Of all the reptiles you might encounter in our woods, only a few are poisonous. No Pennsylvania turtles or lizards are poisonous and only three snakes. They are: the copperhead, the timber rattler and the massasauga. These snakes are called "Pit Vipers". If you are bitten by a snake it is important to remain calm and get medical attention. Even a non-poisonous snake bite will require aid and may require a tetanus shot. Doctors suggest that so-called snake bite kits that "extract the venom" actually do more harm than good. A cell phone is your best first aid for a snake bite.
Here is a copperhead. It does not have a rattle. Copperheads are not usually aggressive and bites rarely result in death. They are sometimes called "upland moccasins". This is the poisonous snake that you are most likely to see.
Here is a timber rattlesnake. These snakes are distributed throughout our state.
Due to the its long fangs overall size and venom capacity, this is our states most dangerous snake.
The conservation status of the Timber Rattler is "least concern"
Here is a massasauga. This snake is only found in a small section of Western Pennsylvania. It is endangered in our state and it is unlikely you would encounter one.
Penn State has a pamphlet about snakes that can be downloaded here:
Snakes
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will mail you a free snake poster that is filled with information - A Scout is Thrifty! Click the link below to go to their web site.
http://fishandboat.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment