Snake Trap

[Didymus20X6]

I didn't know where else to put this, but since it is sort of an enclosure, I figured here would be best.

I'm in the process of building a snake trap. There are more snakes around that back fence, and I know my neighbors don't want them there, so I'm taking drastic measures to help remove them.

Here's the materials:

1. A 2-liter plastic Coke bottle.

2. Some flange rings I picked up at the hardware store, along with nuts and bolts to hold them in place.

3. A large plastic tub.

4. Some nylon screen.

Here's the plan:

1. Cut the bottom off Coke bottle to form a make-shift funnel. Cut some flaps down the side of the funnel (about 2 inches) so there's room to hold it in place.

2. Cut a hole in the plastic tub to accommodate the funnel.

3. Attach the flange rings to either side of the hole, with the funnel held securely in place by the flaps.

4. Cut a big hole in the lid.

5. Put screen over the top of the box, and put the lid on top to hold it in place.

Once completed, I will put nightcrawlers in a bowl inside the box, along with some mulch, bamboo (for makeshift hides) and a bowl for water. It will go along the back fence, where I keep seeing the snakes, and I will check it twice a day: once in the morning, and again in the afternoon, when it will likely need to be moved into the shade.

Construction has started, but a minor technical difficulty has caused delays (my drill ran out of juice).

http://i27.tinypic.com/2vl9uys.jpg

http://i32.tinypic.com/o8rx4o.jpg

http://i32.tinypic.com/2iizp6g.jpg

[bsol]

I like the idea.
Curious to see how well it works!!! you need to keep the results posted!!!

[Didymus20X6]

Still under construction.

Phase 2: Installation of the Coke Bottle Funnel.

http://i31.tinypic.com/2hrpx15.jpg

The outside: notice the two flanges reinforce each other and work together to hold the funnel in place.

http://i27.tinypic.com/mjwlsn.jpg

The next step - Phase 3: Construction of the lid.

I will certainly keep you guys posted on the results.

I have little doubt I can attract the snakes with nightcrawlers. Whether they'll get into the box, or more importantly, stay there once in, is a different matter.

[guidofatherof5]

May I suggest some small holes along the bottom. The scent will be along the ground where they might encounter the trap.

[Didymus20X6]

Way ahead of you, Steve. I've been drilling them for the past half hour or so.

[guidofatherof5]

Way ahead of you, Steve. I've been drilling them for the past half hour or so.

Am I that predictable.:D

[justme]

You guys are cracking me up...

[Didymus20X6]

Phase 3 cannot be completed at this time. I didn't make it to the lumber yard to get the wood I needed for the trim.

However, I did manage to jury-rig it for now. It'll hold for now, I'm sure.

Here is the bottom of the bucket. That substrate is just some ground clay kitty litter, and that bowl is full of nightcrawlers.

http://i31.tinypic.com/2z4y04z.jpg

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And here's the top, with temporary screen in place.

[guidofatherof5]

Why the substrate?
You can also substitute worms for the dirt you store them in. Then all you have to do is keep the dirt wet and you don't have to worry about the worms going south on you. The only reason I mention the dirt is that I sometimes leave the empty(no worms) worm container(Walmart) in the enclosure. The snakes dig through it as if they are going to find something so the scent must be there. Placing the dirt in a piece of old or new pantyhose will hold the dirt together and you'll have less of a mess in the end. Just an idea.:)

[Didymus20X6]

Why a substrate? Just in case the snake makes a mess in there.

I'll keep that trick with the worm dirt in mind. But for now, I've got plenty of nightcrawlers to spare.

[Didymus20X6]

Nothing yet. I did scent the funnel with worms, and I put a few drops of crappy bait scent in the worm dirt, just to kick the smell up a bit.

As for whether it would work, I did put my own snakes in it, while I was replacing the substrate in their regular enclosure, and while they loved climbing on top of the funnel to try to escape, it didn't seem to occur to them to climb through the funnel. But then again, that's not the way they entered, so that's no guarantee that one entering the trap won't find it's way back out.

I've given some thought to trying to create some sort of catch to the funnel, so that once a snake climbs in, its way out is blocked. The top of a bottle cap and a tiny hinge might do the trick, but I'm not really up to any more construction today. I'm still feeling a little ill from yesterday. Besides, I'm willing to bet the hardware store is closed.

[mustang]

like a minnow trap great idea

[Didymus20X6]

LOOK WHAT I CAUGHT!!

http://i31.tinypic.com/205cjzd.jpg

The perspective on the bottle makes the snake appear smaller than it actually is.

The trap is a success. Sort of.

Okay, I exaggerated. Although I got this booger into the trap, he didn't actually go there on his own. I was out of nightcrawlers. I was actually going to measure the bolts on the trap for another project, when I saw this guy over by it. I put the trap in front of him, and used my hands to coax him into it. But once inside, he didn't seem to see the opening; but then again, he was in something of a panic, trying to get away from me. I borrowed a thatch-roof cottage for him, to keep him calm. But he's in the enclosure with the other two, awaiting transport to the woods (assuming I don't go ahead and build another enclosure for him).

So even if a snake doesn't wander into the trap looking for food, at least I can say it's a good way to safely catch the snakes without harming them.

[mustang]

LOOK WHAT I CAUGHT!!

http://i31.tinypic.com/205cjzd.jpg

The perspective on the bottle makes the snake appear smaller than it actually is.

The trap is a success. Sort of.

Okay, I exaggerated. Although I got this booger into the trap, he didn't actually go there on his own. I was out of nightcrawlers. I was actually going to measure the bolts on the trap for another project, when I saw this guy over by it. I put the trap in front of him, and used my hands to coax him into it. But once inside, he didn't seem to see the opening; but then again, he was in something of a panic, trying to get away from me. I borrowed a thatch-roof cottage for him, to keep him calm. But he's in the enclosure with the other two, awaiting transport to the woods (assuming I don't go ahead and build another enclosure for him).

So even if a snake doesn't wander into the trap looking for food, at least I can say it's a good way to safely catch the snakes without harming them.
great job i am impressed

[ConcinusMan]

I don't think you're going to get any garter to go in there on it's own, with or without worms. Wanna know the best garter snake trap I ever used? a friggen sheet of plywood. Doesn't exactly trap them, but a few boards placed in the right location can yield several garters daily.

[The Snake Whisperer]

Interesting snake, how common are garters who don't have dorsal stripes? I recently found a garter without a dorsal stripe too, first one I'd seen.

I would suggest you make the entrance to the trap to be as close to ground level as possible, my guess is that few garters will be willing to climb up into the entrance and a baby garter probably wouldn't be able to climb into it.

[ConcinusMan]

Quite a few eastern garters have no stripes or only a hint of one. T. ordinoides in the pacific NW sometimes have no stripes. Garters with no stripes are not all that uncommon.

I still say sheets of plywood are the best garter "trap" there is. Placed some out in a T. ordinoides area a couple of weeks ago. Even on days when the snakes are not active, you can find plenty of them hiding under the plywood.

[flickerfriend]

In oregon where is a good place to put piece's of wood?

[ConcinusMan]

Actually flickerfriend, now's not the time for that. please stay in touch with me, and I'm staying in touch with your mother.

This is a bad time of year. Things are drying out and even in spots that are teeming with snakes from April-July are not even worth visiting now. Where I could find dozens of garters a month or two ago will yield nothing now.

I'd love to take your family (whomever can come) for an adventure of "garterific" proportions and show you numerous garters and huge one's, in abundance, even blue one's like my avatar! but it will have to wait until April-July of 2011. Simple fact of nature. It's just too late in the year now.

PM me and we'll stay in touch by email. I have your mom's cell number. I'll call soon.:D

[Snakers]

Actually flickerfriend, now's not the time for that. please stay in touch with me, and I'm staying in touch with your mother.

This is a bad time of year. Things are drying out and even in spots that are teeming with snakes from April-July are not even worth visiting now. Where I could find dozens of garters a month or two ago will yield nothing now.

I'd love to take your family (whomever can come) for an adventure of "garterific" proportions and show you numerous garters and huge one's, in abundance, even blue one's like my avatar! but it will have to wait until April-July of 2011. Simple fact of nature. It's just too late in the year now.

PM me and we'll stay in touch by email. I have your mom's cell number. I'll call soon.:DI know what you mean, my best herping spots are "all out" I'm afraid

[ConcinusMan]

Well, there is one spot I know of where there are still plenty of snakes to be found but not near as many as you could find a few months ago, and that would be the place where I find anerythristic oregon red-spots. And you have to go very early, or on a cloudy cool day, or after 6pm. No plywood needed.. just got the right time of day and they'll be slithering all over the place but still, harder to find them now, and there aren't as many.

The place where I find 3 stripe and just downright enormous ones is completely dry now. Even the pond that was full of turtles yields none now. Don't know where all the turtles have gone either. :confused: Can't find a single snake any time of day now. Spring is the best time at that location.

[Snakers]

Actually flickerfriend, now's not the time for that. please stay in touch with me, and I'm staying in touch with your mother.

This is a bad time of year. Things are drying out and even in spots that are teeming with snakes from April-July are not even worth visiting now. Where I could find dozens of garters a month or two ago will yield nothing now.

I'd love to take your family (whomever can come) for an adventure of "garterific" proportions and show you numerous garters and huge one's, in abundance, even blue one's like my avatar! but it will have to wait until April-July of 2011. Simple fact of nature. It's just too late in the year now.

PM me and we'll stay in touch by email. I have your mom's cell number. I'll call soon.:D
WAIT!?IS this a date????http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/images/smilies/naughty.gif

[ConcinusMan]

oh jeez:rolleyes: Some people's kids...

Yeah, I always ask dates to bring their kids and take them tromping around the swamp catching stinky garter snakes. Works like a charm.:rolleyes:

[Snakers]

oh jeez:rolleyes: Some people's kids...

Yeah, I always ask dates to bring their kids and take them tromping around the swamp catching stinky garter snakes. Works like a charm.:rolleyes:
Thanks for the advice!LOL!:D:D:D:D

[kibakiba]

I just might have to ask my boyfriend to take me on a date like that. It sounds so romantic. However, my love for garters would make it fun. And the fact my boyfriend doesn't really catch snakes... And doesn't know how bad a garter snake can stink... Would make it hilariously fun. I'd sooo have to grab a camera for that. He thinks I'm just overreacting when I say "OH GOD!!! Runt stinks so bad, he just musked all over me!" Runt, while being tiny and seemingly too cute to stink like that... Is the most stinky garter snake I have ever caught.

[guidofatherof5]

I just might have to ask my boyfriend to take me on a date like that. It sounds so romantic. However, my love for garters would make it fun. And the fact my boyfriend doesn't really catch snakes... And doesn't know how bad a garter snake can stink... Would make it hilariously fun. I'd sooo have to grab a camera for that. He thinks I'm just overreacting when I say "OH GOD!!! Runt stinks so bad, he just musked all over me!" Runt, while being tiny and seemingly too cute to stink like that... Is the most stinky garter snake I have ever caught.

I'm liking Runt more and more.

[kibakiba]

Haha cause he/she has a big attitude? Seems like a tiny, scared new born snake... Pick him up and he rubs hes stink on you and tries biting you with his tiny needle teeth :D

[guidofatherof5]

Oh, I've got to meet this snake someday.

[kibakiba]

Well maybe you can, one day. He's a real sweetie when he realizes that I provide the delicious night crawlers that he oh, so loves. But of course he's got his little "put me down and give me a worm already!!!!" attitude :D I love it. That's usually when he bites. He bit me once when I took a picture. The camera flashed and he immediately put his head down and bit my finger.

[radtad]

Any success yet with the trap seems like a great idea

[flickerfriend]

Anything else with the trap?

[Steven@HumboldtHerps]

I'm gonna have to take "plywood" for 200 hundred "Bob!"

My favorite unintentional yield of a herp bounty came from the raising/razing (in this case the same) some old weed tarps that happened to cover small boulder piles. All sorts of critters had tunneled under the old fabric: 1 gopher snake, 2 ring-necks, a yellow-bellied racer, and an alligator lizard!

[Didymus20X6]

Sorry for not replying, guys, but these posts were made at a time I couldn't log on to the forum due to some sort of router malfunction.

Anyway, no, I never actually found any snakes that would crawl into the trap on their own. However, the trap did serve a couple of purposes in my Catch And Release Program.

For one, I did find a couple of snakes that congregated around the trap, obviously trying to get the food inside, but hesitant to go into the funnel. So I did catch a couple just from them poking around it.

Second, it served wonderfully as a transport device when I did catch snakes.

Third, I kept frogs in it for a while.

And, finally, and most importantly, methods I used for constructing the trap helped me design and construct my two-part enclosure in which I currently house Little Dude and Scarlett. I keep water on one side (so the snakes have room to enjoy a dip) and land on the other (so they have a nice, dry place for when they're not swimming). A siphon pump, length of plastic tubing, and a bucket make cleaning a snap.

So, even though the trap didn't exactly serve its intended purpose, it has still proven itself very useful to me.