I know we've all heard about the guy who shot holes in his boat because a
watersnake climbed in ... I thought this would be a great article to pass
along...

This article may be redistributed in digital or printed format, as long as
all citations, links, and attributions (including this notice) remain
intact.

There's a snake in the boat!!!
What to do (and not do) when you see a snake

by Chad Minter

First, don't kill nonvenomous snakes. Any given area can only support a
fixed number of snakes. If you kill the nonvenomous snakes that leaves a
food supply that could support a population of venomous snakes.

Remember to stay a safe distance from the snake. Snakes usually strike about
1/2 their body length, but they can strike farther. You also don't want to
trip and fall on the snake.

Learn what snakes are venomous near you. If you are in the southeast, take
the venomous snake ID tests at http://www.envenomated.com

80% of bites occur when someone tries to catch or kill a snake. The safest
thing you can do if you see a snake is to leave it alone. (It's probably
protected by law anyway.)

85% of bites in the United States occur on the hand and forearm. 50% involve
a victim under the age of 20. 70% of bites in the United States involve
alcohol consumption.

If you have a snake in your yard, either call someone trained in their
removal or stand at a safe distance and spray it with a garden hose. Snakes
hate that and will leave quickly.

Step on logs rather than over them. Snakes coil beside logs in the "Reinert
Posture" and might mistake your leg for a predator or prey.

Watch where you put your hands and feet. Do not reach under boards with your
fingers.

Snakes can be handled safely with proper tools and training, but do NOT risk
trying to handle venomous snakes if you have not been professionally
trained. There are things that no website can teach you about how to handle
venomous snakes safely.

You can minimize the appeal of your yard to a snake by 1. cutting the grass,
2. picking up debris, and 3. Controlling rodents. If there is no food or
shelter the snake will soon leave for better hunting grounds.

The safest thing to do if you see a snake is to LEAVE IT ALONE. Most bites
occur when someone is attempting to capture or kill a snake.

If you are bitten by a snake, seek immediate medical care from a licensed
and experienced physician. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the
first aid for snakebite consists of:

"Do remain calm - Remember that there is an excellent chance for survival,
and in most cases there is plenty of time.

Do suck and squeeze - as much venom as possible directly from the wound.
Venom is protein and can be taken orally with no ill effects.

Do remove jewelry - Swelling can progress rapidly, so rings, watches and
bracelets can be a real problem.

Do mark the time - The progress of symptoms (swelling) is the most obvious
indicator of the amount of envenomation.

Do keep the stricken limb below the heart.

Do get to a hospital as quickly as possible - Anti-venom serum is the only
sure cure for envenomation, and because some people are allergic to horse
serum it should only be given in a fully equipped medical facility.

In case of a Coral bite, do pull the snake off immediately - Corals' fangs
are relatively small, and they have to work at getting venom into the wound.
Therefore, the faster the snake is removed the less venom is injected.

Do attempt to identify the offending snake - Positive identification in the
form of a dead snake is helpful, if convenient, but no time or safety should
be wasted since the symptoms will give medical personnel an accurate
diagnosis.

Do get a tetanus shot.

Don't cut the wound - This almost always causes more damage than it's worth.

Don't use a tourniquet - This isolates the venom in a small area and causes
the digestive enzymes in the venom to concentrate the damage.

Don't use alcohol orally - it speeds the heart and blood flow and reduces
the body's counter-acting ability.

Don't use ice - Freezing the stricken limb has been found to be a major
factor leading to amputation."

Remember, snakes have their place in the ecosystem and were around long
before we arrived. We are the visitors in their garden. Snakes are quite
capable of defending themselves, but are reluctant to do so. If you follow a
few common sense rules you can minimize an already very small risk of
snakebite during your outdoor adventure.

Chad Minter is the author of Venomous Snakes of the Southeast, and the
webmaster of The Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Page at
http://www.envenomated.com

M y earliest boating memory was when I was 5 and had gone canoeing with
my parents to a local lake. We had put the bow of the boat on shore in
some weeds and my dad was on shore. A Water Moccasin (poisonous and
known to be aggressive) suddenly reared out of the water and actually
charged the canoe and tried to climb in. My mother quickly gave the
snake an "attitude adjustment" with the canoe paddle. Now, years later
we all (9 kids) still joke with her about how she clobbered that snake.
She normally had a remarkably blase attitude toward poison snakes.
When we camped at a place called White Oak Landing (believe it or not
on the River Styx in a place called Tates Hell Swamp), we were hesitant
to swim with the water moccasins swimming around but she told us not to
be wimps as they couldnt bite under water. When the family dog got bit
on the face and swelled up like a balloon and died within an hour after
swimming, she didnt change her attitude. Somehow, we all made it to
adulthood.

wrote in message
oups.com...
M y earliest boating memory was when I was 5 and had gone canoeing with
my parents to a local lake. We had put the bow of the boat on shore in
some weeds and my dad was on shore. A Water Moccasin (poisonous and
known to be aggressive) suddenly reared out of the water and actually
charged the canoe and tried to climb in. My mother quickly gave the
snake an "attitude adjustment" with the canoe paddle. Now, years later
we all (9 kids) still joke with her about how she clobbered that snake.
She normally had a remarkably blase attitude toward poison snakes.
When we camped at a place called White Oak Landing (believe it or not
on the River Styx in a place called Tates Hell Swamp), we were hesitant
to swim with the water moccasins swimming around but she told us not to
be wimps as they couldnt bite under water. When the family dog got bit
on the face and swelled up like a balloon and died within an hour after
swimming, she didnt change her attitude. Somehow, we all made it to
adulthood.


They do bite in the water. Year before I went to Biloxi and Keesler AFB, a
guy water-skiing in Backbay fell into a nest of them. Lots of bites.
Survived as they got him to the base hospital in about 5 minutes. Was near
the dock. 1965 when I was there, a poor guy fell into a nest of them up
near Jackson. He did not survive. Why most water except Backbay (brackish)
was off limits to swimming in the area.

My parents used to put the canoe in the Wakulla River, a crystal clear
deep spring fed jungle like body of water teeming with snakes and
gators. They'd throw a long rope off the stern and all of us kids who
could swim like fish, all 9 of us would hold onto the rope as they
dragged us downriver to the next bridge. It was cheap entertainment.
Years later, I realize this was probably a great way to troll for
gators but nothing ever happened. We all had masks and snorkels and I
still remember the huge prehistoric looking gar fish, some 8' long
looking like barracuda beneath us. For some reason we were not afraid
of them. If I tried to give my kids such good memories I'd be accussed
of child abuse.

wrote:
My parents used to put the canoe in the Wakulla River, a crystal clear
deep spring fed jungle like body of water teeming with snakes and
gators. They'd throw a long rope off the stern and all of us kids who
could swim like fish, all 9 of us would hold onto the rope as they
dragged us downriver to the next bridge. It was cheap entertainment.
Years later, I realize this was probably a great way to troll for
gators but nothing ever happened. We all had masks and snorkels and I
still remember the huge prehistoric looking gar fish, some 8' long
looking like barracuda beneath us. For some reason we were not afraid
of them. If I tried to give my kids such good memories I'd be accussed
of child abuse.


Maybe your parents were trying to 'thin the herd' a bit! ;-)

Thats what we accuse them of now.
Another time, it had to be about 1962 when I was 6, they took us to
Jacksonville, Fl beach DURING A HURRICANE. We stood about a block from
the beach watching the waves washing against a 3 story hotel tearing
out huge concrete chunks. Now my parents are in their upper 80s, and I
recently asked thekm about this incident and my mother replied "I just
cant remember, i am too old" . Of course we all know thats BS. With 9
kids, entertainment is either free or nonexistent and that was free.

In article ,
says...

I know we've all heard about the guy who shot holes in his boat because a
watersnake climbed in ... I thought this would be a great article to pass
along...


I had to change my mind about that 'Cant bite underwater thing' because
I saw a copperhead come up out of the pond carrying a very small fish
in his mouth and head off into the weeds for his seafood luncheon.

The snake snatched the fish while swimming underwater, and the fish
appeared to be lifeless while being carried away.

I had no idea snakes even ate fish!!