Archives

Snake Bites Eureka Elementary Student on Playground

   Written by on November 20, 2014 at 12:40 pm

Last week a Eureka Elementary School student was apparently bitten by a snake. The boy received a bite on his leg from what was perceived to be a Copperhead snake while playing on the playground.

copperheadThe Charlotte County Rescue Squad was quickly dispatched to the school and the student was transported to Centra-Southside Community Hospital.  The child was later transported to another hospital to receive treatment for the injury sustained from the bite.  After a thorough search, the snake was not located.

While the Rattlesnake, Copperhead, Water Moccasin and Coral Snake (indigenous to Florida) are identified as the only four poisonous snakes in America, it should be noted that the only poisonous snake native to Charlotte County is the Copperhead.  However, many non-poisonous snakes are patterned similarly to poisonous snakes as a survival mechanism.  This is known as “mimicry.” According to the Virginia Herpetological Society, “Copperheads are born alive and with the exception of the tail tip, they are colored and patterned the same as adults.”  Distinct characteristics of the Copperhead include hourglass shaped cross-bands and two dark spots on top of the head.  Additionally, the Copperhead is identified as a pit-viper. The Virginia Herpetological Society explains that “the ‘pit’ in pit-viper refers to the heat sensing pit located between the eye and the nostrils on the snake’s head.  In addition to the heat-sensing pit, all three venomous snakes in Virginia have vertical pupils.  All harmless snakes in Virginia have round pupils and lack the heat sensing pits.”

Because Copperheads are the only poisonous snakes found in Charlotte County, that leaves room for a number of common misidentifications when it comes to other snakes, which actually have similar coloring as Copperheads.  Some of the snakes characterized as “look-a-likes” include the juvenile Black Rat Snake, the   juvenile Northern Black Racer, the Northern Water Snake, the Eastern Milk Snake and the Corn Snake, to name a few.  Although the Copperhead is the only poisonous snake located in Charlotte County, the state of Virginia plays host to a total of three.  Typically, the Water Moccasin is found only in the southeastern region of Virginia.  Rattlesnakes are located in the mountains and Copperheads can be found statewide.

The Virginia Poison Center states that snakebites are not a significant cause of death and in, fewer than 10 people have died from snakebite within the last 30 years.  While people seldom die from the snakebite alone, cause of death usually occurs based on a lack of treatment to the wounded area.  Low fatality rates can also be attributed to the fact that about 25% of venomous bites are “dry,” in which no venom is injected.

Leave a Reply