10 | SUNRAYS JANUARY 2014
ONLINE:
SCTXCA.ORG
All reptiles and amphibians are ecto-
thermic—they have no internal means
of regulating their body temperature.
Mammals are endothermic; they have
several systems to regulate body tem-
perature, including perspiration to lower
body temperature and hair/body fat to
insulate against cold. These systems
allow mammals to function in a broad
range of temperatures, while reptiles
can only function in a narrow range of
temperatures.
While humans must consume large
amounts of food to fuel their temperature
regulating processes, reptiles can go for
long periods without food, but they must
find heat sources in cooler weather and
shade when it’s hot. They also become
more nocturnal during hot weather.
In winter months, reptiles enter a state
of hibernation or estivation. Hibernation
involves finding an isolated spot where
the snake can spend the winter. These
spots are usually caves or underneath
objects on the ground; however, with
7,000 “caves” (aka houses) in Sun City
Texas, they may seek out garages.
Because of this information, many might
surmise that our snakes will be in hi-
bernation—not necessarily! The past few
winters have been very mild. If a snake
enters hibernation without a sufficient
store of body mass and the temperature
exceeds 55 degrees, that snake may come
out to feed.
Rattlesnakes
At least three Sun City Texas residents
have experienced envenomations in the
last three years. The American Medical
Association (AMA) recommends that the
only response to a rattlesnake bite is to
call 911, proceed to the nearest hospital,
and stay as calm as possible.
DO NOT:
1. Put a tourniquet above the bite.
2. Cut the skin at the bite.
3. Try to suck out the venom.
4. Drink alcohol.
5. Apply ice.
6. Take antihistamines.
Residents should not kill harmless
snakes;
this practice will only reduce
the competition for food and increase our
rattlesnake population. To have a snake
removed, call our resident reptile remov-
ers listed on the bottom of page 4 in every
Sun Rays
. Inexperienced residents put
their lives in danger when they try to kill
or remove rattlesnakes. Residents can
also call the City of Georgetown Animal
Control at 512-930-3592.
CA NEWS
Where do snakes go in winter? Hint: Not as far as you think!
Submitted by the Wildlife Management Committee
What can we do to
prevent encounters?
1. Residents walk in the streets
at night; rattlesnakes absorb
heat from streets/driveways at
night, and basking snakes may
be hard to see in the dark. Al-
ways carry a strong flashlight
when walking at night.
2. Dogs react to snakes with cu-
riosity—keep dogs on a short
leash.
3. When moving rocks in your
landscape, be careful; snakes
may be hiding under rocks.
4. Many snakes feed on rats and
mice. Remove things in your
landscape that attract rodents.
5. Residents sometimes leave ga-
rage doors open or cracked.
Completely closing garage
doors will lessen snake en-
counters.
Covenants Committee Report for 2013
Submitted by Chuck Graham, Covenants Committee Chair
The Covenants Committee provides the
following report of its activities during
2013. The committee met monthly in
2013 and addressed 16 cases involving
Sun City Texas residents, compared to
17 cases during 2012. The committee
took appropriate action deemed suitable
given the facts of each specific incident.
The committee’s action was designed to
correct improper behavior rather than to
serve as punishment. Considering the
population of our community, the number
of incidents was extremely small.
The committee also wrote six articles
that were published in the monthly
Sun
Rays
. These articles informed residents
about the work of the committee. Three
of the articles spoke to subjects the Cov-
enants Committee had been address-
ing and that the committee believed our
residents should be aware since they af-
fect the lifestyle in our community. Two
articles discussed “Conduct Between In-
dividuals” and “Being Good Neighbors,”
since many of the cases the committee
handled involved this sort of situation.
The third article explained “Confidenti-
ality” and why it is essential to the work
of the committee.
Throughout the year, the committee
reviewed several proposed changes to
the design guidelines and other policies
being submitted for approval by other
committees. The review was conducted
to determine if the specific governing
document being changed could still be
enforced. If not, appropriate revisions
were provided to ensure enforceability.
Finally, the committee adopted these
goals for 2014:
1. In accordance with its charter, the
committee will continue to address
matters by referral and focus on cor-
recting behavior rather than punish-
ing residents by issuing sanctions
and/or fines unless the particular
issue warrants more severe action.
2. The committee will continue to
publish articles in the
Sun Rays
to
inform residents of the committee’s
work and encourage compliance
with the CA governing documents.
