Dangers of the woods and water Coach Cousins Outdoor Pursuits

myths regarding snakes: Snakes hold their tails in their mouths to create a circle and will chase you. When you kill a snake, another one will chase you (ironically, what IS true is excessive killing of snakes leads to the overpopulation of rodents and more disease states). The age of a rattlesnake cannot be determined by the number of rattles. Rattles frequently break off, and therefore is an unreliable method to determine age. Snake Bite Facts In the United States, only about 12 people a year die from snakebites. The estimated chances of dying from a snakebite in the outdoors is approximately 1:10 million. Juvenile rattlesnakes do have more toxic venom; however, they do not inject the large amount of venom as adult rattlesnakes do. Victims of snakebites in North America usually have two common denominators, tattoos and alcohol intake.

Types of poisons There are two types of venomous snakes, falling into two separate categories, the pit vipers which include the rattlesnakes, copperheads and cottonmouths, and the elapids, which are coral snakes.

Pit vipers The pit viper has thermo receptors, or “pits,” on their heads. These organs help the snake locate prey and adjust the amount of venom used according to the size of their prey. The glands, or venom sacks are connected to the fangs, which act like hollow hypodermic needles. These fangs are voluntarily controlled by the snake. They can raise either one or both fangs, or neither. When fangs break off, there is usually another fang below, or there may be one next to it. Therefore, snakebites can present as one puncture wound, two, three or even four

Elapids Elapids in the United States consist only of the coral snake. They have red, yellow and black bands around their bodies. King snakes are very similar in color. However there is a slight difference in band sequence. Mnemonics have been created to aid in remembering the differences, such as “red on yellow, kill a fellow, red on black, venom lack,” or “red on yellow, kill a fellow, red on black, friend of Jack.” Elapid fangs are fixed as opposed to the retractable fangs of the pit viper, and are much smaller. A coral snake must chew on its victim to inject enough venom to cause damage. Small children are bitten by handling the snake, and due to its attractive coloring, it becomes a visual “draw” for the child, who wants to pick up the “sparkling gemstone.”

Coral Snake Bite Symptoms Coral snake venom is different than pit viper venom. It is thought that adult coral snakes carry enough venom to kill 4-5 adults. The coral snake venom is primarily a neurotoxin. Fang marks are rarely seen. Swelling is rare. Symptoms may not occur until 10-14 hours later. Symptoms may begin as nausea, vomiting and sweating. Neurological symptoms may include lethargy, difficulty speaking, hard to swallow, drooping eyelids, and in severe cases, respiratory depression or arrest.

Pit Vipers The pit viper can strike about 50% of its body length, and has been recorded to strike at about 7 feet per second. The forked tongue is equivalent to our nose. The snake senses chemicals in the air with their tongue, aiding in the location of prey. Their pupils are elliptical, and all pit vipers in the United States have elliptical pupils, as opposed to non-venomous snakes which have round pupils. Venoms of the pit viper contain peptides and proteins. The venom leads to damage of vascular cells and red blood cells. Proteolytic enzymes damage muscle and are responsible for tissue death. There is also a histamine release by the body after the bite.

Snakebite Treatment General support/reassurance; keep the victim calm; move the individual away from the snake, if possible; do not try to kill the snake—two people being bitten is worse and you cannot aid the first victim (note: amputated snake heads can still bite as a reflex). Minimize all activity. All jewelry, rings, bracelets and watches should be removed immediately. Do not incise the wound as this causes more tissue damage. Do not use electrical shock at the bite site as that has been shown not to work. Do not suction with your mouth as the bacterial in your mouth will most likely cause more harm.

Snakebite Treatment Apply cool compresses, not ice. Call ahead if possible to the ER. Many emergency rooms do not stock anti-venom and they may need to fly anti-venom in. Anti-venom is very, very expensive. When traveling into the outdoors for an extended period of time, check into search and rescue insurance. Many times anti-venom is covered. It is as cheap as $12-20 for a weekend, and is well worth it if something unfortunate should occur. Transport, transport, transport.

Summary Snakes, like sharks, have a bad reputation, as the media love to sensationalize these critters. Fear sells. If you see a snake, please do not kill it! It does a tremendous amount of good, compared to any harm done. Understand reality and not fall prey to your fears and phobias.

Poisonous snakes of South Carolina Rattlesnakes Eastern diamondback Canebrake Pygmy

Eastern diamondback rattlesnake

Canebrake rattlesnake

Carolina pygmy rattlesnake

Poisonous snakes of South Carolina Copperhead

Copperhead

Copperhead

Poisonous snakes of South Carolina Water moccasin (cotton mouth)

Water moccasin

Poisonous snakes of South Carolina Coral snake

Coral snake

Snakebite

Snakebite

Snakebite

Snakebite

American Alligator

Alligator with a prize

Don’t swim near alligators

Spiders Black widow Brown recluse

Black widow

Brown recluse

Brown recluse bite

Alligator snapping turtle

Alligator snapping turtle

Fire Ants The fire ant sting usually produces immediate pain and a red, swollen area, which disappears within 45 minutes. A blister then forms, rupturing in 2 to 3 days, and the area often becomes infected. In some cases, a red, swollen, itchy patch develops instead of a blister. Isolated nerves may become inflamed, and seizures may occur.

Fire ant bites

Bee, wasp, and hornet stings Produce immediate pain and a red, swollen, sometimes itchy area about ½ inch (about 1 centimeter) across. In some people, the area swells to a diameter of 2 inches (5 centimeters) or more over the next 2 or 3 days. This swelling is sometimes mistaken for infection, which is unusual after bee stings. Allergic reactions may cause rash, itching all over, wheezing, trouble breathing, and shock.

Honeybee

Wasps

Bee sting

Hornets

Yellow jackets

Yellow jacket sting

Poisonous plants Poison ivy Poison oak Poison sumac

Poison ivy in Summer/ Fall

Poison ivy rash

Poison ivy rash

Poison oak

Poison sumac

Deer ticks

Deer tick on a dog

Tick bite on a human

Tick bite

Chiggers

Bears

Bear attack

Alligator gar

Cougar/ Panther

Cougar attack

Beaver Fever? Swamp Fever? This is an intestinal infection also known as Giardiasis. It is passed from animals to humans in water making it advisable to boil all drinking water for at least a minute. Just because the water looks clean enough to drink doesn’t mean it is.

Humans The most accidents in the outdoors are caused directly or indirectly by humans. Humans are the most dangerous animals you can run into in the woods or on the water.