hook with minimal care, removed a roll of electrical tape from his pack and proceeded to tape around the turtle's shell until it was entirely taped, inside its shell, resembling a blue frisbee... he then simply threw it back into the river to drown. I waited a few minutes and then entered the water and went searching for the turtle. Thankfully they can remain submerged for 2 hours. After I found it, I removed the tape and inspected for any further injuries and released it and reported the matter and nothing ever came of it... turns out the law isn't all that concerned if the animal abused isn't furry, fluffy and cute, like a koala.
I've been to campsites on rivers and found whole turtles that were thrown into fires alive and burnt to death by fisherman still with the books in their mouths, I've found them hanging from Banksia trees along streams left to die... the photos I have would boil your blood.

Anyway, Aside from leaving my dogs locked inside the house or muzzled during the day (both non options) there's not a whole lot more i can do to be honest. My dogs are working animals and are used regularly on feral pigs and foxes, they will without hesitation nail a snake (defending their patch and litter). Remember we're talking about once in 18 months - 2 years or so here, not a weekly or monthly occurrence that's for sure. Jack's recognise snakes very clearly as a threat and will dispatch them, undoing that hard wired instinct would take a phenomenal effort with no guaranteed success. The dogs are there to protect and watch the property. I have 2 daughters under the age of 10, I don't need them stumbling onto and coming face to face with a ven looking for water or an easy feed in the immediate house yard that's for sure.

Life goes on and we all do our best with our own individual circumstances... perhaps when I'm retired and the kids are outta my hair and I'm your age I'll retire to the quiet life and build a wildlife sanctuary and trade the Jack's for an indoor lap dog and welcome back all the things I currently have to keep at bay. sounds like a good retirement plan to me.

Unfortunately a lot of people are trapped in the past but we hopefully live in more enlightened times. They used to shoot tigers once and much to my regret I participated in spearing harmless Blue Groper when there was fierce competition to have speared the largest of the poor helpless creatures, I used to kill sharks with powerheads too but no-one does now.

I think the way the world is going now it's actually going backwards not forwards... my childhood was a lot like yours, my parents encouraged me to get out and explore nature, I had bug catchers, ant farms, lizards, snakes, frogs, turtles, spiders in enclosures everyhere. I was fascinated by insects and was a huge David Suzuki fan. I as a 6 year old wanted to be an entomologist.

Nowadays kids are plonked in front of the tv with their iPads, ipods and smart phones. My wife's friend's 2 year old son cries if a fly lands next to him... no... the world in my opinion is going down the toilet, people today are fast losing touch with the natural world... not appreciating it more. I think the people of this forum and other forums with other animals are a dying breed. The concrete jungle is the new normal and we're never going to be the way we used to be.. in the good old days.

 

[pinefamily]

With the farmers, it's not that black and white in regards to snakes. Speaking to farmers around us they are indeed quite happy to shovel or shoot a brown any near their homes. Out in the paddocks though they usually leave them alone because they keep the mice numbers down in the crops.

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

With the farmers, it's not that black and white in regards to snakes. Speaking to farmers around us they are indeed quite happy to shovel or shoot a brown any near their homes. Out in the paddocks though they usually leave them alone because they keep the mice numbers down in the crops.

The blokes I'm talking about will shoot them, both brown and black whilst on the tractor down in the paddocks even, when I asked why, the reply was "using a bullet is cheaper than losing a $10,000 steer to a snake bite, a good kelpie or a stock horse."