Many
people seem to be surprised that snakes bite - not all of them bite,
but many do, even harmless species. Biting is not a sign the snake is
venomous or that it is vicious. It happens to be the only way that most
snakes have to defend themselves. Think of it as that wild squirrel or
neighborhood cat that you might feed out back. They are fine and come
to eat everyday, but if you try to pick it up or catch it ,you bet it
would bite or scratch you out of fear.
Most people would not
condemn the squirrel or cat because they defend themselves by biting
and scratching. If threatened a snake will usually flee unless
cornered, without claws, biting is one of its only defenses. Some
species also will defecate and smear the feces on the human or animal
that is threatening them. Other species exude a smelly musk from glands
in the cloacal vent (=anus) and smear that on any threatening human or
animal. However, when it cannot flee, the snake's most common method of
defense is biting.
Nevertheless, a word of caution is warranted
here. If you find a snake and you do not know whether it is Venomous or
Harmless (non-venomous) the safest thing to do is leave it alone, and
call the proper person to handle it. Too many snakebite victims are
bitten on the hands and arms when they are handling the snake. In
addition, for a short time after a snake is killed, its reflexes may
continue to work causing the body to writhe slowly for a while.
Poking
or prodding a freshly killed snake can cause a convulsive contraction
and possibly a bite. With all of this in mind here is a very helpful
useful link to identifying all Florida snakes
http://wwww.flmnh.ufl.edu/herpetology/FL-GUIDE/onlineguide.htm Along
with this information Nuisance Wildlife Relocation offers a wide
variety of snake controlling methods varying from deterrents to
trapping. So, when you encounter that reptile that makes you go "EEK"
give usa call we enjoy them all!
Jeff
Norris is owner of Nuisance Wildlife Relocation Inc. located in Parrish
Florida. Jeff has over 11 years as a wildlife management professional
and has been involved in Hunting, Fishing and Trapping since the age of
5. Jeff Loves the out doors and is a competitive archer. On January 5,
2003 Jeff Married his best friend Christy and not long after that year
their beautiful daughter Haileigh was born, Jeff also has a wonderful
son Keith that works for the family company during his vacation from
school in the summer.
http://www.floridawildlifetrapper.com
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