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News Headline |
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Most snakes will never encounter a human being, and no snake actively hunts humans. They would much rather be left alone, and most bites that occur do so when people deliberately handle snakes.
If you encounter a snake, leave it alone. Do not pick it up or try to handle it in any way. As an animal, its reactions are based on instinct, and it will likely perceive you picking it up as an attack by a predator, and the snake will defend itself with its primary means of defense: biting.
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Rainbow Snake
aka Farancia erytrogramma
Photo Courtesy of John Willson |
Both venomous and non-venomous snakes bite, and both bites carry some level of danger.
Unless a snake is threatening, do not try to kill the snake. Several snakes - including venomous species - are protected by law in North Carolina, which makes it illegal to kill them. Besides, snakes are very beneficial to our community, since they are major predators of other pests, such as insects, slugs, and rodents (who have historically killed a lot more people than snakes). Some snakes even hunt other, more dangerous snakes.
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If a snake does threaten, it is best to either dispatch it with a hoe or shovel, or to contact an extermination service to do so for you.
There are no effective repellents for snakes, and this includes sulfur, mothballs, and lime. Commercially available repellents have not proven effective either. |
Corn Snake
aka Elaphe guttata
Photo Courtesy of John Willson
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