Poisonous Snakes

Hello, I'm the OUTDOOR PROFESSOR from DiscoveringTheOutdoors.com/

Here's your outdoor tip on poisonous snakes.

Coral snakes and pit vipers are the two most common poisonous snakes indigenous to the United States. Pit vipers made up of rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, and copperheads make up about 98% of the snake bites. It’s estimated that up to 8000 people each year receive venomous bites in the United States and less than 1% die. More people would die if they did not receive medical care. Snakes have heat sensitive organs on each side of the head that enables them to locate warm-blood pray and strike accurately even in the dark.

One of the most prevalent snakes of the viper group is the rattlesnake. It is the largest and can strike up to one third its body length. Rattlesnakes frequently rattle their tail if they feel threatened. There are often sunning themselves on logs and boulders in mountains, prairies, deserts, and beaches. The most common types of rattlesnakes are the eastern diamondback rattlesnake, the western diamondback, and the timber rattlesnake.

Copper heads vary in color from reddish to golden tan with hourglass shaped bands on their bodies. They will often freeze when frightened frequently biting when stepped on. They are often found in forests, rocky areas, swamps or near water. Their bite is painful, but seldom a threat to human life.

Cottonmouths average about 50 inches in length with dark tan, brown or black skin with dark crossbands. Young snakes have a crossbanded pattern of brown or orange with a yellow tail. They are frequently found in or around water and they will defend their territory if threatened.

Coral snakes are often confused with nonvenomous king snakes. They both have similar bands however if the red bands are touching the yellow it is a coral snake. Just remember red on yellow, kill a fellow. Its venom is a neurotoxin and will shut down your nervous system, you heart will stop and death will follow. These snakes tend to hide in leaves or burrow into the ground in wooded, sandy or marshy areas.

Generally speaking, snake bite symptoms may include:

A pair of puncture marks

Redness and swelling around the bite

Severe pain at the bite

Nausea and vomiting

Labored breathing

Blurred vision

Sweating

Numbness or tingling of the body

To avoid snake bites

Do not handle any snake

Stay away from tall grass

Avoid climbing on rocks or piles of wood

Watch particularly for snakes at night

Remember snakes are most active in warm weather

Wear boots and long pants

Wear leather gloves when handling brush and debris

If bitten by a snake

Seek medical attention immediately

Remember the shape and color of the snake

Keep calm and don’t move around

Never lay down with the bite below the level of the heart.

Wash the bite with soap and water.

Do NOT do any of the following:

DO NOT

Try to catch the snake

Wait for symptoms to appear

Apply a tourniquet

Cut the wound

Suck out the venom

Apply ice

Immerse in water

Drink alcohol

Drink caffeinated drinks

Remember snakes usually will only bit when you have disturbed or startled them. Leaving a snake alone is the best thing to do when you encounter one in the outdoors.

This is the OUTDOOR PROFESSOR from DiscoveringTheOutdoors.com/

References-Additional Reading

Venomous Snakes
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/snakes/

4 Deadly Poisonous (Venomous) Snakes in America
http://modernsurvivalblog.com/survival-skills/the-4-deadly-poisonous-snakes-in-america/

Poisonous Snakes
http://www.usatourist.com/english/adventures/dangers/poisonous-snakes.html

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