By Ryan Houston - bio | email
ALBANY, GA (WALB) – The snakebite death of a Berrien County man strikes fear in us all. Very few people like snakes. In fact, most of us hate them.
There are lots of snakes here in South Georgia that won't hurt you, and actually serve a good purpose. But it's the poisonous ones you have to watch out for.
Snakes are some of the most disliked creatures on the planet. Six year old Shaniah Grinville said "I really don't like snakes."
"Kids are scared a lot of times because adults they see are scared," said Chehaw Park instructor Samantha Sassone.
And the reason Shaniah's afraid, "Because they bite."
But bites from non-poisonous snakes, like the gray rat snake, won't kill you.
"If he bites you it's really just gonna be something small," said Sassone.
And contrary to what you may think, snakes don't WANT to bite you. "The biggest misconception about snakes would be is that snakes are aggressive," said Sassone.
They prefer to get away from you and only bite if they are cornered. So how do you know if a snake is poisonous?
Chehaw Executive director Doug Porter thinks, "Their heads are very much wider than the rest of the body. Almost with a triangular shape."
"If you see a snake with a big fat head stay away from it," said Doug Porter.
With so many do's and don't's about handling snakes, experts say the best thing to do is simply stay away from them. "If you see a snake don't ever grab it or poke it, because it might become defensive," said Sassone.
So in this situation the best offense is to prevent the defense. If a poisonous snake bites you, you should get medical attention right away. Also try to remember the color and shape of the snake, that can help with treatment.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page for a link to identify Georgia's reptiles...
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