Another wet summer has led to an increase in the number of snake sightings — and bites — in Scurry County and local wildlife and medical experts are helping make sure residents take proper precautions.
Aaron Sims, the public information officer for the Lubbock District of Texas Parks and Wildlife, said he has not heard any specific details about the number of snake attacks in Scurry County this year, but said it would not be unusual for there to be an increase in the snake population.
“There’s been two wet years in a row,” Sims said. “That helps produce more food, which increases the rodent population. As the rodent population grows, you see more snakes.”
Sims said the initial reaction of many people who encounter snakes is to kill them, but he said some snakes, like bull snakes, are necessary and do not pose harm to humans.
“Bull snakes are not poisonous, but they look like rattlesnakes,” Sims said. “They actually kill rattlesnakes and are important to managing the ecosystem. They serve a purpose.”
Sims advises everyone to be cautious and alert when outside.
Kevin Williams, the clinic administrator for the Cogdell Family Clinic, said the clinic has not actually received any snake bite victims because the victims usually go directly to emergency care.
Cogdell Memorial Hospital’s emergency room has treated more than 10 patients for snake bites this year, double the number of patients treated in 2015.
“We haven’t handled any snake bites because people have been going straight to the emergency room, and appropriately so,” Williams said.
A patient goes through snake bite protocol to determine whether any envenomation, or injection of venom into the blood stream, has taken place. Blood tests are done to check for any blood clots.
If it is determined that envenomation did occur, doctors will then administer anti-venom. After the first dose of anti-venom, patients are often transferred to a level one trauma unit.
“The most common trauma unit for this region is University Medical Center in Lubbock,” Williams said. “But we do have anti-venom here at the emergency room. We have it constantly stocked.”
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