JPF Home Page Forums Southeast US Chapter Message Boards Nashville Chapter Message Board Snakes in Nashville area?

Hi Y'all,

I know this is kind of an unusual request but I'm secretly gathering information to see if I can talk my wife into moving down to the greater Nashville area within the next couple of years.

Since we live in Illinois, we almost never see any snakes, especially the venomous kind. I know there are four kinds of venomous snakes in Tennessee but I wonder how common they are in and around residential areas?

In other words, do any of you living there see them in your yard (front or back) on a regular basis or hardly at all? Not at all? I need to get an idea because we have two daughters 10 and 11 and two little dogs that we obviously cherish beyond words.

I understand something about how to keep from provoking a snake but I'm afraid my children and my dogs wouldn't know what to do and might be harmed should they come across one.

I can teach my children something about avoiding trouble but I'm not sure I can teach my dogs so I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who would know.

Thanks,

Buzz

[This message has been edited by Buzz Grudge (edited 11-03-2005).]

Sounds like your'e pretty neurotic there Buzz! LOL

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bc

From what I've read, all the snakes in the Nashville area are in the music business. May make 'em easier to spot.

Joe
www.soundclick.com/bands/7/joewrabek_music.htm

All kidding aside (Joe, you are too funny!),
there are snakes all over the states in that part of the country. However, they don't tend to come out when it is cold ! If you live in the woods, it is quite possible that you will eventually encounter some snakes...I spent a lot of time in Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia - the only time I saw any snakes at all was in the summer when we were hiking. Luckily, they are pretty scared of people...there's not much to be scared of.

I had a far worse time with the mosquitos

Emily

Check this link to learn a lot about Tennessee snakes

Emily

http://frogsandsnakes.homestead.com/snakes.html

It is true that there are four species of poisonous snakes in Tennessee. We have rattlesnakes, watermoccassins, plus two other species whose names I can't remember. However, they are at least as afraid of people as we are afraid of them. Therefore, you aren't likely to encounter them in urban areas. In fact, in the five years that I have lived in Nashville, I am only aware of one snake encounter. That was a rattlesnake that someone found near an apartment building in the Bellevue area of West Nashville. That snake quickly slithered away without attempting to bite anyone, but was run over by a truck while attempting to slither across US Hwy 70S. Now if you like to go hiking or camping, then you may have to be more vigilant. And if you are out on a river or a lake, and you see something that looks like a stick coming towards you, it might possibly be a watermoccassin. But these encounters are generally rare.


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Robert Brown,
tenor

Don't worry about the snakes, but watch out for the spiders... :-(


Good Luck,
Dave

[This message has been edited by player4 (edited 11-08-2005).]

I have lived here almost my entire life... When you are in the woods you will see them. rarely in town and never downtown..... Not really a problem, even when I've lived in
the country rarely have they come in the yard, they stay in the fields and gardens and the woods.. Not to worry.
Nashville COordinator

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Terri Lynn
http://www.mkoc.com/TerriLynn/

Terri's right. I've lived here 26 years, been hunting, hiking, camping, and fishing. My wife was a scoutmaster for the Girl Scouts and I was a scout leader for the Boy Scouts. We took our kids out camping often.

I've seen a few snakes,including two copperheads (another venomous variety here) and one watermocassin while fishing. While I'm sure it happens, I've never known or heard of anyone being snakebit.

Lots of other things here to worry about though, like...well, nevermind.

Mike

edit here: by the way, I've had five dogs here and four cats. One dog in particular did a lot of camping with us. Never had a problem.
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You have to practice improvisation. -Art Tatum

Mike Dunbar Music

[This message has been edited by Mike Dunbar (edited 11-12-2005).]

Thanks for all the replies. Sorry I've been a bit behind getting back to you.

Yes bcushing, I probably am being neurotic about it but for some reason, snakes scare me more than pretty much anything else. Nevermind all the ration and reason. It's just a phobia I've always had and never took the time to try to change.

Joe, that was a good one. The kind of snakes of which you speak don't worry me as much though. I might get "bit" by one of them now and then but probably a lot less likely than the ones that do concern me.

For the rest of you, I appreciate the comments. We'll see how things go and when/if I can make some serious progress towards moving. It'll probably be a while yet and I might not be able to talk her into it ultimately but one never knows...

[This message has been edited by Buzz Grudge (edited 12-12-2005).]

Ray and I have lived here in Milton, which is about 40 miles outside Nashville to the east, about a year. We have a 300 acre farm with cows and only once have we had a snake encounter, and that was with a rattler. Ray smahed it over the head with a rock, like any boy would do! LOL
Good luck in your quest and hope to meet you soon!
-Chik

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Tread carefully into the affairs of dragons.....for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!

Maybe you should try to bring her here a few times first to let her see what a wonderful place it is... WIth a little bit of everything... We have flat farmland, mountains, water, you name it...
What are her interests? Maybe there is something here for her as well as you.
TL

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Terri Lynn
http://www.mkoc.com/TerriLynn/

About those snakes. Yikes, they scare the #$%@^ out of me too. Raised in S. Idaho where rattlers are fairly easy to find if you go looking for them.

After a life outdoors, I have only encountered 3. One crossing the road, one I stepped on and immediately launched vertically to an amazing height and hit the ground running. It was in tall grass! Didn't bite me nor did I go back to investigate. My fishing buddies observing from a far said the whole incident looked rather comical and got a good laugh out of it until I told them - it was rattle snake. The laughing quickly diminished to carefully looking in the grass around for any other snakes. After fishing , it was a looong walk back to the car through the tall grass with our hearts in our throats.

The third, on a summer day (the door had been open) my friend's dog was bouncing around in living room playing with something on the floor. When I went over to see what it was - Oh my god! It was a baby rattler!!! I did not think but reacted and beat it to a pulp with the solid object I had in my hand.

jj

As other people have commented, the snakes probably want to avoid you just as much as you want to avoid them.