As snake season ramps up, here’s what you need to know
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - It’s that time of the year when snakes are starting to make their appearance known.
What should you do if you experience a snake encounter? We spoke with an expert about what you need to know about the different types of snakes in our area.
Mary Pruitt has a snake wrapped around her neck, and she doesn’t mind.
“Feels good actually, nice and cool, and he’s not squeezing,” she said.
She’s studied snakes for years.
“They’re quite a ion of mine. They’re misunderstood, so that makes me love them even more,” said Pruitt.
Pruitt says they get a bad reputation. When you see a snake slithering, you may think it wants to go after you. But she says it doesn’t.
“No snake is out there looking to attack a human. We don’t have any snakes in Georgia that are big enough to eat a human, so it would be a waste of their energy to even try and come after you,” she said.
Pruitt says in our area, most of them are non-venomous.
“I think it’s important to that we have almost 50 species of snakes in Georgia alone, but only six of those are venomous,” said Pruitt.
The venomous ones are the copperhead, pigmy rattlesnake, timber rattlesnake, cottonmouth, eastern diamondback rattlesnake and eastern coral snake.
What if you encounter a snake and you’re afraid?
“The best thing to do is just leave them alone, go the other direction,” she said.
Pruitt told us you could try spraying it with a hose or calling a snake removal expert.
But whatever you do, she says don’t try killing it.
“Trying to kill one puts yourself in danger of being bit, so it’s best to just leave them alone,” she said.
And in the end, isn’t that what we all want?
“They wanna be left alone, just as much as you wanna be left alone,” said Pruitt.
It’s illegal to kill non-venomous snakes in Georgia. If you want to learn how to tell the difference, Reed Creek park is hosting a snake ID class on Saturday.
Staying safe
Although we do have rattlesnakes here, copperheads may be the venomous snake you’ll most commonly encounter.
Non-venomous snakes such as scarlet kingsnake, eastern hognose and watersnake species are frequently confused with their venomous counterparts – coral snakes, rattlesnakes and water moccasins, respectively.
Although pit vipers, which include all venomous species native to Georgia except for coral snakes, are often identified by their broad, triangular-shaped heads, many non-venomous snakes flatten their heads when threatened, which can make their heads appear triangular-shaped. Also, some non-venomous species have color patterns similar to venomous snakes.
Give snakes the space they need and you’ll save yourself the risk, experts say.
And make sure your pets stay away from them. Veterinarians say you’ll know right away if your dog is bitten by a snake because they’ll yelp in extreme pain and the bite site will swell. The good news, while some cases will require antivenom, vets say more often than not your pet can be treated with pain medication and lots of fluids.
If you are bitten, the Georgia Poison Center recommends that you don’t put ice on the affected area, even if it swells because ice can make the venom move faster through your system.
Don’t take pain medications, that way when you get to urgent care, your doctor can better evaluate your body’s reaction to the bite and better determine whether you need antivenom treatment.
But to avoid a trip to the doctor is to make every attempt to avoid snakes in the first place.
To reduce the potential for snakes near your home, remove brush, log piles and other habitat features that attract mice, lizards and other prey.
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