Where Are The Snakes?

[Whiskey Joe]

I fish the Bourbeuse a lot. I notice there are very few snakes on it.

I wonder why that is?

I see plenty of frogs, tadpoles, and minnows, but why no snakes compared to the Meramec, Lake of the Ozarks, or Dry Fork Creek?

[Kayser]

Might be because the pollution from the chicken farm incident was concentrated in them (like DDT in eagles) and killed em off. Or locals might not be as tolerant of them (or just better armed). Also, I hate to say it, but paddles are very effective when one is trying to climb into the canoe with you.

Rob

[Chief Grey Bear]

I can't answer that question but I have noticed a drastic drop in the population in snakes of all kinds, especially in Banded water snakes. As a young river rat in the 70's an on up into the 80's, snakes seemed to be everywhere. Every log jam in the creeks and rivers would have one if not two sunning. Even lakes like Stockton, Grand and Table Rock, had what seemed like 100's of them around.

It seems like now I can go half the summer before I see one. I don't believe it to be a change in the amount of the food source. I do believe that many houses have sprung up along creeks that has had negative effect. Not necessarily on the bank but close enough. And of course we have heard the old adage that the only good snake is a dead snake. And of course all snakes are poisonous. And they were attacking.

Another thing I miss is the great red wasp nest that were always a fixture on the bluffs of the above mentioned lakes. They were there by hundreds. I haven't seen one since the late 80's or early 90's.

[creek wader]

I'm sure I'll stir up some crap with this one. But, it's getting cold and I'm getting cabin fever. So here it goes. .. I see snakes all the time. I don't believe there is a shortage of them, at least where I go fishing. Which is usaully off the beaten path. They don't bother me and I don't bother them. I don't believe in killing a snake in his own enviroment. He has more right to be there than I do. I imagine, in more public areas, their numbers are down. Do to the snakeaphobics. As far as cottonmouths, I've never seen one, nor a copperhead or a rattlesnake. I know they're out there, I've just been lucky, I guess. I've noticed that someone had posted that he had seen a dozen or so cottonmouths one day, when he was fishing, earlier this year. I'd like to see a pic of one them, that he saw. Chances are, they are common water snakes. Every snake in the water, that a snakeaphobic sees, is a cottonmouth, to them. I have seen many species of snakes swimming or near the water. I guess one could be mistaken. I've been fishing all over the midwest for over 40 yrs., in some of the most remote areas (swamps, backwater, and old riverbeds) and have never seen a cottonmouth. Like I said earlier, I know they are there. But, I think they must keep their distance. I'm not calling him a liar but, this is the "Show Me" state.

[Al Agnew]

I agree, creek wader. On another message board, somebody wrote in that they were always seeing copperheads along one particular stretch of river. I have my doubts, since copperheads only come to water incidentally...they aren't attracted to water. You might encounter several around the time they go to hibernate, since rocky areas along bluffs are good hibernation spots for them (but high enough that they won't be in danger of winter floods). In almost 50 years spent on Ozark streams, I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of copperheads I've seen while on the rivers. As for cottonmouths, I've seen a few on the St. Francis, a few in a couple of sections of the Gasconade, and a couple on the Jacks Fork...that's it. They aren't common, though in a few small areas there may be a bunch of them. There was one place on Wappapello Lake where you could almost always see two or three cottonmouths. It was where a spring came up into a back channel of the lake, and they were always right around the spring water. The MDC herpetologist says that they do tend to congregate around certain spring branches in the Ozarks.

But most people misidentify snakes as venomous. Water snakes are always cottonmouths unless they are copperheads, according to some people. And any snake with some sort of brownish bands on their bodies is a copperhead.

I haven't noticed any particular scarcity of water snakes on the Ozark streams the last few years. And I have two that have lived in my front yard water garden the last couple of years.

[drew03cmc]

Crane Creek supposedly has one of the highest concentrations of Eastern Cottonmouths in the state, so that holds true in my book!

[jdmidwest]

I usually encounter a few poison snakes each summer while wading streams. This year I encountered 2 cottonmouths and 1 copperhead on a stretch of Bear Creek. The copperhead was near a bluff and swimming around it. I have always noticed that the poison ones tend to float higher on the water than the watersnakes. And when you get close enough, they have a cat's eye pupil.

The highest numbers of cottonmouths I have seen are on 11pt, Little Black, and the cove that Al spoke of on Wappappello. It is the valley where my Grandfather grew up before the lake was built.

[3wt]

I agree. I think I've come across 2 copperheads ever. Most people must never have seen one, because once you see one, you will KNOW what a copperhead is and isn't. They are unmistakable - they call the COPPERheads for a reason. One of the two I saw this year at Montauk crossing the road in front of me near the catch and release. They are really beautiful, in a stay the heck away from me kind of way.

Cottonmouths are pretty much the same way. I've seen a handful ever. I generally just know that a bigger snake in the water is not worth getting close to, so I assume cottonmouth and stay away.

As for non-poisenous vairieties I see, banded water snakes lead the pack by far. Probably followed by various small garter, then black rat (cool snakes), prarie king...I've come across one or two hog-nose in my day. Oh, once when I was younger me and my brother found a little worm snake. I don't even know what they're really called. Fascinating animals.

[Gavin]

I see a lot of banded water snakes on the BB, but I've never seen a copperhead or cottonmouth on that stream. Doesnt mean that they arent there, cuz I've seen a few copperheads and cottonmouths on other streams in the Meramec drainage but I think that venomous snakes are more common on streams in the Southern part of the state. Cheers.

[Gary Lange]

I was doing some boat testing with some guys at Aunts Creek this Summer and pulled my boat up onto the bank. I was going to put a length of rope under a rock on shore and lifted it so I could do that. Low and behold under it was a Small Copperhead. I just put the rock back down and left him alone. I give Snakes plenty of space.