Posted on 06/08/2019 12:51:49 PM PDT by buckalfa
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) - Doctors at WakeMed in Raleigh say North Carolina leads the country in the number of people bitten by snakes, and they're warning everyone to watch out for snakes when they're outside.
Of all 100 counties in the state, they said Wake County has the highest number reported of snake bites.
WNCN reporter Zak Dahlheimer's father, Mike Dahlheimer, said a snake bite never crossed his mind, until moving to Raleigh from Florida a few weeks ago.
"If a spaceship landed in front of me, and little green men would've came out, I wouldn't have been more surprised," Dahlheimer said.
Mike Dahlheimer remembers recently taking his dog out one night as usual -- when he felt something on his leg.
"I felt like, when you're walking in the woods, if a stick scratches your leg," he said. "I didn't know what a snake bite felt like, but it hurt."
He said 10 minutes later, he and his wife came out and saw what looked like a copperhead snake.
After going to the WakeMed emergency room, Dahlheimer said he was told this was not uncommon, and that North Carolina leads the country when it comes to snake bites.
"That would've been good information to have," he said. "Being a new resident here, nobody told me that."
Dr. Benjamin German studies snakes as an emergency physician with WakeMed.
"In my hospital system, we see upwards of about 100 bites a year," German said.
He said the reason for the high number of bites in Wake County is due to a large presence of snakes and more people moving into the region.
"Many of these people are moving into suburban areas, maybe a year or two ago were farm land, ranch land and forest," he said. "Now, you have people coming into close proximity with the snakes already there. That's where the bites happen."
He said this time of year is when a number of bites can happen, with more snakes coming into the area too.
"This is typically the time of year when baby copperheads are born," he said. "The population experiences a sudden increase that causes more bites."
The doctor hopes to see the word get out more to help protect others.
"I think more information would be good," German said. "Just finding a way to disseminate that to the greatest number of people would be the challenge."
"More people should know about this," Dahlheimer said. "I might start carrying a gun with me when I walk the dog at night. It gives new meaning to what a snake pistol is."
German said deadly copperhead bites are extremely rare.
He also added most common bites are people walking at dusk or after dark.
Tips to avoid bites include making sure you keep your landscaping trimmed, and you have little or no wood piles, trash piles or anywhere a snake could hide.
Also, German said, make sure you're wearing good, closed-toe shoes.
If you do get bit, German recommends you call 9-1-1 and get medically evaluated.
I thought the highest concentration of snakes was in Washington.
In Wake...Get Bit
I have known for a long time that N.C. led the nation in snake bites. Also that just as in this case, nearly all are copperheads. Almost no one dies from their venom.
Now 7 foot rattlers are a different matter.
He also added most common bites are people walking at dusk or after dark.
That’s when I walk the dogs and I carry a Surefire Defender that’s brighter than daytime to shine on the blacktop in the dark areas in between street lights.
I live on the edge of town and have seen a few snakes while walking the dogs at night, including a baby copperhead in front of my mailbox and a big monster coiled in the middle of the road on a cold night late last summer.
I got into the habit of always praying for protection from all serpents, whatever form they may take, before we leave the house to go for our walks.
Never know what you might find walking here late at night...snakes, thieves, ... etc.
“Mike Dahlheimer, said a snake bite never crossed his mind, until moving to Raleigh from Florida a few weeks ago.”
Because, as anyone knows, there are no snakes in Florida...
No step on snek!
Most of those are constrictors. Their specialty is slowly squeezing the life out of their prey.
There should be a law that snakes need to carry signs!!
At least a rattler will give warning if given a chance.
Copperheads, you're usually standing on one before you know it.
Rattlers are bigger and usually inject more venom but a copperhead bite is nothing to sneeze at.
Had a buddy that almost lost his arm and was in the hospital for 1 1/2 weeks from a bite on his finger.
That’s where my wife got bit by a copperhead, at night. It was laying on the cement keeping warm and she stepped on it.
$25,000 for one anti-venom shot at Duke.
Same is true for pets. Our cat was bitten by a copperhead.
Rat sticky boards have been updated, now you can purchase snake boards that will catch snakes. If you kill them afterwards that’s your business.
OH and my family and friends back in the UP all say that they would never come to AZ because of guess what?
SNAKES.
But they’ll go to FL because they aint got any snakes there. LOL!
I have a hell of a good time explaining that not only does Fl and the southeast have the rattlesnakes, but they got Copperheads, Cottonmouth, and I guess, they figure that someone has let Cobras out down there. Then there is the problem of Gators, and Boas, and nice little things like that.
We had lots and lots of copperheads. Moved to Chapel Hill and now only see big black snakes.
I go copperhead hunting frequently at night. In the daytime, they are almost impossible to see but at night a bright light will expose their white bellies. I wear rubber boots and carry rat-shot in a .22 pistol. They never get away. I have almost eliminated them from around my place.
“Of all 100 counties in the state, they said Wake County has the highest number reported of snake bites.”
So am I to conclude that Tracy Abrams lives in Wake County?
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