Snake season is upon us, officials warning residents be on the look out
Officials say it's snake season here in west central Pennsylvania and they're warning residents to be on the lookout.
According to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, there are 21 types of snakes living in Pennsylvania. They say three of those species are venomous -- the timber rattlesnake, the eastern copperhead and the eastern massasauga rattlesnake.
The timber rattlesnake and the eastern copperhead both live in our region.
Snakes like the warmth from sun, but also look for a place to hide. They could be hiding in tall grass or under rocks or logs, so officials say try to avoid where they might be.
“My advice to anybody if you are coming across one, just back away,” says Sgt. Craig Garman of the commission. “If you have a stick, shoo it away ... snakes want to get away from you more that you want to get away from it, trust me.”
But what do you do if you can't avoid a bite?
“There were a lot of ways that we treated rattle snake bites 20/30 years ago and they have eliminated that because they found out that none of that works,” says Tom Chaffin, Jackson Township Emergency Medical Services commander. “Get to an ER that has anti-venom and you need to know that they have it. That is the only thing that is going to fix you.”
911 officials say that if you do get bit, call for help. They say a quick response in crucial.
“They often happen in rural areas so we are going to get a helicopter on standby as soon as we know that call is happening with the potential of landing them close to the patient and getting the patient flown to the hospital as quickly as possible," says Robbin Melnyk, Cambria County 911 coordinator.
Also, don't try to suck out the venom.
“We do not want them to try to remove the venom, Melnyk said. “We don't want anybody to suck on a snake bite to try to get the venom removed.”
But Chaffin says, you need to do your research.
“If you are going to do any type of hiking in an area where there are poisonous snakes, do your homework. First, look and see a copperhead vs. a water snake. Look and see what a rattlesnake looks like look at both phases so you have an idea of what you are seeing.”
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