A simple way to determine poisonous snake is the eyes. Round eyes not poisonous slitted eye is poisonous. I seriously doubt they are water moccasins.
can you post a picture of them? if they are actually moccasins then hire a wildlife expert to check out your house.
Baby water moccasins in my house!!!!!!?
In the past two weeks, we have killed what I think is two baby water moccasins, one in the bathroom and another in the dining room. They may be water snakes but i can't take the risks and definitely can't have them in the house even if they are just water snakes. They're baby-baby snakes probably 5 inches long but I can't take the risks of having one of my siblings or animals bitten. Any ideas on what to do or how to keep them out?
If they are indeed water moccasins, then the inside of their mouths are white. They are also known as cottonmouths because their insides of their mouths resemble cotton in color.
The cottonmouth moccasin, when threatened, coils and opens its mouth wide, displaying its fangs and exposing the white interior of its mouth and throat, thus the name cottonmouth. The adults are dark colored, almost black, and are heavy-bodied. They range in size from 20-48 inches, with a record of 74.5 inches (over 6 feet.) Juveniles are brightly colored with reddish brown crossbands which contain many dark spots and speckles, and have a sulfur colored tail, which is held erect and wiggled like a caterpillar to attract prey within striking range. The pattern darkens with age, so adults retain only a hint of the banding or are uniformly black. Both adults and juveniles have a broad, dark facial stripe which camouflages the eye. The juvenile cottonmouth is often confused with copperheads because of their similar appearance. However, copperheads do not have the distinctive dark band over the eye, and the crossbands of the copperhead contain no spots and speckles. Further, the range of the copperhead in Florida is primarily in the panhandle, mostly along the Apalachicola River and its tributaries and in the western tip of the panhandle.
Cottonmouths are members of the pit viper family, which also includes Copperheads and Rattlesnakes. Pit vipers have several characteristics which distinguish them from non-poisonous snakes:
1. Half-inch hollow fangs which contain complex, poisonous venom.
2. There is a deep facial pit between the nostril and the eye.
3. The head is thick, triangular, and distinctly broader than the neck.
4. When viewed from above, the eye cannot be seen.
5. The top of the head in front of the eyes is covered with large platelike scales.
6. The pupil is elliptical instead of round.
7. Single, non-divided belly scales from the head to the tip of the tail.
8. Short, stubby tail instead of long and whiplike (Only Rattlesnakes have rattles).
In the past, snakes were rarely encountered by members of the ARPP. The 1996 May/June season, however, contained several incidents of water moccasin contact with ARPP members during routine endeavors. The notion that the noise of the motorized equipment and the presence of so many people would keep snakes away has been abandoned in a reality check, especially concerning the brazen and bold water moccasin described above. The very real possibility arises that someone may be bitten. In light of this realization, it is prudent to consider the implications of such a scenario. Education about pit vipers, what happens to a person who has been bitten, and emergency medical procedures in the field must be addressed for everyone's safety. The following information is contained in Protocol For Emergency Room Procedures And Hospital Management of Snakebites, written by Maynard "Snakeman" Cox, herpetologist and world-recognized poisonous bite expert.
Statistically, about 48,000 people a year bitten in the United States. Of these, about 8,000 are from poisonous snakes and an average of 10 people a year die because they are cared for improperly. Worldwide, about 40% of the time people are bitten by poisonous snakes no venom passes and 85% of the time only enough venom passes to make the victim sick. 15% require critical care in the acute phase of the poisoning Proper medical management is still not well understood by many people.
In the Florida series, about 10 people per year were bitten by a cottonmouth while reaching over the side of a boat to pull up a string of fish. Cottonmouths inflict most of their bite under the water, on top of the water, or near the water.
The height of snake season is between April and October, peaking between July and August. Snakes are generally less active at temperatures less than 50-60 degrees, or greater than 80 degrees. 70-77% of all bites occur between 9:00 AM and 9:00 PM, peaking between 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM. Anatomically 60% of all bites occur to the lower extremity 38% to the upper extremity, and 2% to unidentified sites.
The cardinal signs and symptoms of pit viper envenomation include: burning pain (the commonest, earliest sign), puncture wound (50% of the time accompanied by a bloody ooze), swelling, skin discoloration, nausea and vomiting, minty, metallic, rubbery taste in the mouth, sweating, chills, numbness and tingling of the mouth, face, scalp, and wound site, ecchymosis and production of blebs and blisters, erythema and edema progressing from the wound site, weakness, vertigo, haematemesis epistaxis, muscle fasiculations, paralysis, shock, convulsions, loss of sphincter control, melena haematuria, and renal shutdown. Envenomation may include some or all of these symptoms, depending on the severity of envenomation.
Death can occur up to several days following the bite, or in as little as two hours. In pit viper envenomation the average death occurs in two days. If the bite is inflicted in an artery, vein, lymphatics, or a nerve, death will occur in 30 seconds to 10 minutes. If the victim does not die within the first 10 to 30 minutes, you have excess of 12 hours to get to proper medical help; in most cases, severe complications or death will not occur if proper medical protocol is followed.
Maynard recommends the following:
A. Do not apply a tourniquet !
B. Do not cut and suck !
C. Do not apply ice !
1. Treat for shock.
2. Wash the wound with soap and water.
3. Call 911 or transport to the nearest medical facility.
Snakebites from poisonous snakes are extremely dangerous. Following proper emergency medical procedure in the field and prompt transport to proper medical care in a medical facility is essential. Avoiding being bitten in the first place by leaving snakes alone is good common sense. In the event that contact with a poisonous snake is unavoidable, as in Bruce's case, non-aggressive action is best. Bruce did not strike or aggravate the cottonmouth that was wrapped around his forearm, and luckily, the snake went up the dredge. Luckier still, the snake bounced off the screen into the water and no one topside was hurt. Additionally, although both Bruce and John were frightened by the snake, they did not bolt up to the surface. Being good divers, they kept their wits about them and tried to ascend in a controlled manner. Adding the complication of being bent to a possible snakebite would not bode well.
To rid yourself of venomous snakes
Call animal control if you fear the snake may be venomous. Snakes with venomous bites, even baby snakes, should be handled by professionals. Try to determine whether the snake you want to remove may be dangerous. (See How to Identify a Venomous Snake for a list of the most common dangerous snakes.) If you aren't sure what kind of snake it is, err on the safe side and call animal control.
Try to enclose the snake in one room. If you see it in the laundry room, for example, shut the door and wedge a towel underneath it to prevent the snake from escaping.
Keep children and pets away from the area until animal control has come to capture the snake.
If you're uncomfortable handling the snake, even if you don't believe it to be venomous, there's no reason you should deal with it yourself. Call animal control to trap it and take it away.
Catch the snake with a glue trap. If you suspect there may be a snake in your attic, garage, basement or elsewhere in your house, lay out glue traps along the walls in these areas. Snakes crawl over the traps and get stuck.
Many areas have deemed glue traps inhumane, as animals can seriously hurt themselves or suffocate trying to escape.
Check the traps every day to see if you've caught a snake. If you wait too long, the snake will die of starvation and begin to smell.
When you catch a snake, place the trap in a bucket and take it outside or to an area where you'd like to release it. Pour vegetable oil over the snake to loosen it from the trap and allow it to crawl away.
In the past two weeks, we have killed what I think is two baby water moccasins, one in the bathroom and another in the dining room. They may be water snakes but i can't take the risks and definitely can't have them in the house even if they are just water snakes. They're baby-baby snakes probably 5 inches long but I can't take the risks of having one of my siblings or animals bitten. Any ideas on what to do or how to keep them out?
