How to survive a snake bite.
Stay calm. This sounds trite, but will save your life. By becoming agitated, your heart beats faster and you increase the flow of blood to the affected area and increase the amount of toxin able to find its way into your tissues.
Not every venomous snakebite injects venom but you should never wait for symptoms to kick in before going to the emergency room. Symptoms of venomous snakes vary. An untreated venomous snakebite that injected venom is a serious medical condition that ultimately results in death. The natural response is to panic, but staying calm will keep you alive a lot longer.
Many websites recommend killing the snake and bringing it with you. This wastes time and puts you or someone else in further danger. Anti-venom these days is polyvalent - that is, they are effective against multiple venoms. You should always be aware of what the common venomous snakes in your region look like. Just because you got bitten is not a good reason to kill a beautiful creature.(I mean the least you could do is let it live after it showed you who was boss)
Not every venomous snakebite injects venom but you should never wait for symptoms to kick in before going to the emergency room. Symptoms of venomous snakes vary. An untreated venomous snakebite that injected venom is a serious medical condition that ultimately results in death. The natural response is to panic, but staying calm will keep you alive a lot longer.
Many websites recommend killing the snake and bringing it with you. This wastes time and puts you or someone else in further danger. Anti-venom these days is polyvalent - that is, they are effective against multiple venoms. You should always be aware of what the common venomous snakes in your region look like. Just because you got bitten is not a good reason to kill a beautiful creature.(I mean the least you could do is let it live after it showed you who was boss)
In the U.S. there are four families of snakes that people need to be aware of because of venom. There are many more types of venomous snakes than this, after all just take a look at all the rattlesnakes around the country, but all native snakes that pack that extra punch in the United States belong to one of these four families.
Copperhead Snake
Coral Snake
Rattle Snake
Cotton Mouth Snake
Copperheads. Copperheads are sometimes thought of as an "Eastern" snake because the far majority of them are found east of the Mississippi River. They can be found in Texas and the lower Midwest, such as Kansas, and while copperheads are not aggressive, they're not timid either and that boldness can lead to encounters with people and accidental bites. They are very recognizable because of a distinct copper and green color.
Coral snakes. There are 3 different species of coral snake in the United States, all of which are found in southern states. They can be found in coastal states all the way to southern Arizona. Coral snakes are the only native venomous snakes to the United States that aren't pit vipers, and as such normal boots are just as good as snake proof boots for these guys since there aren't any fangs to penetrate.
Rattlesnakes. These snakes are the most common type of venomous snake by a wide margin, and the only ones that can be found in each and every one of the 47 states that have venomous snakes .The famous diamondback rattlers can grow as long as 7 feet or even more, while smaller Western cousins like the pygmy rattlesnake only occasionally exceed 20 inches. These are some of the deadliest snakes in all of North America, and need to be respected and left alone in the wild. Most are timid towards people and will run away if given the chance.
WaterMoccasins. Also known as "cottonmouths," these snakes are all black with a cotton white mouth and are found exclusively in the south, and in small patches in the Midwest, especially around swamps. These snakes are known for being dangerous and overly aggressive in attacking people. They can often be found in large "colonies" and should be avoided.
Coral snakes. There are 3 different species of coral snake in the United States, all of which are found in southern states. They can be found in coastal states all the way to southern Arizona. Coral snakes are the only native venomous snakes to the United States that aren't pit vipers, and as such normal boots are just as good as snake proof boots for these guys since there aren't any fangs to penetrate.
Rattlesnakes. These snakes are the most common type of venomous snake by a wide margin, and the only ones that can be found in each and every one of the 47 states that have venomous snakes .The famous diamondback rattlers can grow as long as 7 feet or even more, while smaller Western cousins like the pygmy rattlesnake only occasionally exceed 20 inches. These are some of the deadliest snakes in all of North America, and need to be respected and left alone in the wild. Most are timid towards people and will run away if given the chance.
WaterMoccasins. Also known as "cottonmouths," these snakes are all black with a cotton white mouth and are found exclusively in the south, and in small patches in the Midwest, especially around swamps. These snakes are known for being dangerous and overly aggressive in attacking people. They can often be found in large "colonies" and should be avoided.