Tips to Help You Stay Safe from Snakes this Summer

The summer heat brings out all kinds of creatures, some of the most dangerous being snakes.

Alabama is home to 42 snake species, six of which are venomous. Five of those six are called “pit vipers,” which include three species of rattlesnakes, the cottonmouth snake, and the copperhead snake. The sixth snake is in a group by itself and is far less common than the others, that’s the coral snake.

“It’s the time of the year when snakes are more active, people are more active, so their paths are going to eventually cross. Especially around your water ways, brush piles. So eventually, somebody’s going to get bit,” says Captain Dale Lawrence with the Greenville Fire Department. Lawrence says his team doesn’t respond to snake bite calls often, but it’s good to know where the dangerous snakes might be hiding.

“Brush piles, rubbish piles, building material that you have in your yard, anything like that. They’re looking for a shelter,” he adds. The snakes feel warm and safe in these places, he explains, so the best way to keep snakes out of your yard is to get rid of spots they can hide.

A venomous snake bite can be extremely deadly, but not just for the obvious reason.

“Anaphylactic shock. Some people have an allergic reaction to a snake bite, which is actually more dangerous than the snake bite itself,” Lawrence says.

Self-treating a snake bite can also do more harm than good. Lawrence says the homemade tourniquets that some use to stop the venom from spreading can cut off vital blood flow, and extraction kits that can be bought in home goods stores have been found to be ineffective.

The best thing someone can do after a snake bite is try to identify the snake, whether that be catching it safely or just taking a picture of it, then calling 911. If medical professionals know what snake bit you, they can specialize treatment.