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There's A Snake In The Yard! -- What To Do (and Not Do) When You
By Chad Minter, Fri Dec 9th
There's a snake in the yard!!! What to do (and not do) when yousee a snake by Chad Minter First, don't kill nonvenomous snakes. Any given area can onlysupport a fixed number of snakes. If you kill the nonvenomoussnakes that leaves a food supply that could support a populationof venomous snakes.
Remember to stay a safe distance from the snake. usuallystrike about 1/2 their body length, but they can strike farther.You also don't want to trip and fall on the snake. 80% of bites occur when someone tries to catch or kill a snake.The safest thing you can do if you see a snake is to leave italone. (It's probably protected by law anyway.) 85% of bites in the United States occur on the hand and forearm.50% involve a victim under the age of 20. 70% of bites in theUnited States involve alcohol consumption. If you have a snake in your yard, either call someone trained intheir removal or stand at a safe distance and spray it with agarden hose. hate that and will leave quickly. Step on logs rather than over them. coil beside logs inthe "Reinert Posture" and might mistake your leg for a predatoror prey. Watch where you put your hands and feet. Do not reach underboards with your fingers. Snakes can be handled safely with proper tools and training, butdo NOT risk trying to handle venomous if you have notbeen professionally trained. There are things that no websitecan teach you about how to handle venomous safely. You can minimize the appeal of your yard to a snake by 1.cutting the grass, 2. picking up debris, and 3. Controllingrodents. If there is no food or shelter the snake will soonleave for better hunting grounds. The safest thing to do if you see a snake is to LEAVE IT ALONE.Most bites occur when someone is attempting to capture or kill asnake. If you are bitten by a snake, seek immediate medical care from alicensed and experienced physician. According to the Centers forDisease Control, the first aid for snakebite consists of: "Do remain calm - Remember that there is an excellent chance forsurvival,
and in most cases there is plenty of time. Do suck and squeeze - as much venom as possible directly fromthe wound. Venom is protein and can be taken orally with no illeffects. Do remove jewelry - Swelling can progress rapidly, so rings,watches and bracelets can be a real problem. Do mark the time - The progress of symptoms (swelling) is themost obvious indicator of the amount of envenomation. Do keep the stricken limb below the heart. Do get to a hospital as quickly as possible - Anti-venom serumis the only sure cure for envenomation, and because some peopleare allergic to horse serum it should only be given in a fullyequipped medical facility. In case of a Coral bite, do pull the snake off immediately -Corals' fangs are relatively small, and they have to work atgetting venom into the wound. Therefore, the faster the snake isremoved the less venom is injected. Do attempt to identify the offending snake - Positiveidentification in the form of a dead snake is helpful, ifconvenient, but no time or safety should be wasted since thesymptoms will give medical personnel an accurate diagnosis. Do get a tetanus shot. Don't cut the wound - This almost always causes more damage thanit's worth. Don't use a tourniquet - This isolates the venom in a small areaand causes the digestive enzymes in the venom to concentrate thedamage. Don't use alcohol orally - it speeds the heart and blood flowand reduces the body's counter-acting ability. Don't use ice - Freezing the stricken limb has been found to bea major factor leading to amputation." Remember, have their place in the ecosystem and werearound long before we arrived. We are the visitors in theirgarden. are quite capable of defending themselves, butare reluctant to do so. If you follow a few common sense rulesyou can minimize an already very small risk of snakebite duringyour outdoor adventure. About the author:Chad Minter is the author of Venomous of the Southeast.He is actively involved in public education about andsnakebite. More information and articles can be found at Chad'swebsite http://www.envenomated.com - The Eastern DiamondbackRattlesnake Page.
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