Lone Star Snakes

07/08/2026

Something that tends to baffle a lot of people: snakes drinking water. Yes, snakes drink water 😅

Here’s a young ratsnake drinking some water after being removed from a glue trap. Little one was pretty dehydrated, but doing just fine now.

Non-venomous Western ratsnake
(Pantherophis obsoletus)
Brazoria County, TX

07/07/2026

A little update on our ratsnake friend that was covered in ants the other day - he’s doing great and will be released tomorrow!

This is a short video of him and a great example of defensive behaviors: tail rattling, throat puffing, and ready to strike at me if I move closer.

What’s important to understand here is this animal is NOT aggressive. This is a highly stressed, terrified animal who does not understand that I’m not a threat. To him, I’m just a perceived predator and his body language is telling me to “BACK OFF.” He doesn’t want to bite me; he wants to be left alone.

*A couple of notes:

1) Why is the water milky? Because he passed some urates (reptile version of urine) and the water bowl was the ideal place for that apparently.

2) He did have some paper towels in the box, but between the oil residue and snakes just being messy, it got tossed because it was now gross.

Non-venomous Western Ratsnake
(Pantherophis obsoletus)
Brazoria County, TX

07/03/2026

I think what still gets me the most, even after all these years of working with snakes, is the unnecessary cruelty they face from humans.

This poor guy was not only left outside on the trap, but was COVERED in ants by the time I arrived. Thankfully, he was also still shaded, but it wouldn’t have been long before the sun shifted and he was in direct sunlight. Reptiles are ectothermic and rely on their ability to move in and out of sunlight to regulate their temperature. When they’re unable to do so, they quite literally burn to death from the inside out. This can happen very quickly, especially when living in a hot state like Texas. Ants are also opportunistic feeders and will eat an animal that’s still alive, which is exactly what would’ve happened to this snake as well. Just imagine being simultaneously burned and eaten alive while completely paralyzed. It’s incredibly terrifying for the animal and inhumane.

Thankfully, I saw the post about this guy when I did and was able to get to him in time, but it breaks my heart to see them discarded like trash with no regard to their wellbeing.

I will never shame someone for being afraid of any kind of animal, but there is no excuse to treat animals this way, EVER.

Western Ratsnake (non-venomous)
Pantherophis obsoletus
Brazoria County, TX

06/21/2026

Y’all had questions, I’m here to provide some answers. Follow up to last week’s cottonmouth glue trap video.

06/17/2026

These animals deserve our respect - not our shovels, not our fear, and not our hate.

Never let anyone make you feel weird for loving wildlife.

A year ago yesterday, I stopped to admire an alligator crossing a road in South Carolina. While some people saw a nuisance, I saw an animal simply existing exactly as it was meant to.

I’ve always believed the unloved need keepers.

The animals people fear, misunderstand, avoid, or dismiss deserve advocates too. Snakes. Alligators. Lizards. The creatures that rarely get the same admiration as fluffy puppies and baby deer.

That passion you feel when you spot a snake in the woods or an alligator in a swamp isn’t weird. It’s important.

Because the people who stop to look are often the same people who stop to learn. And the people who learn are the ones who protect.

Wildlife doesn’t need everyone to love it. But it does need some of us to care enough to speak up for it.

So tell me: what’s an animal you’ll always stop and admire, no matter what everyone else thinks? 🐊 🐍

06/14/2026

Holy cow, y’all - we’ve got a ton of new followers, so a warm welcome to all the newcomers! LSS is a mostly one-woman show here in Southeast Texas that started just to help my neighborhood and later grew to the surrounding community providing free snake relocation & educational programs. Why free? Because we don’t want money to be the reason someone can’t get help or gets hurt trying to handle a snake themselves.

While the increased attention is a bit weird, I appreciate the overwhelmingly positive response! The goal at LSS isn’t to make people BFFs with snakes, but to help folks begin to move past their fears and develop a healthy respect for these unjustly maligned animals.

There have been a ton of questions I haven’t been able to keep up with, so I’ll be doing a follow up video in the next few days when I have time to get them addressed. If there’s anything else you want to know, feel free to drop a comment or join us at a future event! Calendar updates coming soon❤️

06/12/2026

Edit: YES I HAVE TUBES NOW

Yesterday I received my 5th glue trap call of the season, and apparently 5th times the charm because this time it was a venomous Cottonmouth. Thankfully, this is only my 2nd venomous glue trap call, but every request carries the risk that one day I’ll get another one.

Here’s the thing, y’all: we can agree glue traps just suck in general. They’re one of the worst, most inhumane forms of pest control, and I’m going to do whatever I can to save the animal no matter the situation in the safest way possible. But when you use glue traps, you’re also setting the stage for a situation that never would have existed if not for humans, and you’re asking people like me to put ourselves at risk for a problem that humans caused. Just because we are willing to help, doesn’t mean we are doing this with a smile on our faces. We’re doing this carefully, cautiously, and (with a certain level of nerves) hoping today isn’t the day we make a mistake that lands us in the hospital. (That being said, we are also immensely appreciative of the people who choose to reach out for help instead of killing the animal.)

No matter the species, no matter someone’s fears, animals do not deserve this.

Venomous Cottonmouth
Fort Bend County, TX

06/01/2026

Nothing gets me to put on pants faster than the opportunity to hang out with a Cottonmouth for a little while❤️ This young one was safely relocated - huge thanks to the homeowner who advised he once would have taken a shovel to it, but said he’s been working for a few years to be better. We love humans who are self aware and open to growth! And he’s setting a wonderful example for his children who were able to watch and learn something new about these amazing animals.

Venomous Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus)
Brazoria County, TX

05/17/2026

A lovely little squatter evicted from a garage this morning.

This guy is also a great example of moth balls not working as a deterrent because they were all over the garage and he was happy as a clam hiding out (moth balls are also a horrible environmental pollutant - please don’t use them).

Safely released to go live his best snake life💕

Western ratsnake (Pantherophis obsoletus)
Brazoria County, TX

04/26/2026

Relocated this lovely little juvenile cottonmouth today

I know LSS has been super quiet the last few months, but I’m still here! Happy Snake Season, friends🥰

Venomous Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus)