I called animal rescue to help a snake...

[Woodhaven]

Yesterday there was a black snake in my back yard hunting. I am pretty certain it was a black racer.  Anyway, a brown bird with speckles on it's breast (thrasher?) also hunts in my back yard. In the afternoon the bird harassed the snake continuously, and chased it out of the fenced in part of the yard to the back where I have vegetables and some new blue berry bushes growing.

 

The snake got under a netting I have over one of the blue berry bushes, and I thought it would leave once the bird let up.  Late this morning I went out to check on my plants and saw that the snake is badly tangled in the netting around the berry bush.  I tried to cut it out, but discovered the netting is pretty tight around it in some places and was afraid I'd hurt it more if I continued to work on it. 

 

So I've done something I've never done before.  I called our local animal rescue to help get the snake out.  I am pretty sure it is hurting and it's face is scratched up from fighting to get out. 

 

Now I'm waiting for someone to be available to help the snake free.  I wonder if they will keep and treat it.  While snakes are not my favorite creatures, I feel bad because it got caught in the netting I put up!

[cmarthur]

There are groups on Facebook for many areas that have individuals who will come and relocate a snake for you. Try searching "what kind of snake is this? Your state" on Facebook. They are supposed to be trained, but I don't have first hand knowledge of that. I hope he survives and makes his way out of your yard.

[Minerva]

I am glad you called. 

 

We had some netting for erosion control around our house that kept catching various reptiles and we finally had to remove it. I am very squeamish about reptiles, but my kids are not, so they have been our intrepid animal control. 

 

I hope your black snake gets out quickly and with minimal fuss. 

[Dmmetler]

Netting is bad for snakes. Thank you for trying to save this one! I agree with searching for local reptile groups. Usually they'll be able to respond faster-and will know who in the area does rehab for snakes. Reptiles, like birds, tend to be a specialty area.

 

 

[poppy]

For a minute I thought this story was going to be 'I called animal control because a bird was harassing a snake' which would be pretty funny. Now I wish that was the story vs the poor snake! Hope it works our.

[Woodhaven]

I feel awful that the snake got tangled up in the netting around my blueberry plant!!!  It was in a position up in the netting with it's upper half body perpendicular to the ground  and the other half on the ground.

 

A woman with the local animal rescue center came and together we cut it out from around the bush.  It had hundreds of loops of the netting around it's long body that were tight.

 

After we got it loose she carried it to the hood of my car and we worked at slowly cutting the rings of mesh off.   I brought out my needle work scissors because they are long and very thin and sharp and with those we finished cutting him loose. She was the one holding it's head. :laugh:

 

The snake is well, though probably hungry and bruised, and has some roughed up scales, but was not bleeding.  She said it would do better if we released it back into the yard and I let her release it waaaay at the back of our property in a wild looking area. :001_smile:  Now I feel as though I should go and cut all the netting off my other blueberry plants.  I'm not sure what to do to keep the birds from eating all the berries.

 

I hate to see any animal suffer!

 

[8circles]

I love that you helped that poor snake.  Good on you :)

 

IDK what to do about the netting... could you make sure it isn't close to the ground?  Maybe that's a dumb suggestion as I've never grown berries or using netting on plants.

 

Maybe dmmettler could offer a suggestion?

[hornblower]

Good for you! 

Our local wildlife rescue has had snakes several times. Once they had 500 of them! A hibernaculum got disturbed during construction & they ended taking the whole contents into care. 

https://www.facebook.com/WildlifeRescue/videos/10155336806070557/

[Dmmetler]

Something with smaller holes, like cheese cloth or tulle should keep birds off, but not get snakes, lizards, frogs etc stuck. You'll also need a frame of some form, since it's not rigid at all.  Cheese cloth is what's recommended if you use live plants in a bioactive enclosure and need to keep the snake from knocking the plant over until it gets firmly rooted.

 

What I don't know, though, is if bees could get through it to pollinate your plants. I'd probably avoid putting it on bushes that have a ton of blossoms and wait until they start setting berries first, just in case.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 1, 2016 by dmmetler

[MercyA]

Good job, OP!  :hurray: So glad to read the happy ending to the story.

[Martha in GA]

We had the same thing happen, except it was two rat snakes that got tangled up. Unfortunately, one was dead, but two of my children diligently worked at freeing the other snake  -- while I watched from inside, of course!  I was impressed that my kids weren't afraid of the snake (which did hiss at them when it got free because it was so scared).

[umsami]

I'm so glad you guys mentioned calling a local club or posting on Facebook.   Many many years ago (maybe 20), a snake got into my house through an atrium.  I was sitting on the toilet....and Mr. Snake slithered into the bathroom.  I freaked.  (It was a black racer, but still rather long.)  My cat started batting the snake (while I was on the toilet), making him madder.  I finally locked the snake in the bathroom, but it took me awhile to get the courage to go in there and capture him in a trash can for release.  Had I known I could call somebody, would have been much easier! :D

[Woodhaven]

I wonder if I could use Tulle fabric....  Would it let in enough light?  I am looking for something that will work but not be dangerous. Any ideas?