i live out in the country and i just saw a water snake that's poisonous , how do i protect my kids ?

Question

i cant move and someone said that my kids should always wear long pants but its so hot . so what is the best thing to do to prevent a bite?

Answer 1

Keep them away from the water, or move somewhere else. What else is there to do?

Answer 2

Long pants will not help . The best thing to do is have your kids walk on a path not in fields or tall grasses . They are much more likely to get ticks than to be bitten by a snake but ticks can carry disease .My kids grew up in the woods and we never had one snake bite . Snakes will move the other way and avoid you if they see you coming . If they must walk in high grass take a long stick , a walking stick and put it down in front of you as you walk . This will chase any snakes away . If they are swimming in a pond or lake , only swim where there are not high weeds or cat tails .Once a snake sees you he will swim the other way .Enjoy nature , don't be afraid of it .

Answer 3

First, it's summertime and warm so the reptiles will be out. This will continue until about November.

Best bet is to keep the kids indoors or close to the house. Long pants won't keep fangs from going through to the skin, although high boots might. Try having your kids wear thick, high boots. And do caution them not to roam far. It's just a fact of life living in the country. You don't want them wandering all over other people's land anyway.

And provide a pool for them to wade in, instead of letting them go in the river or pond or whatever you have out there.

You might also call a herpetologist or consult with your doctor about the best way to protect against snake bite. And should the worst happen, do have a snake bite kit readily available. Learn what to do in the event it happens.

Answer 4

Are you sure it is poisonous the vast majority of water snakes are not poisonous. Also most poisonous water snakes are nocturnal you see very few if you are not looking for them. I wouldn't worry snakes don't go around looking to bit people just when they are surprised or cornered. Most snakes hear people an try to avoid them. It is hard for children to sneak up on snakes because they usually are so loud. We live in the country an played in the streams an woods all the time an never had any problem

Answer 5

1. The only poisonous water snake is the Cottonmouth, and it is not found anywhere the water freezes hard in the winter- a lot of people think they have these nearby and do not. A lot of non-venomous water snakes are mistaken for Cottonmouths.

2. Few places in the world have enough snakes to make it a special risk. Most snakes are shy, afraid of humans, like to stay hidden, and are not thickly populated enough to be a real risk.

3. Basically, watch where you put your hands and feet in snake country. There are probably only a relatively few places locally where there is a real risk- ask your neighbors.

Answer 6

"water snake"? Are you referring to species? because a "water snake" is not venomous. If you don't know the specific species, then how do you know it was venomous?

There is only ONE snake in N. America which resides a better part of it's life in the water, and that is venomous, and that's the Agkistrodon piscivorus ( water moccasin or cottonmouth ). It resides in southern states only...and every layperson who sees a snake in the water usually jumps to the conclusion that it was a water moccasin they saw. Most people are wrong. Seeing an actual water moccasin is more rare than most people think. That's just one species out of dozens of snake species which live in or near the water which aren't venomous. I grew up in the country in south east Texas...I in my whole life, and all this time of messing with snakes....I only know one person who was bitten by a water moccasin. I think your concern is unfounded.

Long pants are not likely to help at all if a viper with folding fangs decides to strike. Most children are bitten on the hands or feet. The best way to avoid it is to be watchful, to stay away from the water, dense brush, tall grass, ditches, trash piles, rock formations and logs near the water....depends on how far you want to go and how much of a danger you perceive it to be. I've been chasing and catching venomous snakes on purpose for quite a while now, and I only got nicked last year by a diamonback rattler, and by a rear, non-fang tooth at that. First thing close to a venomous bite I have ever gotten, and I go out LOOKING for them at night. Non-venomous snakes and bites are much more common than the venomous kind, and non-venomous snakes tend to be much more aggressive than venomous ones.

Definitely don't listen to "vinnie", below. If you kill it, you will likely only kill a non-venomous snake...and another one will only move into the vacated territory. At least the old snake might have figured out there are dangers around, and will attempt to stay clear. A new snake that moves in will have to wander about and learn that, and you'll be dealing with a new exploring resident all the time....

And need I really say that putting out food for the snakes is the single stupidest thing you could do "vinnie"? Could you come up with a better guarantee for DRAWING snakes into an area, you twit?

Answer 7

How did you come to the conclusion that it's venomous? There are several kinds of snakes that can be found in or near water, but there is only one kind of venomous water snake. If you do infact live where water moccasins are native and often seen, keep the kids away from the shoreline when they play. If they go in the water be sure to watch your step near the shore. Other than that, the snakes won't pose much of a threat. They won't swim up to people, and they will swim away from you faster than you can catch them if you tried. Just be careful near the shore and be loud. Unless you sneak up on one and startle it, they pose no threat. Over 90% of venomous snake bites in the U.S. come from people (drunk?) trying to poke at or pick up a snake. The rest are from sneaking up on and scaring a snake that would otherwise hear you coming and high tail it to avoid human contact.

Answer 8

Keep your kids away from the water, tall grass, and other areas snakes frequent. Also, teach them to be observant of their surroundings, and tell them not to overturn rocks or logs, as snakes like to hide in those places. You can't fight nature, so you have to educate your kids on how to live with it.

Answer 9

was the snake black with a black and white spotted belly if so than it was a harmless creek snake.

beware of cottonmouths

the cottonmouth is black with dark brown patterns. when its in aggressive mode it opens its mouth reveling its bright white mouth with 2 large fangs full of venom. show your children pictures of the snake off the Internet along with pictures of wounds and scars from victims that has been bitten by one.

Answer 10

if you can safely get close to the snake i would kill it and any more of them you see, if it comes to the life of a snake or the safety of my kids my kids are going to win every time. shy of that keep the kids in the house, you may also try buying a bunch of feeder mice and letting them go near where you saw the snake, an full snake is easier to catch and kill.

Answer 11

snakes will usually leave when they hear you comeing - you could always call animal control and have them set up traps and they would re release the animal somewhere else -