DAILY TIMES (Kerrville, Texas) 23 March 06 Rattlesnakes deserve respect, best avoided (Gerard MacCrossan)
The sound of the rattle should be enough to tell people and pets to steer clear. Kerr County Rabies and Animal Control Supervisor Janie Roman said calls about rattlesnakes are rare, only about eight in her 10 years on the job, but she warns area residents to call her department before attempting to trap the snakes themselves.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologist Max Traweek said the diamondback rattlesnake is the most common in Kerr County, although the blacktail and mottled rock varieties are found in the western part of the county, too.
“Rattlesnakes are the most dangerous snake in this area because they are more common,” he said. “The coral snake would rank higher in terms of venom, but they are seldom encountered.”
Traweek and Roman both encourage property owners who discover rattlesnakes to call for assistance to remove them rather than just killing the snakes.
“Most folks still in this day and time look at them pretty much as vermin,” Traweek said. “But they are an important part of the ecosystem.”
Roman said that several landowners in Kerr County allow her to release trapped snakes on their property. Animal control officers have tools to capture snakes and release them without resorting to killing them.
“People need to be careful if they live out in the country,” Roman said. “We’ve had several cases where the snake is coiled up with a water hose.
“Be aware of your surroundings,” she said. “If you see or hear a snake, be extremely calm and back away slowly. The main thing is don’t panic.”
Local veterinarian Scott Chapman said vaccines and antidotes are available for animals. However, the effectiveness of the vaccine against rattlesnake bites over an extended period hasn’t been clinically tested, he said.
“There are no controlled clinical studies to prove the vaccine is effective in an animal,” Chapman said. “It has been shown to produce antibodies to the toxin in the lab. So basically, if you vaccinated your dog today, the vaccine will show the highest level of immunity in two to three weeks.”
How effective the vaccine is on a longer-term basis is unknown, he said.
For animals that are bitten, usually dogs, the location of the bite is a factor in how badly it is affected.
“The best place for a dog to get bitten is in the face,” he said. “It swells and goes down.”
A bite on a muscle group such as the back or thigh does more damage, he said. Anti-venom vials cost about $500 each, he said, and some snake bites can require multiple vials to be effective.
Another option to protect dogs is to train them to avoid snakes, a technique Chapman has used on hunting dogs and other breeds.
One Georgia-based company claims to have an Environmental Protection Agency-approved deterrent, Dr. T’s Snake-away. The snake deterrent is sold locally at Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse and The Home Depot, according to the company Web site.
Traweek said the effectiveness of deterrents isn’t proven.
“Some folks tend to rely on some repellents, but as far as their effectiveness, that’s probably in question,” he said. “ A person just has to be alert and know a snake is out there. Anytime it attacks, it is going to be a defensive effort.”
Rattlesnakes deserve respect