Forgoodnesssnakes Protecting yourself and the environment by P. B. Smith, contributing writer aybe you don’t lie awake at night worrying about snakes • Don’t reach under or into favorite snake haunts—logs, slithering under your bed, but the majority of humans rocks or wood piles—with your bare hands Mhave some degree of ophidiophobia, or fear of snakes. • Elevate wood piles at least 18 inches off the ground to Local experts tell us the best way to avoid snakebite, and why we keep snakes out should welcome most snakes into our yards. • Keep grass trimmed and your yard free of brush and weeds where snakes can hide You live in a big city surrounded by concrete and road- It bothers Clint that people automatically want to kill ways, so you don’t have to ever worry about getting bitten every snake they see. “It doesn’t make sense,” he says. “Do by a snake, right? people kill every bird that flies into their yard, every squir- Wrong. According to Dr. Rohit Shenoi of Texas Children’s rel, every rabbit?” Hospital, they saw 20 cases of venomous and one case of non- You may be saying, “Sure, but do rabbits inflict deadly venomous snakebites in their Emergency Room in 2004. Most bites?” Well, only in Monty Python movies. But the fact is, were copperhead bites, with a few from water moccasins. snakebites, while truly terrifying, are rarely fatal. Only one in Yes, there are venomous snakes living cozily right here in a thousand people die following a venomous snakebite, and Houston. But snuggled down next to them are more than a they usually have some underlying medical condition that hundred species of beneficial snakes that are very important contributes to their death. Of the 20 cases at Texas Children’s, to the balance of nature. They keep rodent populations in only one had to be admitted for observation. check, and feast on venomous snakes. So how do you tell the “For the most part, copperheads and water moccasin bites do difference between snakes you cause pain, and the swelling can be want and the ones you’d rather not considerable, but children do not encounter? usually need anti-venom,” says Dr. Local snake removal expert, Shenoi. Clint Pustejovsky, says the way to An average of five people die in conquer fear of snakes is to educate the U.S. every year from snakebite, yourself. He recommends several most from rattlesnakes which, for- helpful books loaded with color tunately, don’t frequent cities. photos so you can tell the differ- Contrast that to an average of 120 ence between good snakes and deaths a year from ant, bee and snakes to avoid. Texas Snakes: A wasp stings, which concerns doc- Field Guide, by James Dixon and tors more than snakebites because John Werler, not only includes riv- death from an insect sting can hap- eting color photos of each snake, pen so quickly. but also a description of their habi- Most children get bitten by acci- tat and range, so you know what to dent when they step on a snake or look for and where to look. put their hands in low brush or a Pustejovsky also conducts classes wood pile. A lot of older kids may for Scout troops, schools and even try to poke snakes with a stick, private birthday parties to teach with sometimes unhappy results. kids to respect snakes, and which Allan Frederick of West U befriends a Honduran milk snake But all three of our experts say snakes are dangerous. most cases of adults getting bitten Eric Duran, a naturalist with the Nature Discovery Center by a venomous snake involve alco- in Bellaire, also believes education is important. He keeps a hol…and it’s not the snake that’s been drinking. milk snake at the Center for kids to see. Milk snakes are often “Let’s just say if you’re operating under the influence of mistaken for coral snakes because their coloring is similar, so more beer and bravado than brainpower, don’t try to shake Duran teaches a simple poem kids can remember to tell which hands with a snake—you will get bitten,” Clint says. snake is beneficial and which is dangerous: “Red touch yellow, You may not like the idea of a snake in your yard, but an kill a fellow. Red touch black, friend of Jack.” The gentle milk efficient predator like a king snake can eat hundreds of mice snake’s red rings are banded by black rings, while the ven- a year, a statistic that makes your cat sound downright lazy. omous coral snake’s red rings are banded by yellow. So the next time you see a snake, don’t run for the shovel. Duran has got some good tips to avoid snakebite: Take the time to figure out what kind of snake it is. If it’s ben- • Stay on marked trails when hiking eficial, leave it alone. And if it’s venomous, call Clint! • Never approach or pick up a snake WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ MARCH 2006 7.