Desert Messenger

March 06, 2019

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March 6, 2019 www.DesertMessenger.com 5 WE'RE BACK!! TRANSPONDER AUTO KEYS (Electronic Chip Keys) Jeep, Chrysler, Ford Chevrolet, Toyota & many more! Betty Crenshaw, Owner C & B LOCK & KEY 42 YEARS EXPERIENCE 928-927-6589 Mobile Service Only Snakes are out! Warm temperatures are bringing snakes out of their dens where they hibernated during the winter, and they will be around for several more months. With 13 different types of rattle- snakes slithering throughout the state, it's important for every desert dweller to know what to do when crossing paths with a snake. While snakes often aren't looking to cause trouble, people must ex- ercise extreme caution when they come across a rattlesnake. Keith Boesen, director of the Ari- zona Poison and Drug Information Center and a professor with the UA College of Pharmacy, said the center typically receives a report of someone being bitten every other day during rattlesnake season, with those numbers approaching a bite per day in the peak stretch from mid-August to mid-September. "Snakes are a lot like us in that they like to be out and about when it's cooler, either early in the morning or in the evening," Boesen said. A snakebite packs enough ven- om to cause serious injury or even death. Most snakebite victims have to spend at least two to three days in a hospital and spend weeks, some- times months, rehabilitating the area around the bite in order to re- gain full range of motion and mus- cle functionality. "Some victims can't even do basic things like use a pen or hold their morning cup of coffee months after the incident," Boesen said. A bite can deliver three separate types of injuries that must be treated. First, there is the pain and swelling at the site of the bite. Second, bleed- ing complications can occur. Lastly, the snake's venom can cause muscu- lar and neurological disruptions. "No two snakebites are exactly the same and no two people react the same ways to a snakebite, so the best treatment plan is always devel- oped on a case-by-case basis," Bo- esen said. The best treatment for a snakebite is to avoid rattlesnakes entirely. Don't engage, if at all possible. Don't try to shoo it away with a stick. Don't get near it. If an individual encounters a rattlesnake, Boesen suggests tak- ing one big step back to get out of striking range, and then to continue calmly walking without agitating the snake. "Snakes don't have any interest in attacking us," Boesen said. "They're primarily defending themselves. As long as they don't feel threatened, they typically won't strike." Boesen added that the majority of those who suffer snakebites are those doing typical, everyday tasks, such as pulling weeds, gardening, taking out the trash or checking the mail. Hikers often have full at- tention on the path and can spot snakes before encroaching on their territory. These city strikes happen because it's often the last thing on the individual's mind. "Many bites take place simply because the person was in the wrong place at the wrong time," Boesen said. If a bite does take place, the best thing an individual can do is to get to a hospital as soon as possible. The victim should remove restric- tive clothing or jewelry and receive professional medical attention. "Anything you have seen in a movie or read in a book — such as sucking the venom from the wound or tying a tourniquet above the bite mark — is completely useless," Boesen said. The Arizona Poison and Drug In- formation Center works to inform and educate residents and visitors on ways to safely share the desert landscape with snakes, scorpions and other poisonous animals. "The best things people can do to avoid being bitten is to be prepared, be vigilant and, most of all, be aware of surroundings," Boesen said. For more information or to speak to a snakebite expert, call the Ari- zona Poison and Drug Information Center's free, 24-hour hotline at 1- 800-222-1222. "Society is unity in diversity." ~George Herbert Mead

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