ABILENE, Texas — According to a social media post from the Brown County Fire Department, there has been an increase in water moccasin sightings.
"Please be cautious in any waterways with the recent rains and stay vigilant of venomous snakes when enjoying the outdoors,” the social media post warned.
According to biologist Annaliese Scoggin, water snakes will stay close to any bodies of water.
"When we have rainfalls like this our bodies of water are going to expand...so the area those snakes are using can increase as well,” Scoggin said.
She said water moccasins are often mistaken for their non-venomous cousins, and they are native to east central Texas.
“They may come out as far as to San Angelo, or real south - south of Brown County - but not typically found in Abilene,” Scoggin said.
Scoggin said the best way to avoid the reptiles is to keep your yard trimmed to where you can see them and to watch your step.
For more information on water moccasins visit tpwd.texas.gov.