Bibb County Snake Removal & Relocation

08/20/2025

Stay aware out there, y'all! 🐍

07/13/2025

We’re back again with another and this week, we’ll be discussing the dramatic display of the hognose snake 🐍

When hognose snakes feel threatened, they exhibit a unique and theatrical sequence of defensive displays. Typically, the initial response to a potential predator involves intimidation behaviors such as neck flattening, mimicking a cobra hood, accompanied by loud hissing and false striking. If this attempt at intimidation fails, they may try out a different approach at deterring the predator - playing dead. Also known as thanatosis, playing dead is a method that some animals use to appear unappetizing to a potential predator. Hognose snakes are known to flip onto their back, open their mouth, and let their tongue hang out. In some instances, the hognose also regurgitates recent prey, emitting a foul odor that imitates the smell of a decaying animal to further discourage predation.

This remarkable and complex display is a great example of instinctive behavioral adaptations that have evolved in response to predation pressure! Have you been lucky enough to see the hognose display in action?

📷 Photo by iNaturalist, jeremy

06/02/2025

This goofy little guy wanted to party with us this weekend at Aquapalooza on Lake Sinclair! 🐍🎶 He was hanging out in one of the swimming areas, so I scooped him up and moved him away from the crowd. In the meantime, I got the opportunity to educate both kids and adults about how brown watersnakes like this guy differ from cottonmouths. He was super chill and calm, only musking a little bit. 🦨😆

05/04/2025

Had a campground relocation this weekend! This black racer (Coluber constrictor) was hanging out in our camping neighbor's yard, but they really weren't so keen on him being there. He is preparing to shed at the moment, being deep in the blue and virtually blind. So he was definitely pretty scared. I moved him gently over to the near by woods where he can shed in peace. 🐍🥰

04/14/2025

Need Help with a Snake? 🐍

I'm part of a national network of volunteers who offer FREE snake removal and relocation. It’s called the Free Snake Relocation Directory, and it’s designed to protect people and snakes.

This is a free, volunteer-driven effort that works hand-in-hand with nature lovers, educators, and responsible handlers. Please consider sharing this website with your family, friends, HOA groups, neighborhood pages, etc. It could save a life—human or snake.

Visit: www.FreeSnakeRelocation.com
From there, you can search for volunteers near you and even learn more about our area's native snakes.

Let’s keep our communities safe and our snakes alive! 🐍💕

03/30/2025

We’re kicking off the weekend the right way—with another post! 🐍🥳❤️

Have you heard that juvenile venomous snakes have more potent venom or can’t control how much they inject, making their bites more dangerous than adult venomous snakes? This is a common belief that many of us grew up hearing and may continue to live by—but let’s break it down!

While young snakes have less-developed venom glands and may be less precise at controlling their venom output (a process called venom metering), this doesn’t mean their outflow of venom is excessive. In fact, adult snakes have fully developed venom glands, allowing them to store and deliver larger amounts of venom more efficiently than juveniles. But here’s the kicker—25–50% of adult rattlesnake bites are "dry bites" where no venom is injected at all! Since venom takes about three weeks to replenish, an adult rattlesnake *could* deliver a more dangerous bite, but it can decide to conserve its venom, so it doesn’t go weeks without a much-needed meal!

As for potency, juvenile and adult venomous snakes often have different venom compositions suited to their prey. For example, young rattlesnakes have venom specialized for immobilizing frogs and lizards, while adults venom targets mammals like rodents. But this doesn’t mean juveniles are more potent to humans—just different! Instead of comparing juvenile to adult snakes on venom potency, comparing species would show a greater distinction!

Thanks to years of scientific studies, we’re able to separate fact from fiction and explore the complex layers of life. Hopefully these discoveries help ease some of the fear surrounding venomous snakes! 🐍✨

📸: A juvenile cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus) by iNaturalist, Vicki Miller

03/17/2025

Welcome back to another !
Have you ever heard of the legendary hoop snake? It’s a mythical serpent said to bite its tail, forming a perfect circle to swiftly roll downhill and strike its prey with a venomous stinger at the tip of its tail.
Despite these fascinating tales, it’s safe to say the hoop snake is nothing more than an exaggerated version of a real snake: the mud snake (Farancia abacura)! Unlike the mythical hoop snake, the mud snake is completely nonvenomous, and the most it can do to a human is give a harmless poke with its tail. Native to the southeastern United States, this snake boasts a glossy black back and a bright red or pink underside.
While mud snakes don’t actually roll like a wheel, they have been known to rest in a circular coil and use the hardened tip of their tail as a tool while eating their slippery, aquatic prey—behaviors that may have contributed to the hoop snake legend. Rather than chasing prey down hills, mud snakes are mostly aquatic, spending their time in the water, hiding among vegetation on muddy banks, or traveling across land in search of another body of water. And truth be told, they’d much rather eat a giant salamander than wrangle Pecos Bill.
Not convincing enough? Some say the hoop snake may have even derived from the Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum) or the Sidewinder (Crotalus cerastes) – but we’ll leave that up for you to decide.
Nevertheless, understanding the true behaviors of snakes is an important part of respecting them. Learning the facts can help dispel the fear surrounding these creatures while still allowing us to appreciate the excitement of old legends. Mud snakes are rarely seen, making any sighting a special experience. So instead of running in fear, take a moment to admire this Darth Maul lookalike and appreciate its unique role in our local aquatic ecosystems!

📸: stunning photo of a Mud Snake by Jeremy Chamberlain, iNaturalist

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03/02/2025

02/23/2025

02/02/2025