Annie Mae Wilson ushered in snake season with a whimper and a limp. Her running buddy, Blanco, was home. She was nowhere in sight. This is uncommon for our two rescues. If they aren’t roaming together, he is out solo and she is home. So, we were concerned and then worried.
We called … and called. Nothing. Then, from the edge of the woods near the pond, she emerged. We called and she was coming, finally — just at a snail’s pace. We rushed to meet her and it didn’t take long to discover the lump on her back left leg.
Snake bites are a risk factor for our dogs — and us. We live in the country and when I say country, I mean down a gravel road country. We cleared trees to build our house, so we are deep in snake territory.
I called our veterinarian and was advised to give her Benadryl (one mg per pound, which was two in her case) and to bring her in if the swelling didn’t go down. The swelling didn’t go down. Her spindly leg was swollen, hot and the bite area was proportionally huge.
A steroid and antibiotic shot and convalescing in the backyard for a few days did her some good. We discovered the bite on a Friday morning and she was back to normal by Sunday evening, thank goodness.
So this is my public service announcement on snakes. Beware. They are on the move.
I did some research on snake-removal.com. It is impossible to tell for sure if a snake is venomous or poisonous by simply looking at certain features, the site said. There are three major myths people believe about identifying snakes, snake-removal.com warns.
Myth: It had a triangular head. Fact: About 99 percent of snakes have triangular heads. Venomous pit vipers have very broad heads, but these are very fat snakes in general.
Myth: It had a pattern. Fact: A lot of snakes have patterns. And some venomous ones don’t have any pattern. It seems that just because of diamondback snakes or coral snakes, people think that snakes with patterns are dangerous. But most common harmless snakes, like Garter Snakes, Corn Snakes, Milk Snakes, etc. have distinct patterns.
Myth: It rattled its tail. Fact: This is a common behavior for most snakes. Rattlesnakes just so happen to have rattles that amplify the sound. But when the tail of a safe snake rattles against dry leaves, it sounds just like a rattlesnake.
The site offered three common traits of venomous snakes: It is big and fat (that description includes all vipers in the U.S., except for red-black-yellow coral snake); it is a rattlesnake with real rattles on the end of its tail and it has elliptical pupils, assuming you get close enough to look.
“Body characteristics can help you play detective,” snake-removal.com says. “Color can be a good indicator of a venomous snake, though again, there are always exceptions to the rule. Most solid colored snakes are not poisonous. The most colorful the snake, the more wary of it you should be. Venomous snakes also have a more triangular head, whereas non-venomous snakes will have a rounded jaw. The shape of the face has to do with the location of the venom sacks, so triangular equals beware. If the snake has a rattle, it is venomous. Only rattlesnakes have rattles. Some snake species will flick their tails in a similar fashion, but only the rattlesnake has the mechanism that creates the sound associated with the species. Venomous snakes may have a divot in between their eyes for heat sensing. This physical attribute is most present in vipers and is a good indication of poisonous standing.”
Behavior is another indicator. “Water snakes, for example, come in both varieties, but only poisonous snakes will swim with their entire bodies visible on the water. This is because venomous snakes swim with their lungs inflated, whereas a harmless water snake will swim with its body submerged,” snake-removal.com says.
There is one snake that is the exception to many of the rules, however. “The coral snake is a very poisonous snake but does not have a heat sensor, triangular face or slit-like pupils. The color of a coral snake, however, is a dead giveaway.”
Be careful as you garden and work outdoors and keep some Benadryl on hand. In addition to the people issues listed on the packaging, it is good for snake bites and wasp stings for your four-legged friends.
Shea Wilson is the former managing editor of the News-Times. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter.com @sheawilson7.