CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — In Refugio County, Animal Control Officers have been coming across more snakes. Now that it’s getting cooler, these cold-blooded reptiles are slithering closer to neighborhoods.
"(In) September, we had nine calls for snakes inside people’s houses and normally we get one or two calls a month,” animal control officer, Andrew Snyder said.
Snyder has caught a lot of snakes over the last six months. He believes the drought and recently cold weather is what's drawing them out.
"Snakes are cold blooded which means they can’t regulate their body temperature. When it's warmer out that's when you'll see them moving,” Snyder said.
In fact, Animal Control recently found a water moccasin snake outside the county courthouse just a few weeks ago.
A water moccasin is 1 of 4 venomous snakes found in the area but one of the most common snakes that Snyder catches is the Texas rat snake.
Venomous or not, Animal Control does their part to catch them of course, so no one gets hurt.
"I have to find the snake, then I have a set of thongs that I use to pick up the snake and place it inside a bucket with a locking lid and I can transport it out of the area,” Snyder said.
If you have a snake in your home, Refugio Animal Control Officers said to call county dispatch at (361)526-1696 and let them know exactly where it is so they can catch it and release it in the county away from your neighborhood.
