A hiker in a Tennessee state park died after being bitten by a rattlesnake.Rattlesnakes can be found in all but four U.S. states.Bites from venomous snakes are most common the South.
A hiker in a Tennessee state park died recently after picking up a rattlesnake that bit him on the hand.
The hiker, a man whose name was not released, was in Savage Gulf State Park in Gruetli-Laager, Tennessee, around 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 8, Matthew Griffith, director for the Grundy County Emergency Association, said in an email to The New York Times.
A witness told officials that the hiker had picked up a snake, which was believed to be a timber rattlesnake, and was bitten on a hand, Griffith said. It was not clear why the hiker picked up the snake.
Emergency medical workers arrived and performed CPR but the man died at the hospital.
How common are rattlesnake bites?
Rattlesnake bites in the U.S. range from 7,000 to 8,000 annually, with most bites occurring in the South, according to WorldAnimalFoundation.org.
According to the foundation, states with the highest incidence of snake bites per million population per year are:
North Carolina at 157.8 West Virginia at 105.3Arkansas at 92.9Oklahoma at 61,Virginia a48.7 Texas at 44.2.
Rattlesnakes are active from April to October depending on the region of the country in which they live. They’re found across much of the United States but are especially common in the Southwest. Arizona has more types of rattlesnakes than any other state, followed by California, Texas, New Mexico and Utah, according to SnakeProtection.com.
Rattlesnakes are not found in Alaska, Hawaii, Maine and Rhode Island.
Like most snakes, rattlers prefer warm, sunny weather and dense vegetation. They live in deserts, mountainous regions, forests and prairies. Rattlesnakes are carnivores that eat mice, voles, chipmunks and other small mammals.
A rattlesnake warning
Officials in Draper, Utah, recently posted a rattlesnake warning on Facebook. Sightings were reported near the Coyote Hollow Trailhead and the Mercer Hollow area of SunCrest.
“Snakes may be coming into more populated areas due to dry conditions. Be especially careful around ponds and air conditioning units,” according to the post.
There are five rattlesnake species in Utah, and the most common is the Great Basin rattlesnake, which is a subspecies of the Western rattlesnake, according to the state Division of Wildlife Resources.
Rocky benches, high-elevation slopes and dry canyons are the most common places in Utah to encounter rattlesnakes, often while people are out hiking, rock climbing or biking, per Wildlife Resources. However, you might also come across rattlers at lower elevations and in open areas. Individual rattlesnakes move around a large area known as their “home range” and will usually move on from a specific location within a short period of time, according to Wildlife Resources.
Rattlesnakes are protected under Utah law, making it illegal to harass or kill one. They use their venom to subdue prey so they can eat it, and a snake will only bite defensively if it feels threatened.
“Like most wild animals, rattlesnakes fear humans and will do anything they can to avoid us,” according to Wildlife Resources native herpetology coordinator Alyssa Hoekstra. “If a snake is feeling threatened, it may act in defense. The best course of action is to maintain a safe distance from rattlesnakes and other native snake species.”
What to do if you encounter a rattlesnake
Utah Wildlife Resources offers these tips to stay safe:
Remain calm and stay at least 10 feet from the snake. Make sure to give it plenty of space. If the snake is in the middle of the trail, step off the trail and go around it.Do not try to kill the snake. Doing so is illegal and greatly increases the chance that the snake will bite you.Do not throw anything at the snake (rocks, sticks, etc.). Rattlesnakes may move toward you as they attempt to flee.Alert other people to the snake’s location. Advise them to use caution and to avoid getting close to the snake. Keep children and pets away.If you hear a rattle, try to locate where the sound is coming from before you react, so you don’t step closer to the snake or on top of it.