Posted Aug 5, 2014, 4:51 pm
Ready or not, Arizona rattlesnakes and their offspring are active and residents should be on the lookout for them over the next few weeks, authorities said.
Baby rattlesnakes, born in July and August, strike without warning and have enough venom to be a serious health hazard, an Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center spokeswoman said in a news release.
Yong rattlesnakes do not give a warning before they strike because they do not have a rattle until they shed their first skins. Young rattlers can range from six to 12 inches long. People must be cautious around brush and grass because the baby rattlers are almost invisible to the human eye, Ann Cisneros said in the release.
As part of the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy, the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center assists residents of all counties in the state except Maricopa County. Many calls received by the specialists are from Arizonans who are unaware they have been bitten by a rattlesnake.
“People may not figure out what has happened until we go over the symptoms they are having,” said Keith Boesen, director of the poison center in the release. “Adult rattlers don’t always give an audible warning before or while they are biting either, so the risk of unidentified snakebite exists year-round.”
From Jan. 1 through July 31 this year, 74 rattlesnake bites of humans were reported to the center, the release said.
Anyone who has been outdoors and experienced a strange sting, pinch, bite, small cut, or wound, especially on the arm or leg, is encouraged to call the center at 1-800-222-1222.
“We will ask a few questions that will help you either identify a possible snakebite or eliminate it,” said Boesen. “With snakebite, the sooner the medical treatment, the better the outcome. So calling us right away can make a very big difference for the victims and the medical teams treating them.”
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