Archive for the 'Snake tips' Category
Spending summer months in the great outdoors often means dealing with rattlesnakes. Rattlesnakes roam across several states, from coastal to mountain ranges. Many western states are afflicted by this poisonous creature include California, Arizona, Texas and New Mexico. In California alone, 800 residents are bitten each year and about two end up dying from their bites. The species that are most common to the Western US include the Northern Pacific Rattler, Western Diamond Back, Sidewinder, Speckled Rattlesnake, Red Diamond Rattler, Southern Pacific, Great Basin and Mohave Rattlesnake.
Rattlesnakes can be found anywhere, but commonly find shelter among high grass and rocks. In the evening, when the weather cools, they often venture out onto dirt roads and streets to absorb the warmth into their bodies.
Apart from the rattle, the most distinctive indentifying characteristics of the rattlesnake is a wide, flat triangular head, much broader in back than front, with a distinct “neck” region. The rattlesnakes has openings between the nostrils and eyes, which are hooded with elliptical pupils. There are also a series of dark and light bands near the tail above the rattles, that differ from the markings on the rest of the body.
If you come across the path of a rattlesnake, the simple thing to do is get out of that area. If you’re feeling particularly brave, you can kill it with a rock, shovel or snakeshot. To protect other people and animals, you should bury the head, as the poison remains deadly even once the snake has been killed.
If you are bitten by a rattlesnake, stay calm and get to a doctor as soon as possible. The California Poison Control Center advises:
1. Stay Calm
2. Wash bite area gently with soap and water
3. Remove watch, rings, etc. that may constrict swelling
4. Immobilize the affected area
5. Transport safely to nearest medical facility.
Remember that a rattlesnake bite is potentially fatal, so be cautious and always watch your step. Be aware of your surroundings and that of your family while enjoying your summer in the great outdoors.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elizabeth_Smith
October 09 2007 | Info and Random and Rattlesnakes and Snake tips | No Comments »
Many people ask me how dangerous are snakes?
The answer is that snakes have accumulated as many myths as sharks over the years. Like shark stories, most general beliefs about snakes have very little foundation in the truth.
However, they still remain animals that have developed unique ways of defending themselves and should be given the respect that they deserve.
Snakes are wild animals that just want to live out their lives the way they were designed to. With the exceptions of a few species that live mainly in Australia and Africa, the vast majority of venomous snakes have absolutely no interest in humans and do not attack.
In fact, people who live in warmer climates have quite probably been within inches of a venomous snake and never known about it. Snakes will often give fair warning before striking by hissing or using their rattles. They do this because they do not want to waste their venom on species that are not their prey.
Humans have a macabre relationship with snakes that is not really justified. The mere mention of the word initiates an anxious reaction that is deeply embedded in our unconscious mind as a primeval defense strategy against unnecessary injury.
So what do you do if you or somebody else are bitten by a snake?
The first thing to do is to lie the person down and keep them still. That includes yourself if it is you who was bitten. By doing this we are trying to keep the pulse low. However this has limited effect because the anxiety one feels after snake bite raises the pulse. In saying that, running about most definitely makes matters worse.
The second thing to do is to identify the type of snake that bit the person in question. If you can’t identify it make a mental note of exactly what it looked like.
Get some ice if possible and put it on the lesion. Keep the injured part of the body as still as possible. Apply a splint if you have suitable materials at hand.
Get medical help. Use your mobile phone to call an ambulance. If the ambulance station is far from where you are, ask for a helicopter or failing that start to drive in the direction of the ambulance. mark your car in some way that the ambulance will recognize you. e.g. use a shirt as a flag. Call the police they may be closer to your area. If you are in a park or wilderness call the ranger service. They may keep anti venom.
Meet the ambulance half way and transfer the patient to the ambulance.
NEVER attempt to suck the poison out or cut the wounded area. You may poison yourself and cause the venom to disperse more quickly. Only apply a tourniquet or any other type of blood flow restriction device if you are advised to do so by a medical professional.
Facts about Bites:
Normally a snake will strike very quickly and will inject about 1/2 – 1/4 of a drop of venom from each fang. Venom takes time to mix with the blood. You can demonstrate this by taking taking a glass of water and gently placing one drop of ink onto the surface of the water. You will notice how it takes a long time for the ink to mix throughout the water. Venom is the same. The venom is somewhere embedded in the tissue. It needs some time for it to spread evenly throughout the body.
If you are going into a wilderness, let the authorities know where you are going and when you are expected back. Take distress flares with you and find out if you will have reception for your mobile phone. Find out where help stations are situated, including emergency telephones.
Wear sensible boots, Do not turn over logs and rocks. Do not sit down without first checking the area and especially do not lean on fallen trees or rocks without checking them well first.
Do not be tempted to touch wildlife including snakes. Give them a wide girth, keep clear. Do not leave your boots outside of your tent at night, snakes like to crawl into places for protection from the cold.
Do not leave food scraps because they will attract the local rodents. Snakes follow their food source which is small animals, especially rodents. No rodents equals less chance of snakes.
If you don’t have a tent, sleep above ground in a hammock if you can. Follow these simple rules and your chances of being bitten are much less.
Remember! of you are going to work in your garden or pick something up in a place that has good camouflage for snakes like under bushes, among leaves, rocks or timber test the whole area gently with a long stick first.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Routledge
October 08 2007 | Info and Random and Snake tips | No Comments »
By Joshua Biggar
Some are scaly, some are smooth. Some are skinny, some are stout. Some are long, some are short. They’ve been around since the Garden of Eden – and Thanks to that sinister serpent, they’ve gained a bad reputation. However, snakes really aren’t that bad. As a matter of fact, there are some pretty good fellas out there. Let’s take a look at some of the good guys.
The Kingsnake ( hence it name ) will not only keep unwanted rodents off of your property , it will also rid the area of the poisonous ” bad guys “. Kingsnakes vary in size and color due to the region. One of the most beautiful of the species is the Scarlet Kingsnake, which resembles the dreaded Coral snake, however, the color skein is different. With the Scarlet Kingsnake, the red and yellow bands are divided by black. Another distinction between the two snakes is the color of the snakes head. The Coral snakes head is black, whereas the Scarlet Kingsnakes is red.
Another “good guy ” is the Common Garter snake. This snake can pretty much be found in any ones backyard. This snake feeds on pesty insects as well as mice and other rodents. They are harmless, non-aggressive little guys not growing over 36 inches
Last, but not least, let’s give some well deserved credit to the farmers best friend, after his dog of course, the Rat Snake. This snake can do some pretty heavy damage to the rat population. Most farmers welcome these guys because the eat pesty critters that harm their and may carry diseases that could affect their livestock.
So no matter what your view is on snakes. No matter how loud you shriek when you see one. Just remember they are not so bad and deserve a little respect.
September 24 2007 | Animals and Identification and Info and Random and Reptiles and Snake tips | No Comments »
By Lance Winslow
If you see a snake and you are unaware of what type it is, then you might consider simply avoiding it. Snakes generally do not want anything do with larger animals and for the most part will simply go away if you do not harass them or challenge them. Providing there is a direct escape route for cover. Why should you avoid snakes if you know nothing about them and do not know what type of snake you are dealing with? Well simple really; did you know that snake bites kill some 125,000 people per year.
This of course is about ten times less than the number of human deaths from Mosquitoes, nevertheless it makes sense to pay attention. Sometimes most people never even met the Mosquito which ended up killing them, but with a snake bite, the victim always knows; Who Done It.
What many people do not realize is that some venomous snake species are much more potent when they are young. For instance a small Rattle Snake which are common to North America are much more poisonous than the larger adult Rattlers. So, if you are hiking and see a snake out sunbathing or on your trail, avoid it and be glad you did. You might make both of your days that way. Consider all this in 2006
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow
August 18 2007 | Random and Snake tips | No Comments »
By Michael Gutemberg
There are till this day 45 different types of snakes in Florida. Out of these forty five species only six species are poisonous and the rest 39 species are not poisonous and hence can cause no harm to human beings. These harmless 39 species needs to be protected for the ecological balance as these snakes can keep a check on the population of rodents, insects, rabbits and other small animals. For southern copper head- the other names of these snakes are copper head, chunk head, and highland moccasin.
The scientific name of this poisonous snake in our lovely state of Florida is agkistrodon contortrix contortrix. These snakes are small ones and can reach a maximum length of 53 inches. The body of the snake will be stout and will have alternate band of dark and light brown. Due to the effect of constriction at the backbone, the dark bands get hourglass shape.
The dark bands will have light centers at the side of the body. At times pinkish tinted southern copperheads can also be seen. The pupil elliptical and will have a catlike slit. Facial pit [deep] can be seen between the eye and the nostril. For the cotton mouth this is the other poisonous snake in florida. The other names are cottonmouth moccasin, Florida cottonmouth, and water mocassin. The scientific name of this snake is agkistrodon piscivorous. The average size of the adult snake will be between 20 -48 inches. These snakes are heavy bodied and will appear dark colored. The young ones are found to posses cross bands that are reddish in color.
Speckles and dark spots can be seen in the dark cross bands. Dark, broad facial stripe will camouflage the eye. The thick head will appear distinctly broader than the neck. Catlike pupil and the pit between the eye and the nostril can be seen. The head top will be covered by scales that are like plates.
As a last warning, the eastern rattle snake is yet another venomous snake located in the rare lake and swamp areas of Florida. The scientific name is crotalus adamanteus. The other common names are rattle snake, diamond back, and rattler. The adults can grow to the length of 96 inches but the average size of the adult snake will range anywhere between 37- 73 inches. The body of the snake is large and heavy.
Presence of dark diamonds with cream color border and brown color center is the characteristic of this type of snakes. The color of the tail will be different from rest of the body. At the tails, the diamond will not be seen, instead bands will be seen. Dark stripe can be seen running diagonally to the eye in the large and thick head.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Gutemberg
June 18 2007 | Animals and Random and Reptiles and Snake tips | 1 Comment »
By Joshua Biggar
In the United States, each year an average of 8,000 people receive snake bites from venomous snakes. Some of these people are bitten from the result of not being able to identify the snake, while some others are bitten for the result of identifying the snake incorrectly and getting close to it thinking that it is safe to do so. Even the ‘harmless’, non-venomous snakes can cause a severe infection or an allergic reaction in many people.
If ever bitten by a venomous snake, mosts doctors give you antivenin, an antidote to cure snake bites, to treat a serious snake bite. Each antivenin is created in a horse’s blood serum when the horse is injected with snake venom. So they won’t just give you any snake venom, for if it is not from the right kind of snake it can be like giving you poison. They will give you the venom for the kind of snake that bit you. So what if you don’t know what kind of snake bit you? Well they normally have ways of finding that out, by the description of the snake or from the symptoms you have of the venom, but not all the time. For this reason it would be very useful to know your snakes.
For those who live on or near woody lands, swamps, or any source of water, it would be very good to know your snakes backwards and forward. Even the people who hunt, fish, hike, camp, and do other outdoor things. Knowing your snakes is really important. If you are any of these people above then take the time to learn all the snakes in your area or at least learn the basic features to tell the venomous and the non-venomous apart. For the one’s that don’t won’t to take the time at all, when you see a snake, do like some people would do and just run as fast as you can. This may save you from being bitten.
All you you really have to know about snakes to identify them is listed below:
1. body length – this is can be very useful if the snake is fully grown
2. body shape- this is a very effective way of identifying most snakes especially watersnakes and water moccasins
3. head & neck shape – this is can be used to identify any snake and some times tell the venomous apart from the non-venomous
4. color & pattern – very effective to identify a snake with, it can be hard if the snake is shedding its skin or if the snake is a small snake
5. scale texture – if you can see the scales this can be useful, but you may have to get closer to the see to see it. I don’t recommend this way
6. eye pupil shape- this is probably the best way to tell the venomous and non-venomous snakes apart. If you can’t do this without getting close then forget this method
Now to summerize all I have written in a few words, KNOW YOUR SNAKES.
May 18 2007 | Random and Snake tips | No Comments »
Snakes are legless reptiles with hundreds of species across the world. About 40% possess deadly poison like rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, copperheads and coral snakes, while majority, like the soil burrowing species are harmless, and only grows in full size at under a foot long.
However, majority homeowners can’t stand the sight of snakes in their homes, backyard, flower pots, personal garden, pool sides, kitchen and even bedroom. So just how do you get rid of these unwanted legless creatures.
If you’re not sure whether the snake in your home is venomous, and you don’t want to personally get involve in removing it, then call in a snake handling professional to check it out for you. He’ll definitely assist you and take it out alive.
Find out why it came into your house: Try to discover how the snake was able to get inside your house. Normally, snakes go where there is food, e.g. rodents. So make sure the snakes can’t get to any food inside or outside your house. Cover all garbage cans tightly and don’t leave anything out.
Use snake repellent: If you live in an area prone to snakes then use this solution to keep them away. Spray the snake repellent every four weeks from the spring through to autumn.
This works because all snakes have a smell receptor known as Jacobson’s organ, they can’t withstand the repulsive odor and harsh taste the repellent will discharge, which will make the snake weak, as if anaesthetized. It will leave quite quickly.
Clean out your clutter: Don’t make it easy for snakes to hide. Keep your grass short and get rid of any clutter. Tidy up your garbage cans, recycling boxes and other areas where snakes like to hide.
Recurring snake problem: If you have a constant snake invasion in your backyard, you can invite some devoted “snake collectors” from your local herpetological society; they’ll gather and remove the snakes usually free of charge.
Move it yourself: If you’re confident and sure that the snake is not venomous, like the rattlesnake, you can personally catch it and liberate it somewhere far away from the house.
Leave it alone: There are some bigger species of snakes, like the black racer that in fact, eat up venomous snakes. So, you can always leave these in your backyard since they can assist you in getting rid of the more dangerous venomous snakes.
May 11 2007 | Random and Snake tips | No Comments »
To have a snake or two in the garden is good. Non-poisonous
snakes, such as the common garter snakes, are beneficial
creatures because they eat pest insects, mosquito larvae,
slugs, snails, crickets, rats, mice, voles and even other
snakes which may be poisonous.
But if you really don’t want snakes in your yard and garden
here are a few tips to eliminate them without hurting or
killing them.
Keep the lawn neatly cut and clean. Be careful using weed
eaters because the sting from the fast moving string can
kill them.
Snakes need cover for protection. Don’t leave wood or brush
piles sit in one spot for more than a month.
Keep leaves and other debris picked up.
Don’t keep piles of rocks.
Stack firewood on a rack 12″ off the ground.
Remove old lumber or junk piles.
Remove their source of food. Keep the insect and rodent
population under control.
Place garbage bags in sealed trash cans away from the house.
Repair cracks along the foundation and fill holes around
pipes. Snakes only need about a ¼ inch crack to get inside.
Sprinkle moth balls around the perimeter of your yard or
garden. But beware that these can be dangerous to pets and
children.
Sulfur from a garden center is said to keep snakes away.
Don’t plant bushes and other plants too close to the
foundation of the house.
Use mulch in the garden beds but not too thickly.
Trim the lowest limbs on shrubs and bushes so they are at
least 12 inches from the ground.
Construct a fence around your garden with heavy galvanized
screening. Make it three feet wide with quarter-inch mesh.
Be sure to bury the bottom of it six inches below the soil
surface.
For more help on controlling snakes:
http://www.apluswriting.net/garden/snakecontrol.htm
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Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
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May 02 2007 | Random and Snake tips | No Comments »
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