THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 19, 1996 TAG: 9605160210
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 26 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Jack Dempsey
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
Ever since the Garden of Eden, snakes have been reviled and feared by man far beyond their deserts.
Half a dozen poisonous snakebites are reported on the Outer Banks each year - none of them fatal. And experts say visitors have more to fear from visitors, spiders and ticks.
But officials like North Carolina Aquarium Director Rhett White and Dr. James Wilkinson of Beach Medical Care acknowledge that snakes cause an occasional stir on the Outer Banks.
Most of the world's 2,700 species of serpents are found in tropical regions. North Carolina is fortunate to have 39 species, mostly in the east, which do a marvelous job of keeping down populations of rodents and other pests.
But North Carolina does have all four of the major venomous North American snakes: the rattlesnake, the copperhead, the cottonmouth (water moccasin) and the coral snake.
The highly venomous coral snake is found in southeastern North Carolina and is not believed to have reached as far north as Ocracoke. The other three are among the 20 species we have on the Outer Banks.
Although snakes appear in all parts of the barrier islands, nature lovers will find them particularly abundant in timberlands and around stillwater ponds and freshwater marshes.
All species are antisocial. They don't care to mix with you any more than you care to with them. But if you force the issue, they will defend themselves.
If you are bitten: Remain calm, try to identify the snake, apply a tourniquet and seek immediate medical attention.
Staying calm is probably the most important and most difficult thing to do. Fear of snakes has been so deeply ingrained in people that many believe they will die in a matter of minutes. In truth, snakebites are rarely fatal.
Staying emotionally cool and physically inactive reduces the rate of distribution of venom throughout the body.
Identifying whether the snake is venomous is difficult even if you have a field guide with photos. Copperheads, for instance, look remarkably similar to the Hognose, a non-venomous snake found throughout the Outer Banks.
Unfortunately, the snake should be killed (or captured, if you are an experienced handler) and taken to the nearest medical center for identification. But although taking the snake speeds up the diagnosis, spending time hunting for it does the opposite. Kill it only if you can do so quickly and safely.
Do not apply ice to the bite. Do not make an incision and suck out the venom. An incision may only add a second problem, and sucking removes little venom.
Using something broad like a belt, make a tourniquet above the bite. Don't tighten it to the degree you can't insert one finger under it. You want to slow circulation, not stop it.
Proceed calmly to the nearest medical center. If the snake is not available for examination, the physician will study the bite pattern and look for early reactions to the venom.
Be prepared to stay awhile. Even bites from venomous snakes sometimes contain little or no venom, which makes starting anti-venom treatment unnecessary. You may be required to remain under observation for several hours to determine whether treatment is needed.
Although few would claim that a snake could displace a dog as man's best friend, it really isn't a ferocious enemy either. Snakes are part of nature's balance and belong here.
Senseless killing of snakes out of exaggerated fear is not justified. Simply leave them alone and they will do likewise. MEMO: Jack Dempsey has a doctorate in public health from Johns Hopkins
University and has published two books on health care. His columns are
based on interviews with area health care providers.
by CNB