Video: Diamondback rattlesnake spotted on back porch in Nocatee

A local snake expert said encounters with wildlife will likely increase as new developments spring up across our area.

While families are enjoying brand new homes, many animals are being left without their home.

Action News Jax obtained video of a large venomous snake on a Nocatee family’s back porch.

The diamondback rattlesnake in the video is about 4 or 5 feet long. Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens supervisor of herpetology Robert Mendyk said that’s an average size. Mendyk said there’s a simple way to make sure you don’t get hurt if you come across one.

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The snake is seen in the video slithering on the back porch of a home that’s under construction Monday inside the Nocatee housing development, which has grown tremendously in the last couple years.

“They no longer have homes they don’t have refuge and they start wandering out in search of new homes,” Mendyk said after viewing the video.

Mendyk said the more we build, the more likely it is we’ll encounter snakes and other wildlife.

There are some things you should keep in mind if you ever come face to face with one of these reptiles.

“They're actually, they're ambush hunters,” Mendyk said.

People are not their prey. Mendyke said you’ll only get hurt “if you go up and try to touch it. These animals do not chase after people.”

Zoo visitor Julie Benshoof has seen these snakes before.

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“Just leave it alone. Just let everybody know where it's at unless they come up through the toilet. That's a no-no,” Benshoof said.

There are ways to tell if the snake in your yard is venomous. In the case of the diamond back rattlesnake, Mendyk said, “they have kind of a diamond-shaped head, their eye has a vertical pupil.”

Another thing to keep in mind is that snakes, like water moccasins, can sometimes hide near your garden hose, so check before you grab it or step near it.

Cox Media Group