After several days of heavy rain, there has been an increase in snake sightings in north Georgia.
A Channel 2 Action News viewer sent us video showing a large copperhead slithering along the Silver Comet Trail.
Snake enthusiast Jeff Nix says it’s not uncommon to see more snakes after heavy rain.
“It brings out all the animals and the snakes come out to look for what their natural diet would be,” Nix said.
Dr. Gaylord Lopez, with Georgia Poison Control, said snake bites are actually down 17 percent this year, but venomous bites are up.
“The cases of 2018 are tending to be a bit more poisonous. In fact, we are treating about 25 percent of our cases now with the antidote as opposed to last year, where we were well below that number,” Lopez said. “For whatever reason, this time, this year, snakes are packing a little more punch.”
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The Poison Control Center says they’ve had 104 snake bite calls this year compared with 122 this time last year.
Nix says if you see a snake, ignore it.
“The best thing to do to avoid being bitten is ignore it like it wasn’t there. For the most part, snakes think you are a predator. They are scared of you,” he said.
And if you get bitten, Lopez says grab your keys.
“Get immediately to an ER. From there, we will go ahead and assess signs and symptoms,” he said.
Nix also stressed to not kill snakes because they are important to our ecosystem and eat vermin that carry diseases.
Cox Media Group
