RANCHING Wildlife St. Patrick’s Day, Snakes and Texas A
LONG WITH GREEN BEER, SHAMROCKS, PARADES AND REVELRY (which really have nothing to do with a 5th
-cen-
tury missionary) is the legend of St. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland. According to the legend, he chased them into the sea after they attacked him dur- ing a 40-day fast on top of a hill. Good story — highly unlikely. Ireland is one of
very few places on earth without snakes, but this is more likely due to the inhospitable climate for cold- blooded creatures after the Ice Age, and the country’s surrounding seas. We are not so fortunate in Texas, as this is home
to four venomous snakes. These are the copperhead, coral, cottonmouth and rattler. If you see these snakes around your living areas, clean up any places they fa- vor such as trash and debris, woodpiles, rock piles or building materials on the ground. The copperhead is a pit viper, so-called because of
the pit between the eye and nostril on either side of its head. The pits contain a pair of sensitive infrared detecting organs that help them identify warm-blooded prey. They typically hide around fallen, decaying trees and leaves, in rocks and in woodpiles, to name a few. Coral snakes are easy to distinguish from the non-
venomous milk snake if you remember the rhyme — “Red and yellow kills a fellow, Red and black is a friend to Jack.” Steer clear if the red and yellow bands are next to each other; coral snakes have the most potent venom of snakes in North America. Because they are shy and spend most of their time underground, they account for very few snakebites. That’s a good thing, because respiratory paralysis can occur suddenly or within a few hours. The Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, aka rat- tler, is another pit viper. There are actually 36 known
species of rattlesnake, with 65 to 70 subspecies. You will usually hear the warning rattle before seeing it, so take care, these snakes are more aggressive and rarely back away from confrontation. Rattlesnake meat is edible but it has been linked to salmonella, parasites and bacteria. Proper handling and cooking is advised. A Water Moccasin is also known as a cottonmouth
because of the light, almost white, tissue inside their mouths. They are semi-aquatic and eat fi sh and frogs. Contrary to popular myth, water moccasins do not typically chase people. They may appear to, but more likely, the person is between the snake and their hid- ing place. All snakes swim on top of water, but when they stop
to rest or look around, venomous snakes will fl oat on top of the water; non-venomous snakes sink down so that only their heads are visible. There are some important things to remember:
• If you are bitten by a venomous snake, it is always recommended that a doctor check you out. Anti- venom needs to be administered as soon as possible.
• If you are unsure, do not waste time trying to locate the snake, the bite patterns of venomous and non- venomous snakes are very different.
• Do not apply a tourniquet, ice or heat. If possible, lower the bitten area below the heart.
• Call ahead to the nearest medical facility to let them know you are coming. They may not have anti- venom on hand but will usually be able to stabilize the bite and take the necessary actions. One statistic says that 98 percent of snakebites hap-
pen to males between the ages of 18 and 28 and alcohol is usually involved. So put down the green beer, have a corned-beef sandwich, enjoy St. Patrick’s Day and may the luck o’ the Irish be with you.
Broad Banded Copperhead
Coral Snake
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
Water Moccasin (Cottonmouth)
76 The Cattleman March 2016
thecattlemanmagazine.com
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