Warm weather is snake weather

The warmer weather has arrived in eastern New Mexico. Beware of snakes.

Clovis native and wildlife biologist Robert Martin has studied behavior in reptiles and amphibians for 20 years. He said snakes are out anytime between spring and fall, and the most common snake in our city limits is a checkered garter snake. Those are what most people will find in their yards, Martin said.

Garter snakes are non-venomous and love wet places like gardens, ponds, or irrigated grass. Clovis' Goodwin Lake is a common place to find them, Martin said. Don't mess with them, and they won't mess with you, he said.

Amos Wood, a new resident to the area around Goodwin Lake, said he has yet to see a snake while walking on the trail that surrounds the lake, but he doesn't doubt they are out there. However, Wood said he has seen rattlesnakes at Ned Houk Park.

"There's a bunch of places for them to hide ... with the tree debris that does fall down, especially after the storms that have just been happening. ... I only went once, but I was super cautious," Wood said.

Martin said the most common snakes he has seen outside area cities are coach whips, red racers, bull snakes, and of course, the rattlesnakes, of which there are eight varieties in New Mexico.

Martin said snakes seldom come after people.

"If you startle a snake, a bullsnake, or a rattlesnake, you'll get it to coil up. But if you stop bothering it, it almost always just crawls away on its own," he said.

Martin said snakes like to hide in shaded areas under trees or wood piles during the hottest parts of the day. He noted that bullsnakes and rattlesnakes mostly come out during dawn and dusk and that although rattlesnakes are not the most common in Clovis proper, it doesn't mean there aren't any.

"I actually used to live on 21st and Prince, and in my back lot ... I would occasionally see a rattlesnake. Not very often, but occasionally," he said. Martin now lives in Santa Fe.

People should be cautious of snakes when picking up wood piles or anything they might hide under, and the most common way to get bit is by surprising them, Martin said.

"It's usually people that are messing with rattlesnakes that end up getting bitten, but it does happen occasionally. Usually it's when somebody maybe steps on one by accident, reaches under something and grabs one by accident; that's usually when you get bit," he said.

You might need stitches if you get bitten by a bullsnake with a particularly aggressive bite, and you should disinfect the wound, but they are not venomous. But if a rattlesnake bites you, seek medical attention immediately, Martin said.

Martin said the snakes in our region and the city are essential to the ecosystem because they control the rodent population. He also said the size of the snake population is challenging to track, but a good indicator is the health of the rodent population.

Martin said if a snake gets into your space, like a garage, most of the time you can take a broom and sweep it outside.

As for residents like Wood, he said he will be more cautious about snakes in his neighborhood but recognizes their importance and will not bother or kill them.

"I will keep my distance and let the little guy be," he said.