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Harvey’s hidden hazards: Gators, snakes and fire ants

Bayou animals such as alligators, snakes and fire ants are all looking for higher ground

By EMS1 Staff

HOUSTON — The continuous flooding in Houston is displacing more than humans—bayou animals such as alligators, snakes and fire ants are all looking for higher ground as well.

Meyerland Patch reported that Houston emergency officials warned residents to stay out of the water because of unseen hazards lurking inside.

The Houston Gator Squad, a group that removes alligators from unwanted places, retrieved its first alligator Saturday, but is preparing for what they believe will be a busy week.

“Alligators that show up on your property during flooding and heavy rain are not seeking you out for food or trying to be aggressive,” the group wrote in a Facebook post. “They are trying to deal with the weather like the rest of us.”

The Texas Cooperative Extension Service said that fire ants are clinging together to form a living flotilla to make it through the flood. The floating fire ant colonies can inhabit around 500,000 fire ants.

According to the Houston Zoo, there are 34 species of snakes in the city, which are also being dredged up. Six of the 34 species are venomous, including the Texas coral snake and three species of rattlesnakes, the western cottonmouth and the southern copperhead.

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