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[jeffthephotog]

I've always wondered, what with the setting being 'in the woods' and all...if anyone ever sees a snake in the park? I never have, but I wonder about over below and behind the Homestead...
Also, if they don't have snake problems, HOW do they accomplish that? I live on an acre in Springfield. My grass is never more than 3 inches tall and I've got garden snakes all the time!

[tinmann620]

I live in the middle of Springfield, and had 3 in my yard, 3 weeks ago!  Either last summer, or the summer before, There was a black snake above Echo Hollow, and I remember one near the Frisco, but that's all I've seen in my 30+ years of visiting.

[jeffthephotog]

Aha...interesting. Thanks!

[Ozark Outlaw]

It's bad enough I have to worry about snakes on plane, now I have to worry about snakes on train too?

[jeffthephotog]

LOL no no, but the other day as I strolled behind the Homestead in the wood chips, I just got to thinking...

[Junior]

During my time as a citizen, 78-84, NEVER did I see a snake within the city limits at any of the rides or attractions I worked at...EXCEPT for a greenish brown water snake that lived behind the diving bell and stayed under a boat that we flipped upside down to keep rain out of when we were not using it. The "Juniors" knew well to tap the bottom of the boat with an oar a couple of times before turning it over to use it. The water snake would take out across the back of the lake and disappear. He was a pretty big sucker, though! Sometimes guests would see him and pause and watch and point at him. He never hurt any of us, and we never hurt him. I was surprised in 79 while working at the Jim Owens Float Trip which was surrounded by woods that NO snakes were ever spotted. In the fall, the "river rats" working at the float trip would have to put on waders and get into the channel and scrape off leaves from the screens that went in front of pumps, getting fallen leaves off them so the pumps could work easier. Never once did any of us see a snake.
In the late 70's there was a rumor that a snake was in FITH. Jeff Kimes, a "fireman" there, once even called into the famous Springfield, MO KTTS Radio "Cracker Barrel Time" to address the rumor. (There was NO snake in there.)  Now, there are plenty of chipmunks, squirrels raccoons, possums, skunks, and other assorted small critters that roam the park, especially at night. They love getting into trash cans and eating the food and drinks left behind. Once I arrived early in 79 at the float trip to clean up for the day, and a restling noise and scratching came from a trash can on the dock. Scared the fire out of me, I figured it was a skunk and that I was doomed. I pulled the thing over to the edge of the dock, pointed the top of it to the woods, and kicked it over. Then I ran fast as I could to the other side of the dock, jumping the channel in the process. One happy chipmonk fled the premises, and I breathed a BIG sigh of relief! 

[Joy]

We were talking about SDC in my Spanish class Tuesday (I had talked about it in my oral presentation). Later, we talked about snakes 'cause one of my classmates said something about them in her presentation. My teacher asked if anyone had ever seen a copperhead, and another girl said she'd once discovered one under a stroller at SDC.

[SteamFreak]

Personally I've never seen one but people on my crew claimed to have seen them in Sweet Marys Tunnel while walking though.

[rubedugans]

Out of many many visits wildlife sightings has kept itself to a minimum. One tick (crawling) on my arm about 8-9 years ago, a baby possum on the corckscrew pass in the middle of the day, fish in lake silver, and a family of kittens (actually StLPhotogal found them).

[stlphotogal]

Out of many many visits wildlife sightings has kept itself to a minimum. One tick (crawling) on my arm about 8-9 years ago, a baby possum on the corckscrew pass in the middle of the day, fish in lake silver, and a family of kittens (actually StLPhotogal found them).

I can't take credit for the kittens - my daughter (then age about 7) found them - they were mewing and mewing - three little kittens seemingly abandoned by their mother underneath the bouncy bridge (as my daughter calls it). Unfortunately our family is challenged in the vertical department so we enlisted the help of a tall young man who fished out the kittens and we took them over to the homestead where they ensured us the cats would be well taken care of and live a long life mousing amongst the homestead area. I saw the same possum as Rube and have seen more than my fair share of chipmunks and squirrels, LARGE spiders (orb-weavers) in the flowers around the Grand Exposition area, and, of course, bats in the cave but never a snake.

[Junior]

Unless things have changed over the years, there have always been a lot of fish, some real whoppers, too, in Lake Silver. In the early 80s we used to feed them stale popcorn from the candy and cream shop just up the street. I'm talking about a large plastic trashbag full of popcorn over the course of two or three days, two to three times a week. We gave the popcorn to folks standing in line at the diving bell and told them it was fish food. We tried to discourage people from eating it themselves so they would go to candy and cream and buy the fresh stuff. Kids and families always got a kick out of feeding the fish. (Carp) Also one of the maintenance guys would catch little fish in Table Rock Lake, and instead of throwing them back, he would keep them alive, bring them to the float trip, and toss them in. The fish, looking for cover, would stay under the never used secondary loading channel, which had a walkway over it. It didn't take long for guests to discover the fish, and would coax them out from under the dock by throwing popcorn, bread or any other little bits of food they had with them in the water. The fish, from being fed constantly, grew to a huge size over the summer months, and in the fall when it was time to drain the float trip for winter, the maintenance man took home a mess of fish that lasted him and his family quite a while!

[PastorDon]

This thread got me to thinking about ALL kinds of wildlife at SDC, and it occurred to me that I don't think I've ever been bothered by mosquitoes or even very many flies at the City.  They must have a pretty good spraying program?!?

[rubedugans]

There have been deterrents hanging in trees the past 2-3 years. Some sort of chemical. They are in Bown soda-can-esque looking devices-anyone else seen these?

[Joy]

I figured the lack of mosquitoes was helped by the bat population.

[Junior]

From the secret company rules: No mosquitos or flies are allowed on Herschend Family properties in the US. Anyone who sees  a mosquito or fly are allowed to erradicate it at once. Then clean up the mess.