THE PROGRESS (Three Rivers, Texas) 12? June 05 Good year for rattlers means bad news for LOC bite victims (Amy M. Clark)
Watch where you step! Two Live Oak County residents were victims of rattlesnake bites last week, with numerous others reporting an increase in snake-sightings. Both bites occurred in the Three Rivers area.
Debbie Kaatz of Three Rivers was heading toward her house after checking on a horse when she was struck by a snake above her ankle. The three-foot rattler was lying in a two-inch clump of weeds on her asphalt drive.
“I never saw him, and he never rattled until after he struck,” said Kaatz. “I’m a stickler about watching for snakes, but you never think you’ll see one on your own driveway.”
She felt immediate pain and saw the snake slither into her garage, where her son killed it later that day. She drove herself to the doctor’s office, who sent her via ambulance to South Texas Regional Medical Center in Jourdanton. From there she was sent to a hospital in San Antonio.
Kaatz said that she and her family had been seeing about two or three snakes a year for the nine years they have been living in a subdivision just west of Three Rivers. Shortly before her own snake experience, she had seen a mother rattler and four offspring that had been run over on the Kaatz’s road.
According to Texas Parks & Wildlife (TPWD) biologist Macy Ledbetter, South Texas rattlesnakes breed in the spring, and have their offspring in early September. Newborn rattlers show up in larger numbers at this time of the year, as they are seeking out food before going into hibernation. This August’s rain and good temperatures have ensured a good survivability rate for all types of animals — including rattlesnakes and their prey.
Ledbetter explains that there are 10 different types of rattlesnakes in Texas, with the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake being the one most commonly encountered in our area. Unfortunately this snake is also the most aggressive, the largest, and statistically, the most dangerous due to the makeup of its venom.
Usually active during the warm season months, snakes are cold-blooded, much like a fish. In extreme heat, such as July and August summer days, they lay in the shade and travel mostly at night. Early morning and late evenings are also favorite travel times once the temperatures increase, Ledbetter says.
According to TPWD, only one venomous snake bite death occurred in 2001, with no data available for 2002. On average, Texas sustains between two and three snakebite-deaths every year — less than half the average number of Texans killed by lightning. Snake bites become more deadly the closer the bite is to the heart. Stepping on or trapping a rattler will likely provoke an attack, though he might otherwise avoid humans due to their size.
TPWD suggests that 99 percent of all bites occur below the knee, except in a case of picking up or falling on a snake. Knowing this, it is recommended to wear canvas shoes or tall leather boots when traveling in snake-y territory. The fragile fangs of venomous snakes are easily broken and can rarely penetrate such surfaces.
A rattlesnake bite often causes immediate pain and swelling, and may also bring about chills, nausea, dizziness, and acceleration of one’s heart rate. Despite popular belief, bite wounds should not be cut open, as it is virtually impossible to extract the venom from the victim. In fact, this misguided, on site procedure can lead to loss of limb due to the quick spread of the venom in the human system. Ledbetter suggests that a bite victim get ice to the wound to slow down the blood flow. Keep the bite area to the level of one’s heart, and get to the emergency room as soon as possible. “The quicker you get there,” says Ledbetter, “the less severe the damage will be.”
The best way to protect oneself from rattlesnakes is to avoid them altogether. These predators lurk in spots that offer cover to their potential prey, which includes small mammals such as mice, rats, cottontail rabbits, jackrabbits, squirrels, prairie dogs, ground squirrels, etc., as well as any bird it may catch. Frogs, lizards, bird eggs, various insects may also be prey. Cover such as fallen limbs, tall grass, rocks, trash, leaf or wood piles and porches are potentially snake-y areas, though caution should always be exercised as a rattler could lurk anywhere. South Texans are taught early to watch where they step or put their hands when in snake habitat. With their natural camouflage, rattlers are difficult to see and won’t always rattle before they strike.
Should you find yourself in the path of a rattlesnake, Ledbetter’s advice is to remain calm and slowly back away. If you only hear the rattle, stop and listen to locate the source of the snake. Once you determine the snake’s whereabouts, slowly move away. Ledbetter explains that the snake is keying off heat and quick movement in making its attack, so it is advisable to remain calm in one’s movements.
He suggests that removing a snake’s preferred habitat is the best way to discourage their presence on one’s property. Keep the area clean, control weeds or other would-be shelters for snake prey. “A clean-mowed yard is an unfriendly snake place,” says Ledbetter. As snake habitat equals rodent habitat, he recommends eliminating any clutter that will attract rodents.
Good year for rattlers means bad news for LOC bite victims