Rattlesnakes Should Be Respected, Not Necessarily Feared
(Staff Photo By Steve Knight)
SNAKE IN THE GRASS: The odds are against getting bitten by a western diamondback rattlesnake, but caution is still needed.
CONCHO COUNTY - There was something biblical about the rattlesnake being on the edge of the ranch road so close to the town of Eden.
At about 3 1/2 feet long it was impressive, but not menacing. Not like the 6-foot-plus rattler with which I crossed paths years ago in Uvalde County.
We quickly got out of the truck so I could take a few shots, with a camera. The snake acted like a seasoned model. It stayed stretched out for a couple of minutes, and then when I finally convinced my son, Tristan, to walk toward the snake, it coiled and instantly was as frightening appearing as its reputation. Its reaction, however, seemed more out of fear.
I admit to having both a curiosity and fear of rattlesnakes. Actually, all snakes. Like any other prejudice, it comes from a lack of knowledge. I am just not around them enough.
I have learned a few things about snakes and rattlers over the years; maybe just enough to make me dangerous, but still enough to respect them more than fear them.
Steve Knight
They aren't the slimy things most people think them to be. Their skin is actually more leather-like than fish-like.
Also, rattlesnakes are by nature not aggressive. Like this snake, they prefer just to be left alone. If harassed, as we were doing, a rattlesnake can coil and strike. Even then about a third of the strikes are defensive and dry.
Most of the time, rattlesnakes are just looking for food, rabbits, mice or maybe a bird. They strike both by sight and sensing heat from a warm-blooded animal through a tiny pit organ located on its upper jaw between the nostril and the eye.
This isn't to say rattlesnakes aren't dangerous and that they won't bite you. They will. It can hurt, and in some instances it can be deadly. A rattlesnake bite can also be expensive to treat.
It takes a rattlesnake about a half-second to strike. If it connects with only one fang, the snake is able to adjust and get the second fang back into the target so quickly it requires a camera shooting 10,000 frames a second for researchers to see it.
A rattlesnake's venom is primarily a hemotoxin, meaning it attacks blood vessels, blood cells and the heart. They also contain some neurotoxins.
The truth is, however, while we need to have a respect for rattlesnakes, we don't have to fear being killed by one anymore than we should fear being attacked by a wild pig in the woods of East Texas. Simply put, the odds are against us when you consider there are 7,000 venomous snakebites total reported and on average 15 fatalities annually in the United States. Almost half of those bites are to people handling or harassing the snake.
According to Discover magazine, the odds are one in 36 million of getting a fatal snakebite in this country. At that rate you have a better chance of winning the Texas Lottery first (one in 25 million odds) or dying from a lightning strike (one in 55,928).
There are simple things that can be done to prevent snakebite, including wearing snake-proof leggings. The majority of strikes are below the knee.
Also be careful where you walk. Don't climb over brush and fallen tree limbs. Walk around them down a game or cow trail.
However, if struck, the American Red Cross suggests using simple first-aid steps if a hospital is less than 30 minutes away. Those include washing the bite with soap and water, immobilize the area and keep it lower than the heart and get medical help as soon as possible.
If it requires a longer trip, a bandage wrapped two to four inches above the bite may slow the venom's travel. The bandage should be tight, but not too tight. Allow room for a finger to slip under it.
The suction device found in commercial snakebite kits may also be used in an attempt to draw out venom, but without making any cuts in the skin.
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