Avoiding Snake Bites

How You (And Your Dog) Can Avoid Snake Bites And What To Do If You Get Bitten by Patti Neighmond, NPR’s health policy corresponden

It was a warm, wet winter this year across much of the United States. In most states, this means more greenery, more rabbits, more rodents and more snakes — which raises the risk of snake bites for humans and their canine companions.

Biologist Gerad Fox is standing next to a loud rattlesnake. “Right now he’s in a classic strike is a warning, saying, ‘Back off. I’m dangerous. You should leave me alone.’ “

Fox teaches biology classes at Loma Linda University in California and also runs rattlesnake avoidance training classes for dogs. I took my dog, Baxter, to one of these classes, where he learned how to recognize the sight and scent of snakes as a danger to avoid.

“Snakes are part of our ecosystem and deserve to be there,” says Fox. They don’t want to hurt posture, very defensive,” says Fox. “The rattle

us, he explains, but if you or your dog stumble on one by mistake, they will bite.

“Rattlesnakes can bite multiple times. They have a large reservoir of venom,” says Fox. Every year, an estimated 7,000 to 8,000 people get bitten in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only about five of those people die. The CDC says the number of deaths would be much higher if people didn’t seek medical care as soon as possible.

There are four types of venomous snakes that roam the United States. Coral snakes are found in wooded, sandy or marshy areas in the South. Water moccasins live in the southeastern states. Copperheads, which vary in color from reddish to golden tan, are found in eastern states. And rattlesnakes live in mountains, prairies, deserts and beaches – basically everywhere across the country, including Fryman Canyon Park,

Copperhead snakes are one of the four kinds of venomous snakes in the United States.

where Baxter and I like to hike. It’s the closest thing to wilderness I have in my Los Angeles neighborhood.

Now that Baxter has received some training on how to avoid rattlesnakes, I wanted to know what humans can do to reduce our own risk of getting bitten. So I invited emergency room physician Mark Morocco to join me on an early morning hike.

“The canyons and passes in Southern California are places where the animals can be relatively undisturbed,” says Morocco, who works at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. “The snakes aren›t going to hunt you. They›re not coming after you,” he says. But if you accidentally step on a snake, then it will reflexively bite. “That’s the majority of snake bites for people who are hiking,” Morocco says.

So what is the best way to avoid getting bitten?

Stay on the trail The No. 1 rule when hiking in snake territory is to stay on the trail. “You want to be able to see your feet, see where you’re stepping,” Morocco says. “Don’t get into the high brush on the side of the trail, because that’s where the snakes are going to be and they’re going to be harder to see.”

And if you’re rock climbing, watch where you put your hands. You don’t want to grab a snake by mistake and surprise it.

Keep the dog on a leash Like humans, dogs are more likely to get bitten when they go off the trail, so it’s best to keep your pup on a leash. And in addition to signing your dog up for a snake avoidance class, there are snake vaccines available for dogs, so check with your vet. (continued)

Coral snakes, like this one, are sometimes mistaken for nonvenomous kingsnakes, which have a similar band of colors. If a snake has red bands that are touching yellow bands, then it is venomous, according to the CDC.

Rattlesnakes are venomous and are found throughout the United States.