Snake Season Arrives with Advice on How to Stay Safe

Snake season in the U.S. is now fully underway.

Snakes are cold-blooded. This means, as the weather gets warmer, they emerge from their hiding places. Most snakes start becoming more active at the beginning of April, and stay on the move into the fall.

Texas is the U.S. state with the most snakes. Other serpent-heavy states include California, Florida, New Mexico and Nevada.

There are several venomous species of snake that can be found in the U.S. These include rattlesnakes, copperheads, cottonmouths, and coral snakes.

Snakes prefer to live in rural areas like deserts, forests, swamps, and grasslands.

However, is not uncommon for them to slither into properties in search of shelter or prey.

This can cause conflict. It is possible for a person to die after being bitten by a venomous snake, however this is incredibly rare and only usually occurs when the bite is left untreated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that every year, an estimated 7,000 to 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes in the U.S. Out of these, around 5 result in fatalities.

Despite bites being rare, many people are afraid of the reptiles.

Newsweek spoke to experts in search of the best ways to keep safe during snake season.

Brett Parker, of Hill Country Snake Removal, has over 25 years of experience with snakes and works to remove them safely from properties in and around New Braunfels, Texas.

Texas is home to an abundance of species, including the rattlesnake, cottonmouth and copperhead. According to Parker, keeping safe is all about being aware.

"Snakes are already out and about. There are no snake repellants, the best thing you can do is keep shoes on your feet and keep your head on a swivel, especially in the evenings. Snakes are most active in the 70s and 80s," Parker told Newsweek.

Many accidents occur when people wearing no shoes, or open-toed shoes, accidentally step on a snake that is lurking in long grass.

"Our most dangerous and prevalent venomous snake is the Western Diamondback rattlesnake. They are only dangerous if cornered, scared or harmed, though," Parker said.

Experts that snakes are misunderstood creatures. While venomous species can be dangerous, they do not attack humans unless given a reason.

When a rattlesnake feels provoked or threatened, it will rattle its tail to scare off any predators. If a person encounters a rattlesnake using its tail, they should back away immediately. Bites only occur when these warnings go ignored.

"No snake in the U.S. will advance any significant distance towards anyone with the intent to come bite them," Parker said.

There is also a common myth that baby rattlesnakes and other young species are more dangerous. This can cause alarm during mating season.

"Baby rattlesnakes are not more dangerous than adults, they can control their venom unlike the popular myth; however, they are harder to see due to their small size."

There are also extra precautions people can take, especially those in rural areas.

Tyler Young, of Placer Snake Removal, which works to remove snakes safely from areas in Northern California, told Newsweek that people can keep a close eye on the habitat around their homes to keep snakes at bay.

"For folks who live in areas where rattlesnakes inhabit, ensure wild grasses, weeds, and vegetation stay trimmed as close to the ground as possible," Young said.

"The further distance folks have between the area around their homes to the nearest tall wild grasses and weeds, the less likely rattlesnakes will feel comfortable crossing the open stretch towards homes or other high traffic areas folks have around their property."

Snakes also like to hide, especially when it is hot and they are seeking shelter from the sun. This means reducing clutter around the home can help deter snakes.

"Reducing the amount of clutter or excess stuff stored outside around your home also helps cut down the chances of a snake stopping by. If there aren't any good points of cover around on the ground, they will likely skip the area and continue looking for a safer place to hide that conceals them visually," Young said.

Snake removal specialists like Parker and Young relocate snakes in safe areas, away from people.

Attempting to kill snakes when they are sighted on a property can often be a more dangerous situation than just leaving it be.

This is because if a snake is aware it is being hunted, it will inevitably become more agitated and more likely to bite.

Many venomous species can strike incredibly quickly, which can catch people off guard.

A University of Louisiana study found that rattlesnakes are capable to striking in just 70 milliseconds.

Do you have an animal or nature story to share with Newsweek? Do you have a question about the snake season? Let us know via nature@newsweek.com.