Large birds, wild boars, mongooses, raccoons, foxes, coyotes and even other snakes are a few of the dangers snakes fall prey to. Many people find it surprising that the largest and the scariest snakes can be afraid of anything, but it is true.
Foxes and raccoons are common predators of snakes. Guinea hens, turkeys, pigs, and cats will also help keep snakes away. If foxes are indigenous to your area, fox urine is a very good natural repellent for snakes when spread around your property.
The snake's biggest enemy is the mongoose, which is quick enough to dart in and bite the back of the cobra's neck before the snake can defend itself.
Both venomous and nonvenomous snakes are extremely wary of humans and are not prone to strike. A bite is their last-ditch effort to avoid harm. Simply leaving a snake to do its job in the landscape is the best way to avoid a bad encounter.
Predators. The species' known predators include birds of prey and feral cats.
Use Natural Predators
Snakes have a few natural predators that can help keep them away. Common snake predators include cats, raccoons, pigs, turkeys, guinea hens, and foxes. Keeping any of these animals around your home will help deter snakes from coming near.
A snake's major weakness is the cold, since they are cold-blooded animals. If their temperature drops too much, they cannot move and protect themselves properly.
It's likely that most snakes won't choose to go near dogs. They're bigger, noisier, and more of a hassle than a good snack. Simply by having your dog around, you will likely help to keep snakes away.
Snakes will try to avoid cats. If the snake can't escape, it will use defensive behaviors like hissing, rearing up, tail shaking, and striking. Snakes are frightened of cats because they move very quickly, attack with claws and teeth, and are larger than most species of snakes.
Mongooses are noted for their audacious attacks on highly venomous snakes, such as king cobras. The mongoose has a unique defense against most poisonous snakes. According to some, these predators have unique acetylcholine receptors that render them immune to a variety of venoms.
The newest evidence comes from a paper in Applied Animal Behavior Science, which found that dogs can smell the difference between a venomous rattlesnake and a harmless boa, but they find the smell intriguing rather than terrifying.
Ammonia is a common snake repellent. Snakes hate the smell of ammonia and won't come near it. Soak rags in ammonia and place them in unsealed plastic bags. Leave the bags where you usually see snakes to keep them away.
What sounds scare snakes away? Because snakes don't hear sound vibrations in the air very well, clapping is not an effective way to scare them away. Instead of clapping, try stomping your feet on the ground to produce vibrations that the snake will feel. This will be more effective than clapping.
Snakes enter a building because they're lured in by dark, damp, cool areas or in search of small animals, like rats and mice, for food. Snakes can be discouraged from entering a home in several ways. Keeping the vegetation around the house cut short can make the home less attractive to small animals and snakes.
Some snakes such as eastern brown snakes are active during the day, others prefer to hunt in the evening, while some species are more active at night during the hotter months.
One of the most common myths about snakes is that they are afraid of lights. However, there is no scientific evidence to support this claim. Snakes are just as likely to be active during the day at night.
In order to present a "food lure", an odor of insects, fish, or rodents would have to be present. In the case when a snake encounters a scent, the scent must be fresh in order to stimulate the snake's feeding response or curiosity. Snakes are not like blood hounds which can track an aging scent trail.
Spotting a snake
The only way people will know whether there is a snake in their house is by seeing it, Sollenberger said. Snakes don't really have an odor and don't really make sounds so it would be impossible to smell them or hear them.