Snakes can be scary to deal with. Many people scream or even run away when they are confronted with a snake. For most people finding a snake in their home or around their home is terrifying. Getting rid of the snake is the main objective.
Depending on where you live snakes may be harmless or they could be dangerous. You should find out about the snake sin your area and be able to identify harmful snakes so you can get rid of them right away. You should also learn about how to safely interact with a snake so you do not get bit or hurt. Learning about the snakes in your area may also ease your fears a bit because in many places snakes are completely harmless and nothing to fear.
Know your Snakes
In North America there are only four types of poisonous snakes:
They are not found in all areas and usually if you have one of these snakes in your area you will be aware.
The most common snake you will see is the garter snake which is completely harmless and probably more afraid of you then you are of it.
Where They Can Be Found
Snakes prefer cooler shaded areas. Around your home spots you may find them are:
Bushes
Tall grass
Sandy areas
Leaf piles
Compost areas
Under logs
Under junk or trash
They like to be out of the sun and hidden. They will normally lay coiled up and may not even move unless you specifically mess with them.
What to do About Them
If you have a non poisonous snake you really do not have a major need to get rid of it. If you don’t bother him he will not likely bother you. However, you can make your home less appealing to him by:
- Keeping bushes and shrubs away form your home.
- Cleaning up junk and trash.
- Keeping your lawn mowed.
- Eliminating any hiding spots.
You can also chase away food sources. Snakes like insects like crickets and grasshoppers, as well as small rodents like rats, mice and squirrels. You can get rid of these to make your home less inviting to a snake.
If you do end up with a poisonous snake it is best to call in a professional. You never want to mess with a poisonous snake. The repercussions are dangerous and can be deadly.
One of the dangers of hiking, hunting, fishing, camping or any other outdoor sport is that of possibly coming in contact with a snake. Most people have a fear of snakes and any time that you spend outdoors there will be that possibility of coming in contact with one and then the danger also of being bitten by one. Would you know what to look for and what to do in case of a snakebite? We will try in this little article to give you some pointers in case of an emergency like this.
The first thing to do when bitten by a snake is to determine if in fact the snake is poisonous. If it is not poisonous, there is really nothing that needs to be done at the time, but if it is poisonous, then there are certain precautions and procedures to be done till you can get the individual to the proper medical authorities.
If you cannot find the snake or did not see it, to determine its species, look at the bite. Usually a poisonous snake will have two fang marks at the very top and then there will be little marks made by the other teeth in somewhat a V shape. The bite of a nonpoisonous snake leaves only two rows of teeth marks, but not fang marks. So the fang marks are the tell-tell characteristic as to tell whether a snake is poisonous. If there is any doubt at all continue with the precautions that we will further give.
Once you have determined that it is a poisonous snake that is involved here, there are certain things that need to be done quickly.
1. STAY QUIET, DO NOT MOVE THE BITTEN PART — The more that the bitten part is moved, the faster the poison will spread to other parts of the body. For instance if the snake bite is on the foot, which is a common place for snake bite while you are hunting or fishing, the person should not walk at all.
2. WRAP THE BITTEN AREA– You need to wrap the bitten area with a wide elastic bandage or clear cloth to slow the spread of poison. Keeping the arm or leg very still, wrap it tightly, but not so tight that it stops the pulse at the wrist or on top of the foot. If you cannot feel the pulse, loosen the bandage a little.
3. WIND THE BANDAGE-over the hand or foot and up the whole arm or leg. Make sure you can still feel the pulse.
4. PUT A SPLINT ON – Once the whole arm or leg is wrapped tightly, then put a splint on that part of the body to prevent the limb from moving.
5. CARRY THE PERSON ON A STRETCHER– If possible carry the person on a stretcher to the nearest health center. The object here is to keep the person as still as possible to keep the poison from spreading. If possible take the dead snake with you, because many different snakes take different kinds of anti-venoms. If anti-venom is needed leave the bandage on until the injection is ready, and take all precautions for allergic shock. I knew of a friend who when given the anti-venom became more seriously ill then what the snake bite had done.
POISONOUS SNAKEBITE IS DANGEROUS!!
Being bitten by a poisonous snake is dangerous business. Send for medical help immediately, but always do the things explained above. Most folk remedies for snakebite do little if any good. Some treatments can in fact cause infection or make the effects of the venom worse.
For instance DO NOT:
* Cut the skin or the flesh around the bite
* Tie anything tight around the bite, or the person’s body
* Put ice on or around the bite.
* Shock the person with electricity.
* Try to suck the blood or the venom out of the bite.
* Drink alcohol after a snakebite. It makes things worse!
Snakes are both infamous and revered due to their perplexing way of living and characteristics that vastly differs from other animals. Add to that the fact that they have this unmistakable aura that commands fear among other species in the animal kingdom which is not unfounded. Snakes are very famous for having very potent venom with the most lethal of all able to kill a number of fully grown human adults.
Ironically, the world’s most venomous snakes can be found in only one continent and that is, unlike popular beliefs, the Australian deserts, plains and rainforests. Here are the countdown of the world’s deadliest snakes and how potent their venoms are.
1. Inland Taipan Or Fierce Snake – Oxyuranus Microlepidotus
The Inland Taipan is the world’s most venomous snake with an lethal dose of 0.01 mg/kg, it is about 10 times as venomous as a Mojave rattlesnake and 750 times as venomous as a common cobra. The venom of the Inland Taipan is capable of killing 250,000 mice or the equivalent of 100 adult men. Although the Taipan is the world’s most lethal snake, it has yet to take a victim, several bites have been recorded and successfully treated by taipan antivenom which is produced and manufactured by the Australian Reptile Park and the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories in Melbourne. Its main diet is mainly small mammals, particularly native rats, which at times, reach plague proportions. This snake is found on black soil plains of the ‘channel country’ of the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia and North South Wales.
2. King Brown Snake – Pseudechis Australis
In comparison with the Inland Taipan, King Brown Snakes’ venom is not that lethal, however it produces its venom in very large quantities. The average Tiger Snake produces around 10-20mg when milked. In comparison, a good sized King Brown may deliver over 150mg in one bite. Unlike the Inland Taipan, the King Brown Snake has the record of the most killings in Australia. One reason for this is because of its common sightings all around Australia as well as the use of the wrong anti-venom. The King Brown Snake, is not really of the Brown Snake genus but actually belongs to the Black Snake genus. For this reason, many people died because Brown Snake Anti-Venom was used instead of Black Snake Anti-Venom.
3. Papuan Taipan – Oxyuranus Scutellatus
The Papuan Taipan, as its name suggests can be found in the Papua New Guinea, it is a close relative of the Australian Inland and Coastal Taipans. Its venom is just slightly more potent than that of the Coastal Taipans however due to poor facilities and lack of anti-venom supplies, a Papuan Taipan bite is still a very serious medical emergency with almost 50% of its victims requiring mechanical ventilation. Like the Australian Taipans, Papuan Taipan’s diet is mostly small mammals, thus they live closely to human habitations.
4&5. MainLand & Eastern Tiger Snake
Mainland and Eastern Tiger Snakes occupy both the 4ht and 5th places because of the strength of its venom and the large quantity in which it is being administered to the snakes’ victims. Its venom is mainly neurotoxic, affecting the central nervous system, but also causes muscle damage and affects blood clotting. They can typically be found through Western and South Australia and Tasmania.
It is very easy to judge someone or something just because of the harm that it poses on you, but we have to remember that no one would kill someone else unless it is provoked. We want our autonomy so it is little to no wonder why some species would want the same as well.
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This is just a clip of a Black Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta) I filmed going down into a stump in January. There is no need to turn up your volume, there is no sound.
There are many types of water snakes found in the world. The type of snake you encounter depends on the region in which you are traveling. You should know that a snake could strike you from a distance of half of their body length. Hence it is safe to stay at a distance more than half of their body length. This striking distance is only when you encounter the snake in land.
In water their striking distance is very limited. Better avoid the areas in which the snakes sun. Usually they will be sunning in the branches that protrude over the waterfront so that if they find any encounter they will drop themselves into water and escape. That is why when you are canoeing you have to be careful when you move into the low-lying areas where branches of trees protrude over the waterfront. Some of the common water snakes that you might come across are the northern water snakes, red belly water snakes, banded water snakes, cottonmouth snakes, and the brown water snakes. The northern water snake is usually 22 to 59 inches in length and is found in the lakes, streams, rivers, marshes, swamps, ditches, and ponds. It is thick bodied and has a dark band around its neck. You can find half moon spots in its belly. It is found in the central and eastern US. Usually they come out in the night.
The cottonmouth water moccasin is a poisonous snake, which is also aggressive in the sense that it will approach the intruder in the area. It is semi aquatic in nature. Usually they lie on the water logs with part of their body in water waiting for their prey to come within their reach. This kind of water snake could be having a dark body color and a light belly color. It might also have body cross-bands. When this snake bites you it would latch on to the area with its bite rather than the bite and release pattern found in the other snakes. It has a powerful jaw. Some of the subspecies of this water snake include the eastern, western, and the Florida cottonmouth.
The brown water snake is usually active during the day and rarely hunts during the night. Fishes and frogs constitute its main dish. It also climbs the branches to sleep on the overhanging branches over the water. It usually escapes when you frighten it and if you need a bite you can catch it! It is usually found in the southeastern U.S. The Diamondback water snakes have a chain like pattern in its body and have a yellow belly. It is found in the marshes, swamps, and the lakes of south central and southwestern U.S. they have long teeth and hence the bite from these snakes would be more painful.
Water Snakes are strange reptile snakes being showed in videos at anacondasnakes.com. Today you can also freely learn about our newest topic by going to Anaconda Snakes
