A mild winter and a late breeding season is to blame for an influx of snakes that have been spotted at the Forney Community Park. “It's just one of those years for snakes,” says Forney Parks and Recreation Director Richard Curry.
An area of concern for the Parks Department is near Bridge 2 along the nature path. “We've seen more copperheads this year than, I would say, all our years combined since 2009 when this park opened,” said Curry. Curry warned, “We'll keep seeing them for a couple more weeks until the concrete is too hot for them to cross.”
According to Curry, a majority of the reports of snake sightings come in the morning and evenings when the temperature cools down a bit. As the temperature cools down a bit, the snakes will cross over the nature paths on the cool concrete. Depending on the report, the snakes are captured and relocated further away from the paths. If the snake shows signs of aggressiveness, they are killed.
Most of the sightings have been of non-venomous rat snakes reaching lengths in excess of five feet long. Others have spotted the pale-brown and chestnut-colored copperheads, mainly along the trail, with lengths ranging from two and a half feet to three feet long. Although venomous, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, “the bite of a copperhead is seldom fatal because of its short fangs and small amount of venom.”
But snakes aren't the only concern. Rocky Yates was walking his labrador retriever after a visit to the vet and encountered a coyote. “Usually when a coyote smells or hears you they cut the other way,” said Yates, “not this one.”
Yates says the coyote emerged from the brush as he was walking his dog and was exhibiting aggressive behavior by circling and barking at him and his dog. Yates tried deterring the coyote by throwing rocks and sticks but, he says, “she wouldn't back down.” Yates then says he grabbed his dog and headed for his truck believing the coyote may have been protecting a new litter of pups.
Curry says, “it's not surprising to have a coyote sighting,” but we have not heard of any acting aggressively. According to Curry, park personnel will be on the lookout for coyotes with similar behavioral patterns. If they find an aggressive coyote, Animal Control is capable of trapping and relocating the animal.
Yates says, “I just don't want to see any person, child, or dog harmed.”
Concerning the snakes, Curry says, “be vigilant and be careful, don't go play with them.”