Drought pushes more snakes into Wake County yards and sidewalks

Wake County residents are seeing more snakes on sidewalks, near creeks and in backyards as the drought deepens across central North Carolina. The dry spell is no longer just a lawn problem or a water-supply problem. It is changing where wildlife moves, and that is putting snakes closer to daily life in neighborhoods across the county.

Drought.gov says 100% of people in Wake County were affected by drought as of May 19, and the county logged its 4th driest April on record and its driest January-through-April stretch in 132 years. The National Weather Service in Raleigh said the drought has been a long-term event for many areas dating back to August 2025, with Raleigh about 15 inches below normal precipitation since then. That kind of deficit pushes animals toward the limited water and prey that remain.

Snakes are part of that shift. As dry conditions persist, they are moving more widely in search of water and food, which helps explain why a driveway, porch, greenway or creek edge can suddenly become a place where one appears. NC State Extension says snakes are ectothermic, meaning they rely on environmental temperatures to regulate body heat, which is why they can be found in sunny spots as well as near shelter and water. The extension also notes that snakes help control rodents, insects and other prey species, making them an important part of local food webs even when they make people uneasy.

The drought also has a policy edge. The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council updated its drought advisory on May 19 and urged water users in severe and extreme drought areas to follow water-shortage response plans and prepare for possible rationing. That warning underscores how a backyard wildlife story is tied to broader environmental stress across the region.

At the North Carolina State Fairgrounds Exposition Center, Repticon Raleigh offered a safer way to see reptiles up close. The event ran May 23 and 24, with public hours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Presentations on monitor lizards and reticulated pythons gave families a chance to learn about reptiles without encountering them unexpectedly in Wake County yards, sidewalks and neighborhood paths.