Watch out for snakes this spring and summer
Just as people emerge post-winter into the warm sunshine, so too with snakes, who are currently slithering into springtime weather.
While many species in Allegheny County are harmless, a few venomous ones lurk in surrounding natural areas.
“We’re about to enter [snake season], kind of like baseball season,” joked Joshua Schulman, the director of Pittsburgh Poison Center and an emergency medicine physician at UPMC Presbyterian. He said the center typically sees a spike in bites in the spring and summer as people get out hiking and returning to yard work.
“People clearing brush piles should be careful,” he said. “If you do find a snake, call someone who is trained. Definitelydon’t go out of your wayto handle a wild snake.”
Around 7,000 to 8,000 people get bitten by venomous snakes in the U.S. every year, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safetyand Health (NIOSH).
Pittsburgh Poison Center received 37 cases of snakebites in 2023, which includes Western and Central Pa., and 13 came from Allegheny County. Venom from snake bites can cause tissue deterioration or severe allergic reactions, especially if left untreated. Experts say a swift medical response if bitten is crucial.
Here’s which snakes to look out for this spring and summer — and what to do shouldyou get bitten by one.
Which snakes should I look out for?
Copperheads and timber rattlesnakes are known to frequent southwestern Pennsylvania, and both are venomous.
One study conducted by toxicologists at Washington University in St. Louis found that copperheads account for nearly half of all venomous bites treated in the U.S. These snakes have distinct brown hourglass markings and light brown or copper pointed heads. They like to hide in rocky outcroppings, and their venom causes extensive pain, swelling and bruising.
Timber rattlesnakes are found in the Laurel Highlands, which includes Ohiopyle, and state parks in West Virginia. They have brown or yellow bodies with black bands and a rattle. It is estimated that 10%–44% of those envenomated by rattlesnakes will have lasting damage, per NIOSH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Miranda Crotsley, an educator at the Jennings Environmental Education Center in Slippery Rock, Pa., said occasionally rangers are called to remove timber rattlesnakes from nearby campgrounds.
The third type of venomous snake likely to be seen in Pennsylvania and surrounding areas is the protected massasauga rattlesnake.
“The massasauga is endangered, and it’s a shy snake,” said Crotsley. “They stay in their habitat.”
Jennings Environmental Education Center maintains a prairie habitat for the endangered snakes, with many signs identifying and notifying visitors of the boundaries of the prairie and what to do if they encounter a snake there.
What should I do if I come across a snake?
If you see a snake while walking or hiking, back away or pass the snake without interacting.
Crotsley said she has seen a copperhead at Ohiopyle State Park and a timber rattlesnake in Forbes State Forest on the edge of the trail but hadno problems both times.
“[The copperhead] remained completely still; it was in a rocky alcove and wanted no part of me,” said Crotsley. “And copperheads can’t strike more than their body length, and they can’t leap or jump.”
She said the timber rattlesnake rattled a bit when she passed it, but it “didn’t want to be bothered.”
“We do a lot of education here about how you should never intentionally provoke or approach a snake,” she said. “A lot of the negative encounters come when folks are intentionally interacting with snakes, and often involve alcohol. There’s no circumstance in which you should be reaching down to touch a venomous snake.”
Matt Stripp, director of toxicology and a physician with Allegheny Health Network, said most of the snake bites they see are from people handling snakes, and there is a male predominance in bites.
“Definitely don’t go out of your way to handle a wild snake,” said Schulman. “Snakes just want to be left alone.”
What if I get bitten?
In the chance that you are bitten by a venomous snake, it’s important to seek medical attention immediately. While not all bites lead to what the experts call envenomation — bites without a significant amount of venom are also called dry bites — the venom from snakes native to Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia can lead to extensive tissue destruction.
Emergency responders and hospitals stock a compound called antivenom, which is created from antibodies specific to families of snakes. Antivenom can help counteract the negative effects of a venomous snake bite.
“The progression and the rate of swelling depends on the degree of the bite,” said Stripp. “It’s very important to get to a health care facility to get that assessment to determine if they need antivenom.”
Medical professionals may monitor your vitals and ensure you don’t develop an allergic reaction to the venom, which can be life-threatening.
“The key thing is getting help quickly,” said Stripp.
Schulman also recommended removing tight clothing and jewelry around the area, washing thoroughly with soap and water, and immobilizing the area.
What should I NOT do?
Both toxicologists mentioned persistent myths and misinformation that circulate regarding venomous snake bites.
“Trying to suck or cut the venom out, that stuff is not recommended,” said Schulman.
A tourniquet can also be the wrong move, he said, because it can trap the venom in one area and lead to more tissuedamage in that region. For the same reason, one should not apply ice to the affected area. While it may seem counterintuitive, venom usually travels throughout the lymphatic system, so it should not staysequestered.
And definitely don’t try to bring the snake that bit you into the hospital, which the pair said they’ve seen many times at their respective facilities.
“Sometimes a photo is efficient if it can be taken from a safe distance, but it’s not worth being envenomated again,” said Stripp.
“We have had people try to bring us snakes,” Schulman said. “Please don’t do that.”
Be aware
Snakes are a part of the food chain and help keep the environment in balance, venomous or not. If you see a snake in your garden or garage, there’s “almost no chance” it’s venomous, said Crotsley. But on the rare chance it is, best not get in its personal space.
“You always want to be aware of your surroundings in nature,” she said. “But it’s certainly not something that should prevent you from going out.”