Summer Means It`s Snake Season

July 29--While hiking the trails, swimming in a pond or lake or picnicking in the woods, be careful: That stick lying in the grass or floating in the water might not be a stick after all.

Late July means outdoor activities are in full swing -- and so is snake season.

Pennsylvania has 18 species of nonpoisonous snakes, but only three poisonous varieties. Northeastern Pennsylvania is crawling with northern copperheads and timber rattlesnakes, but the third type, the eastern Massasauga rattlesnake, is only found in a few counties in the western part of the state.

A week ago, a man was bitten by a snake in the picnic area at Ricketts Glen State Park. Park Manager Ben Stone said officials are trying to determine what type of snake it was.

He said the incident occurred down by the picnic area off state Route 118. Stone said he wasn't quite sure what the man was doing with the snake, but he wasn't just sitting at a picnic table when the snake bit him.

The man was "feeling uncomfortable," so they called in the paramedics to transport him.

Geisinger Health System spokesman Matt Van Stone confirmed the Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Plains Township did see a snakebite patient last weekend, but would not give details due to federal regulations.

Dr. Brian Saracino, an emergency physician at Geisinger Wyoming Valley, has treated numerous poisonous snake bites in his nearly 11 years of practice there.

"I wouldn't say they're common, but they're not rare," he said.

The hospital keeps a supply of anti-venom serum on hand, Saracino said.

"We're pretty lucky here. We've given anti-venom here on numerous occasions over the years, but we've never seen a fatality that I'm aware of, at least," he said.

Saracino said medics will usually also confer with a poison control center when symptoms start or if there are signs of a poisonous snakebite. But bites from nonpoisonous snakes tend to be more common than poisonous, he said.

"All snakes will bite, just like any wild animal," he said.

Anybody who's bitten by any snake whatsoever, even if they believe it's nonpoisonous, should have it looked at, because sometimes it's difficult to tell a non-poisonous snake from a poisonous one, Saracino said.

With a nonpoisonous snakebite, there will be pain at the site, like with any bite, and a rare chance of infection, like with any wound. But for the most part there aren't any complications, he said.

On the other hand, a poisonous snakebite will cause extreme pain at the bite site, and there will be bruising and an immediate swelling that progresses, Saracino said. Symptoms vary with the size of the snake and how much venom the patient receives; it could be a "dry" bite, where no venom is expressed, he said.

Whatever the case, the safest thing to do is come to the emergency room and let doctors take a look at it.

Sometimes the snake is killed and brought in with the patient so medics can identify it, which is helpful, Saracino said. But don't risk further bites by trying to get the snake, he said.

"Most of the bites I see are people messing with them when they shouldn't be," Saracino said. "The last three snakebites I've taken care of were on people who had the opportunity to get away from the snake and didn't take it."

Saracino, who considers himself an avid outdoorsman, has seen his share of snakes, most recently while jogging on the Back Mountain Trail one night two weeks ago. He stepped over what he thought was a stick -- but which turned out to be a 2 1/2 -foot-long copperhead.

"Snakes are much like bears: they don't want to interact with humans and they'd much rather get out of your way," he said.

Terry Brady of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources said Pennsylvania has 20 state parks, some with wilderness, all with habitat conducive to snakes.

However, he said, "It's not very common at all to have a park patron bitten by a poisonous snake."

Rattlesnakes and other types of snakes aren't a very common occurrence at Ricketts Glen, even to see them, Stone said.

"We are in nature, and there are snakes around," he said. "As with any wildlife in the park, we're obviously state parks here, a natural environment here, and you're in their area. Typically, they'll leave you alone if you leave them alone. Observe from a distance, but realize this is wildlife and you want to give them their space."

He added, "Enjoy -- just don't touch. Don't feed them, either."

The state Fish and Boat Commission regulates reptiles and amphibians as it does fish. Larry Bundy, captain of the bureau of law enforcement for the commission's local office, said to deter snakes from your property, take precautions. For example, keep the grass around your pond trimmed well, don't put your woodpile too close to your house and don't have conditions that will attract insects and rodents, which are good food sources for snakes.

Seeking out snakes

Bundy noted that many people are terrified of snakes. And then there are those who actively seek them out.

Herpetological aficionado and Noxen Fire Chief Lew Hackling organizes the Rattlesnake Roundup each year, both as the volunteer fire department's major fundraiser and as a way to educate people about snakes.

"They're so misunderstood, all the way back through time. They've been portrayed as evil, the devil, but that's not the case," he said.

Snakes are actually a vital part of the food chain and an important part of the ecosystem, he said.

"I'd much rather have a blacksnake than a cat for a mouser around the property," Hackling said.

The Rattlesnake Roundup, held in conjunction with the Fish and Boat Commission, takes place in June in Noxen, and there's another one held in July in Monroeton, Bradford County, Bundy said. He estimates 50 to 60 people sign up at each event to collect snakes, which are measured and examined before being released. Hackling said there haven't been any poisonous snakebites at the Noxen roundup for years.

Bundy said a fishing license is required to catch and keep snakes. If you want to take venomous snakes, you have to get a special permit, and you're limited to one per season, which runs from July 1-31.

Bundy has noticed a trend in the past few years for collectors to try to sell snakes. It's illegal to sell native species in Pennsylvania except snapping turtles, which are used for food, he said.

"There's kind of a black-market trade in reptiles and amphibians in the United States," Bundy said.

Late summer is the peak season for snakes, according to Hackling.

"Here in Noxen they're spotted almost daily in the summer," he said.

Hackling said he never heard of copperheads at Ricketts Glen, but they are at Moon Lake Park in Plymouth Township. A recent study showed almost every part of Northeastern Pennsylvania had rattlesnakes, including the Mocanaqua and Shickshinny areas, Wilkes-Barre Township and Trucksville, he said.

"Northeastern Pennsylvania has optimum habitat and environment for snakes, and we're also still fairly rural," he said.

Garter snakes and water snakes are the two seen the most, Hackling said. Black rat snakes, which can grow to more than 6 feet long, are also frequently spotted. Of the poisonous snakes, copperheads are more sparse in Northeastern Pennsylvania than rattlesnakes.

In nonpoisonous snakes, the head is basically the size of the body and the eyes are round, while copperheads and rattlesnakes have larger, almost diamond-shaped heads and elliptical, catlike eyes, Hackling said.

Snakes hibernate over winter in their dens, going back to the same den each year. In warm weather, they come out and bask in the sun to regulate their body temperatures, since they're cold-blooded.

What has really hurt the rattlesnake population is loss of habitat, Hackling said. The males are known to travel five miles from their dens in the summer, and having to cross roads takes its toll on them.

If you step on a snake or otherwise startle it, it's more likely to bite. Copperheads and rattlesnakes are fairly docile: They'd rather back away than start a fight, Hackling said. On the other hand, he said water snakes, which are nonpoisonous, are the most aggressive in Pennsylvania.

The bottom line: if you don't want to get bitten, leave the snake alone.

"If people are aware of their surroundings, watch where they step, they won't have a problem," Hackling said.

eskrapits@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2072

What to Do for a Bite

W.C. Fields famously said, "Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite, and furthermore, always carry a small snake."

But alcohol is actually a bad idea if someone is bitten by a snake. The state Fish and Boat Commission recommends:

-Keep the snakebite victim calm, immobile, and call 911 to get him or her to a medical facility as soon as possible. Don't wait to see whether symptoms develop.

-Don't use ice, cold packs or topical treatments like sprays on the bite.

-Don't use a tourniquet. A light constricting band may be applied above the bite, but make sure it isn't tight.

-Don't cut and suction the bite unless a physician says to do so.

For more information about Pennsylvania's snakes, visit www.fishandboat.com.

Copyright 2013 - The Citizens' Voice, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.