Spanish Language Resources

Venomous Snake Safety -  Southeastern US

 

The southeastern United States supports a wide diversity of native snakes, only six of which are venomous. Venomous snakebite is rare, and is highly treatable -- only 6-7 people die of venomous snakebite in the United States each year. Many venomous snakebites can be prevented by adopting a "leave them be" attitude. In fact, the majority of venomous snakebites occur when an individual attempts to handle, harass, or kill the snake.

Reports suggest that migrant agricultural workers may be at increased risk of venomous snakebite, as they frequently encounter snakes and often attempt to kill snakes out of fear. This fear is likely caused by a lack of knowledge about the venomous snakes of the southeastern United States -- the workers simply don't know which snakes are venomous and which are harmless. It is our goal to promote snake safety through education -- by learning to identify the venomous species and to adopt a "leave them be" attitude with all snakes, workers can greatly reduce the risk of venomous snakebite.

Dr. Steve Johnson of the University of Florida / IFAS produced an educational poster entitled “Venomous Snakes of the Southeast”, which is available in both English and Spanish. This poster uses a combination of watercolor illustrations, line drawings, maps, and text to describe the six venomous snake species and their look-alikes, where you might find them, and how to recognize a venomous snake. The poster also gives tips for responding to snakebite emergencies -- what you should and should NOT do in case of venomous snakebite.

Follow this link to preview the Serpientes Venenosas del Sureste de los EEUU poster (3MB pdf)

Unfortunately, we are no longer able to offer the "Serpientes Veneonosas del Sureste de los EEUU" poster  free of charge. However, the poster is available for purchase through the UF/IFAS bookstore.