Rattlesnakes Are Coming Out of Hibernation Early

As you probably know, we have plenty of snakes in West Texas. Because of a warm winter and with spring approaching, a lot of snakes, rattlesnakes in particular, are coming out of hibernation early this year.

Annaliese Scoggin, a Wildlife Biologist with Texas Parks & Wildlife, explains that the rattlesnakes will come out during warmer days. There will still be cold nights in the upcoming weeks where the rattlesnakes will slither back to where they hibernate for the winter.

Scoggin had some good advice about how snakes behave during the winter. 'Sometimes when they’re cool, they’re less active and less likely to rattle,' she told KTXS. 'So if they’re caught out on a cold day, you need to be more vigilant compared to a hot day when they will rattle'.  The rattle is a warning to stay away.

The wildlife biologist also explained ways to keep rattlesnakes out of your environment. Scoggin says...“To prevent them from being around your home, remove things that attract rodents that then attract snakes, like brush piles, trash, abandoned cars”.

But if you do find yourself in a situation where a rattlesnake is present, call a snake removal expert. Call Animal Control or a Department of Wildlife organization which is equipped to deal with the snake. They can capture it and then relocate the snake to an appropriate habitat.