FORT RUCKER, Ala. -- With temperatures on the rise, more and more animals are making their presence known throughout the installation, according to Fort Rucker wildlife officials.
Dryer weather is also causing many animals to seek out moist environments such as lakes, streams, ponds or even freshly watered lawns, said Bernett Jergenson, Fort Rucker game warden.
"Because it's so dry, the poisonous and non-poisonous snakes that are indigenous to water, like water moccasins and cotton mouths, are looking for wetter places," he said. "A lot of fishermen and people who hang around the ponds and creeks on post have reported seeing a lot of snakes lately."
Jergenson said there are many different types of snakes on post and that anyone who encounters one should notify the military police office so game wardens can be called out to handle the animal.
"Parents need to educate their children about these animals," he said. "It's really easy to find pictures and descriptions of the snakes online. If you see one out on the trails or in the housing areas, don't try to handle it yourself."
Fort Rucker is home to species such as the timber and diamondback rattlesnakes, water moccasin, cotton mouth, king and coral snakes, Jergenson added.
Peggy Contreras, Community Police supervisor, echoed Jergenson saying residents should never try to remove snakes or other animals themselves.
"Even if someone thinks the snake isn't poisonous, they should call the MP desk and let the game wardens handle the removal of the animal," she said. "It's better to be safe than sorry."
Other animals people may encounter on post include opossums, armadillos, foxes and coyotes, Jergenson continued.
"If people want to get rid of armadillos, you can't really trap them," he said. "If you move one from the area, another one is just going to move right in. The best thing to do is get some (pest killer) for the yard and put it out to treat for grubs and other harmful insects. Armadillos can hear those grubs in the ground and they try to dig them up. If you get rid of those pests, the armadillos will move on."
Jergenson said residents should never feed animal pests because it can encourage those animals to stay and make them see humans as a source of food.
"Animals like raccoons, if you feed them, they become a pest," he said. "We've got a couple dozen live-catch traps and we use them to catch those animals. We take them out in the woods and make sure they're scared of the human scent and then we release them into the wild."
Jergenson said residents should make sure to keep lids on their garbage cans in order to keep raccoons, foxes and other animal pests from getting into them.
Contreras added that everyone should also be aware of the increase in insect activity, such as mosquitoes, during the warmer months.
"People should always make sure to protect themselves when they're outside enjoying the summer weather," she said. "A lot of bugs will be active during the evening hours and some can have painful bites."
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