1/8/2024 0 Comments Virginia state isnake![]() They’re easily confused with two other nonvenomous snakes in Virginia-the eastern hog-nosed snake and the eastern rat snake. Pine snakes average about 50 inches long, and their patterns typically have black blotches on a white background or brown blotches on a tan or yellow background. “In case you misidentify one, we don’t want anyone to possibly be bitten.” “Just take a picture with your phone,” he advised. However, as with any wild animal, people should not attempt to catch them. Hamed emphasized that despite having a loud, intimidating hiss when cornered or frightened, pine snakes are harmless-they’re more frightened of people. Observations typically are reported from April to October in other states. According to the DWR, pine snakes have previously been spotted in Augusta, Bath, Botetourt and Craig counties-but their range could be much wider, expanding into the Shenandoah and Giles areas. Forest Service to collect data on the snake. Virginia Tech is collaborating with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and the U.S. “The pine snake is helpful in keeping those populations in check,” Hamed said. He explained that pine snakes are valuable to the ecosystem because they eat small mammals-particularly ones that burrow underground and disrupt crops, gardens and lawns, such as moles. “The numbers aren’t very abundant, and where they’re living in that underground environment, people aren’t around to see them when they’re active.” Kevin Hamed, an assistant professor of wildlife conservation and collection curation at Virginia Tech. “One of the challenges when you have an animal that’s so secretive, sometimes its rarity is actually a product of the fact that it’s very hard to see and observe,” explained Dr. They prefer places with sandy, well-drained soils or rock ridges, and they spend most of their lives just below the ground. Researchers think there may be some in Virginia, as there are several areas that would provide ideal habitats for them. The nonvenomous snake was last seen in Virginia more than 30 years ago, and researchers want to get an idea of how many are currently in the state for management and conservation.Īccording to a press release from Virginia Tech, northern pine snake populations currently inhabit New Jersey, Tennessee and the Carolinas, while southern populations are in Florida and Georgia and coastal regions of Alabama and Mississippi. The Associated Press contributed to this report.BLACKSBURG-If you’ve seen a pine snake slithering around your property, the Virginia Tech Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation wants to know. The location of where the man was bitten wasn’t disclosed by authorities. Owning an African Pit Viper is illegal in Virginia. Holstege cautioned not to treat a bite with tourniquets or suction devices instead call 911. He said a venomous bite can also lead to death. “These snakes can cause tissue damage, you can get pain, swelling, death to the skin cells, and the muscles underneath potentially.” “The sooner you can get treatment, anti-venom, the better,” Holstege said. And finding those lifesaving treatments can take time, when every minute counts. Holstege said hospitals typically have anti-venom treatments on hand for native snakes, but not for non-indigenous species, like the African Pit Viper. “There’s a concern with the public owning these, especially venomous species, for this very reason,” said Christopher Holstege, M.D., director of the University of Virginia Health System’s Blue Ridge Poison Center, which wasn’t involved in this case. Pamela Baker-Masson, a spokesperson for the National Zoo, told WTOP the last time the Zoo had to provide anti-venom was over a decade ago. She did say, however, it is rare for the hospital system to have to request anti-venom treatments from outside sources. Officials said he had received an initial dose of anti-venom treatment from the National Zoo in D.C.Ī spokeswoman for VCU Health told WTOP she couldn’t disclose information about that particular case. Virginia State Police helped deliver the anti-venom treatment from the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach to Richmond’s VCU Health. Business & Finance Click to expand menu.Īuthorities say state police helped rush an anti-venom treatment to a Virginia hospital after a man was bitten Saturday by his pet African Pit Viper, one of the deadliest snakes in the world.
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