Seeing a snake in the wild is no cause for alarm. If you see one, don’t panic. But if you see one in your home or business on St Armands Key in Sarasota, FL you need a professional to come remove it for you. Click here>> to Contact us right away.

Leave a snake in the wild alone and walk away. Do not kill a snake if you see one. Most people get bitten when they try to kill one or try to pick one up, so the best advice is to leave snakes alone. If you leave them alone, they’ll leave you alone.

Most snakes are reluctant to bite because they use their energy or their venom to acquire food, and they don’t see humans as a food source. The vast majority of snakes in Florida are non-venomous and harmless to humans. To read our special article on the venomous snakes of Central Florida click here>> VENOMOUS.

Although 50 species of snakes are found in state of Florida,  in CENTRAL FLORIDA only the 4 listed here are venomous and a danger to humans. The remaining 44 species (and its subspecies) are harmless and should be protected for the beneficial role they play in natural ecosytems, eating insects, rodents, rabbits, and other small prey.

The most important thing people can do is to educate themselves and others about these cold-blooded reptiles and learn to appreciate them as an important part of the ecosystem. Snakes are strictly carnivorous, preying on smaller animals, such as rodents, slugs and insects. They also serve as an important food source for other animals, like foxes, raccoons, eagles, hawks, owls. Instead of being widely feared and unjustly persecuted, snakes should be appreciated for the awesome creatures they are and treated with respect.

A source of snake education is a book ”Venomous Snakes and their Mimics” by Scott Shupe. It was a favorite of my grandson when he was little. He said, “It was neat, but kinda’ scary.”

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