SPECIAL REPORT: Staying safe during rattlesnake season

It is officially summer, and with the temperatures reaching the triple digits more often than not, many are choosing to enjoy the outdoors in the late evening.

But for those who like hiking or taking their pets out for a walk, beware. The warm weather means snakes are about.

“The most common snake that I run into and the most common removed from yards are western diamondbacks,” said Las Cruces herpetologist, Frank Bryce.

Bryce has worked across the nation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He is the man Las Crucens call when they find a snake in their yard.

Bryce showed ABC-7 just how common rattlesnakes are in the Borderland: Within five minutes, he was alerted there was a snake nearby.

It was a small, 3-foot diamondback rattlesnake, but don’t let the size fool you. “You don’t want to get bit by this guy, but you don’t want to smash your finger with a hammer either,” Bryce said.

Bryce has some simple tips to avoid snakes.

“Always carry a flashlight and watch where you put your hands and feet and watch where you sit down,” Bryce told ABC-7.

Bryce says you should avoid walking close to bushes or crevices with large holes.

But what if you get bitten?

“A rattle rattlesnake bite should be taken very seriously,” Dr. Michael Payne said.

Payne is assistant medical director of the emergency department at Las Palmas Hospital. He says there are two essential things you should do.
“If you’re in a remote area by yourself, call 911 as soon as you can,” Payne said.

Payne explains the faster you can get treatment, the better the outcome. “The sooner you can get medical attention the sooner they can activate the system needed to get sufficient quantities to treat your wound,” Payne said.

Payne is talking about the antivenin Crofab. The treatment is stored in special coolers throughout the city and is delivered to hospitals only when needed.

The next tip could be the hardest.

“The best thing that you can do is try to remain calm the best that you can,” Payne said.

Payne says you want to avoid getting your heart rate up, which spreads the venom throughout your body faster.

So what about the advice dad gave you back in the day?

“Take whatever is near me and tie it (tourniquet) and then start to suck and spit out the venom,” said one hiker ABC-7 spoke with. Payne says wrapping a tourniquet around the bite can concentrate the venom in one area and cause more damage to muscles and skin.

And how about pets who get bitten?

“The sooner the animal gets treatment, the more than likely it’s going to survive,” said veterinarian Julie Chamness Gray.

Grey tells ABC-7 that treating your pet for a snake bite could come at a cost.

“There is an antivenin available. It’s extremely expensive, so most owners can’t afford that,” Gray said. There is also a vaccine available but it is still not 100-percent effective. Grey said the effectiveness depends of the size of the dog and the amount of venom injected.

Bryce adds he’ll continue rounding up the rattlesnakes and releasing them in the wild.

“We are losing habitat all the time and this just happens to be part of our ecosystem and they are super common and we just got to learn to live with them,” Bryce said.

A dose of antivenin for pets can cost more than $1,000. The cost of Crofab — the human antivenin — in some cases can cost more than $10,000.

For more on venomous snake safety, click here: http://bit.ly/29cynjx.