By Jason Clay Jansky

With recent heavy rainfall, large growths of vegetation, and the area heading away from cold weather, venomous snakes are out and about in Karnes County.

The Countywide received reports of three different coral snakes killed recently; two in Karnes City and one in Panna Maria.

The diamondback rattlesnake and copperhead also are active this time of year and residents should be on the lookout for all three kinds of snakes.

"It’s that time of year. You’re going to see them because it’s wet and it’s spring. It’s time to start seeing all snakes, especially your coral, your rattlesnakes, and your copperheads," Karnes County Agriculture Extension Agent Dennis Hale said

The coral snake

The average coral snake only reaches about two feet in length. Its small size and, consequently, small fangs make actual accounts of coral snake bites rare. They often have difficulty puncturing shoes and even thick clothing.

They also aren’t very aggressive snakes and will attempt to hide and flee when they have the opportunity. However, their poison is extremely lethal.

"Everybody acts like it’s such a strange thing when they kill a coral snake, but we’ve got a bunch of them," Hale said. "Coral snakes are most dangerous to little kids because they do not strike like a rattlesnake will. They have to grab you and they actually kind of gnaw on you as they inject their poison. Rather than just pull it off like an adult will, (children) run in the house to their mom."

Often confused with the Mexican milk snake, coral snakes found in Texas have bands of yellow, black, and red with the red parts touching the yellow parts. The Mexican milk snake also sports those three colors, but the red and yellow parts don’t touch one another.

"It’s the old adage, ‘red and yellow kill a fellow, red and black venom lack,’" Hale said. "It affects the nervous system and it’s very deadly. It’s very serious."

The copperhead

The copperhead is a non-aggressive snake that makes its home in some areas of Karnes County and South Texas. Venomous, but almost never deadly to adult, healthy humans, they can grow several feet long and are reddish brown in color.

Copperheads often will remain motionless when threatened. Many bites come from people unknowingly stepping on or near them. Even when approached closely, they frequently will remain still and will generally strike only if physically harassed.

Lying on brown leaves or red clay, the copperhead’s natural camouflage can make it difficult to notice.

The diamondback rattlesnake

One of the most aggressive kinds of snakes found in North America, the diamondback rattlesnake can grow several feet in length and has an extremely large venom capacity compared to most other snakes.

Its venom destroys body tissues and blood cells, causes paralysis, and prevents blood clotting. Rattlesnakes rarely will back away from confrontation and their presence should be handled with extreme caution.

When threatened, a rattlesnake will coil up and often shake its namesake rattle as a warning to others nearby. They hibernate in the winter and begin emerging early spring. They give birth to live young that are fully capable of delivering a venomous bite hours after their birth.

The record length for a diamondback rattlesnake is over seven feet.

What to do

There are myths, legends, and facts regarding what to do with a snakebite from any venomous snake. Some are effective and others counterproductive, but all bite victims should seek immediate emergency medical care.

The best step to take is precaution to prevent bites from happening in the first place.

"Don’t reach blindly into something you can’t see," Hale said. "Where I’ve seen little kids get bit, a baseball rolls underneath a set of shrubs and they reach back there with their hand."

Cutting the bite or sucking out the venom can be counterproductive measures.

"I’ve seen people cut and hit an artery and bleed to death. And don’t ever suck the venom out," Hale advised. "I do recommend these kits — most of the campers will carry them — it’s like a syringe with little cups on them. As you pump them, it pulls the venom out. Of course while you’re doing that, you should already be heading to the doctor."

jjansky@thecountywide.com