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Helpful tips for dealing with snakes from TWRC

By: TWRC Wildlife Center
| Published 06/25/2015

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TEXAS - There are four species of venomous snakes in the United States and guess what? They all live in our area. They are Copperheads, the Western Cottonmouth, Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnakes and the Coral snakes.

COPPERHEADS – The adult is about 30 inches long with a copper-colored head. They are social snakes and may share a den with other species of snakes. They are carnivores and eat mostly mice but will also dine on small birds, lizards, amphibians, and insects.

Copperhead venom is the least toxic of all the venomous snakes and the bites are rarely fatal. However, the bites can cause severe damage to tissue and can cause serious secondary infections. Copperheads tend to freeze when surprised so they often get stepped on and react with a bite.

WESTERN COTTONMOUTH – This snake is the only venomous water snake in the US and is also known as the Water Moccasin. They also enjoy basking on dry land. Most adults are between 30 and 42 inches long. When frightened the snake will open its mouth exposing bright white skin like cotton. This is how the snake got its name. They are grayish-brown in color with few if any markings. They eat frogs, fish, smaller snakes, small water birds, small mammals, and sometimes fish.

Cottonmouths swim with the heads out of the water. Cottonmouths CAN bite under water but your chances of being bitten are slim. They avoid contact with humans. If bitten, their venom is very potent but fatalities are very rare.

WESTERN DIAMOND-BACKED RATTLESNAKES – This is the most abundant snake in Texas. It prefers sparsely vegetated, arid areas so we don’t see many of them around here. It is the second largest venomous snake in the United States and can get over seven feet long. The Eastern Diamond-backed is larger. When threatened the snake will rattle its tail which means "stay away".

Most fatal snakebites, however rare, can be attributed to rattlesnakes.

CORAL SNAKE – Although venomous, they are considered less dangerous than rattlesnakes because they have a less effective poison-delivery system. They are usually between 18 and 20 inches long. Their most distinctive characteristic is their brightly colored bodies. They eat lizards, frogs and other small, smooth-scaled snakes.

The venom of the Coral snake is highly toxic but the bite is rarely fatal. It can take many hours for symptoms to occur after a bite. There will be no swelling or pain but left untreated, slurred speech, double vision and muscular paralysis will occur.

There are other non-venomous snakes that look similar to Coral snakes so to avoid confusion, remember this:

Red next to yellow can kill a fellow. Red next to black is a friend of Jack.

WHAT TO DO IF BITTEN

• If possible, take these steps while waiting for medical help:

• Remain calm and move beyond the snake's striking distance.

• Remove jewelry and tight clothing before you start to swell.

• Position yourself, if possible, so that the bite is at or below the level of your heart.

• Clean the wound, but don't flush it with water. Cover it with a clean, dry dressing.

Caution

• Don't use a tourniquet or apply ice.

• Don't cut the wound or attempt to remove the venom.

• Don't drink caffeine or alcohol, which could speed the rate at which your body absorbs venom.

• Don't try to capture the snake. Try to remember its color and shape so that you can describe it, which will help in your treatment.

If you have questions regarding wildlife, please call 713-468-TWRC or visit www.twrcwildlifecenter.org. TWRC Wildlife Center is located at 10801 Hammerly Blvd. in Houston.

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