Wise Eyes Alert







Snake Infestation



The following information, in part, is from a news release at WOAI in San Antonio and applies throughout the drought area:

Major snake infestation expected in Texas this month
Jim Forsyth


Snake experts tell 1200 WOAI news that late August and September will see an explosion of snakes in back yards, as the critters start slithering out looking for something to eat.



�They�re very hungry right now,� central Texas snake expert Jerry Cates tells 1200 WOAI news, in a statement which is creepy on its surface. �The hungrier they get, the more they start ranging the fields looking for food.� He says that�s why we can expect snakes to show up in places where they are seldom seen.



He says the three most common types of poisonous snakes in Texas are the common rattlesnake, the Texas coral snake, and the cottonmouth, which is relatively rare.



The rattlesnake has the distinctive rattle at the end of the snake, but Cates cautions that the snake doesn�t always rattle the rattler, so if you don�t hear the tell-tale sound, don�t think it�s not a dangerous rattlesnake.



If it is a colorful, banded coral snake, Cates says the Boy Scout nursery rhyme really does tell you whether the snake is dangerous or not. �Red touch yellow, kill a fellow. Red touch black, venom lack. That is probably the best way to remember that.�



He says snakes will almost always retreat when confronted by humans, and he says many people are startled by how fast snakes can travel.



If the worst happens, and you get snake bit, Cates says get to the doctor as quickly as possible. He says snake bites are actually less painful than a sting from a scorpion or a wasp, and he says the victim may not experience the effects of the venom right away, but, as anybody who has seen movies ranging from �Lonesome Dove� to �True Grit� can attest, snake bites are nothing to mess with.



He says the venom will begin kicking in a few hours, and frequently leads to paralysis, respiratory failure, and can be fatal. And he says a snake bite will drain your wallet as well.



�If you are bitten by a venomous snake, you and your insurance provider together are going to spend between $50,000 and $150,000 in medical bills,� he said.



Cates says as we approach mid August and get into September, we should be aware of the fact that snakes are likely to pop up in all sorts of places. He says you should put the flip-flops aside, and wear leather shoes or boots whenever you are walking in or around tall grass brush, or while you are doing gardening work or lawn mowing.



He warns that even if rains do come to the region, the snake infestation is inevitable. He says the snakes are ranging looking for their favorite prey, which is rodents, and a couple of rains won�t suddenly produce a crop of rodents for the snakes to eat.







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____________________________________________________________

Sgt. Tom Hargrave

F.B.I. National Academy Session 189

Johnson County Sheriff's Office

Training Coordinator

Crime Stoppers / Crime Prevention

Community Services Deputy

1102 E. Kilpatrick

Cleburne, Tx. 76031

Office 817.556.6058 ext 255

Fax 817.556.3441





"No man in the wrong, can stand against a man in the right, who keeps on a comin'"

Capt. Bill McDonald

Texas Ranger

Awesome. I've already had a couple of run ins with the copperheads earlier this year. They are all over my yard. My dog tried to kiss one and got bit 3x in face a few months back! Looked like he tried to eat a basketball. If you do get bit, stay calm as getting the heart rate up will move the venom through the body quicker. At least that's what I hear.

Saw them last night all over the Cali banks .