On Sat, 31 May 2008 16:42:12 EDT, "JB" wrote:

I spotted a good size water moccasin (4+ feet long) in my pond last night.
Well, it wasn't exactly in my pond but curled up under the liner on the edge
of the pond. My pond is not typical in that it's built into a slope. It's a
tear drop shaped 3,000 gallon pond with a filter/falls at one end. The "down
side" is built up a little more than 3 feet above ground with inter-locking
blocks and the other side is only about 6 inches above ground.

The mint in the filter/falls has really taken off and was diverting water
off to one side and out of the pond. I pulled out a bunch of mint and then
was topping off the pond when I noticed that liner had sunk in a little on
the down side. I removed the rock on top of the liner and pulled back the
liner and there was the moccasin, curled up underneath. I got a hoe and
poked at it. It came out of the liner, dropped out on the ground and came
towards me for about 10 feet with me hauling it the other way. It then
darted underneath some ivy that cascades down the block wall onto the
ground. I poked it again and it high tailed it the other way and disappeared
into a crevice behind the filter/falls where there's a small opening in the
block. No telling what kind of tunnel network exists underneath and between
the block and the liner. (I'm not sure I'm describing it so you can "see"
what I'm talking about.)

Anyway, I'm a little concerned about having a water moccasin in my pond. I
got to thinking that it's probably a perfect place for one to live. Lots of
food in the pond - small goldfish, etc. I'm not concerned about it getting
my Koi because they're 2 feet + and approach 10 pounds or so. I get into the
pond frequently to prune plants and clean out a pre-filter I have attached
to a 1600 gph pump with a foamer attachment. I've seen king snakes in the
pond before but these never bothered me in that they always run the other
way and don't go looking for trouble because they're not aggressive like a
water moccasin.

Any advice on what to do? We live on a lake and I'd like for it to go back
from where it came!

TIA

JB

It may not be a water moccasin (cottonmouth). In virtually every
local where the cottonmouth is found there is at least one (often
several) types of non-poisonous snakes that look almost identical.
However, unless you are absolutely sure, beyond *any* (not even
reasonable) doubt that what you see is in fact a non-poisonous snake
it is best to treat it as though it is a cottonmouth.

You have basically two choices: either you can call some animal
control type and dump the whole mess on them or you can deal with it
yourself. I don't care what some folks say, some claim that the
snake is just very territorial, I say it is aggressive. Very
aggressive. I've been chased by one, and they are quicker than you
might imagine too. You can't just ignore it and hope it goes away. If
you live on a lake calling someone is likely to get real expensive
real quick. If it were me, I'd study up and get real good at
identifying snakes, dispatch a cottonmouth when I had to, and learn to
live with the other snakes. However, it may come down to a choice
between your koi and the snakes (you might be surprised at what they
can eat, even small snakes), and you've indicated which way you lean.

I'm only a few miles from the Suwannee River, and here we get
alligators that wander into our ponds. The law protects them, you
can't hardly do anything to them except call someone with a state
license if you don't want them where they want to be. At least
alligators aren't nearly as aggressive, and, as I'm too cheap to call
anyone to (re)move them, much easier to live with.

Galen Hekhuis