Texas Indigo

I live in southern AZ about 4.5 miles from the Mexico border. I have 8 acres of land covered in mesquite trees and tall grass and a large wash that runs thru the property. I am worried about the kids and dogs getting bit by rattle snakes. I was told to get some Texas blue indegos and let them go on the land and they will take care of the rattle snakes. Is this true? If so were can I get them?

Hi Mike,

Releasing indigos where they aren't native really is a bad idea. First off, they are very expensive (like a thousand bucks a pair or more). Second, releasing non natives into an area can have devastating impact (think cane toads in Oz or red ear sliders killing off the western pond turtle).

You might want to try to "go with the flow", and live with the creatures of the desert instead of trying to change the fauna. Teach the kids awareness, respect for nature and proper first aid. I would be thrilled to have rattlesnakes on my property and my guess is that once your kids know how to respect from a distance, having rattlesnakes on the property will be a good memory for them when they are adults.

I believe there is a vaccine that you can give the dog against rattlesnake bite. That's for sure worth looking into.

Doug T

The vaccine is only for western diamondbacks and does not cover the mojave rattlesnake. We have both.

Yikes, $1000 a pair, for a snake!

I guess the kids memories will be filled with shooting them with a shot gun.

Originally Posted by themcnabs

I guess the kids memories will be filled with shooting them with a shot gun.

I see you have trouble reading Douglas's post. I believe he said to respect and cope with the animals on your land. Don't kill the rattlesnakes. If you watch where your dog and kids go it won't be a problem. You can build a fence so the dog can't go far. Rattlesnakes actually do good for your land not harm it so just leave them alone.

Mike,

Your attitude is the norm in America for the past 500+ years. People would move to an isolated area and kill off any "vermin" that bothered them. It's why there are no more Grizzleys or Jaguars in California.

Perhaps you may reconsider your place in the world. You have rights as a landowner but since the land will be there long after you are gone, maybe you may try to be a steward of the ecology, not just a tennant.

Build some snake proof fences, keep the dogs on leash outside the fence, and teach your kids to shoot feral animals and leave the snakes alone. There are plenty of folks willing to relocate any rattlesnakes you find on your property. Ask around on the venomous forums and you can find folks willing to do this for free.

If this seems too hard, maybe living in the desert isn't the best for you and the family. The suburbs of Phoenix and Tucson will provide the security you long for and most of them have a total absence of anything dangerous that is normal and natural in a desert.

Doug T

Wow, just the responses I expected. Except for the guy telling me to kill other animals and chain up my dogs. I have no intent on killing any animal on my land. I was just having fun with you guys. I did not expect someone to actually tell me to kill other animals rather than the snakes. My thought is all the animals deserve the same respect. I already have a guy that will relocate the snakes. All it takes is one accident with a mojave and a kid or dog is dead. Not worth the risk.

I refuse to put my dogs on leashes as they are part of my family and I consider it cruel. So Doug, If you treat your dogs that way, what maybe you should consider giving them up to a family that will respect them. I also hope you dont kill feral or any other animals like you instructed me to do.

OK, you don't have to have your dog on a leash. But that's the risk you took when you moved there. As Doug said, just build a snake proof fence and that's all.

Hey Folks,

I'm sorry I didn't realize right away the original poster was just trolling.

Don't bother continuing with this. He's just trying to get a rise out of folks.

Doug T

You are right, sorry. My first post was serious but after the first response I could not resist.

I would rather the rattle snakes stay away from my land as a dead kid or dog is not worth it. If some non poisonous snakes would keep them away that seemed like a good way to go. I guess this was the wrong place to ask.

it's not the wrong place to ask. It's a wrong comment you made.
By the way.. If there are kingsnakes native to your area... you can realese them. They're non poisinous and they eat other snakse like rattlers.