This summer – snakes are on the move trying to find cooler places to live.
You may not be surprised to see a scaly snake slithering inside your home, your back yard or garage to stay out of the heat. News Channel 6's Courtney Elledge has more.
Troy Coon an Emergency Medicine Physician says, “Don't go and try to play with it, or pick it up. If you see yourself standing on top of one, you want to try to back away slowly. Try to avoid them if you can.
Because of snake bites, Emergency Medicine Physicians say they treat more patients every summer.
Doctor Troy Coon Doctor at' Perfect Health Always On Call' says, “The thing you see most with most snake bites is a dry snake bite, a non venomous snake bite, or what the common person would see as a non venomous snake bite.”
Non-venomous snakes like the scaly worm snake can still harm your pets or child if they're bitten. That's why experts say it's important to check the area your family will be playing in. Stay away from bushes, or tall grass, and continuously stay aware of your surroundings.
Coon explains, “Unless you're an expert and can identify the snake as venomous, you should go to the hospital and have it evaluated. You should just clean it with soap and water, draw a circle around it so that we can identify if it's begun to swell.”
If your child's behavior changes Doctor Troy Coon says this can be one sign they have been bitten by a poisonous snake.
“If you notice feign marks, if you notice swelling, your child starts to act abnormal, it's better to get that child evaluated.
One last tip? Coon says use caution when approaching a snake you think might be dead. Recently killed snakes still can move reflexively and even bite.
Click here for more tips http://srelherp.uga.edu/snakes/safety/SnakeSafetyGeneral.pdf