Snake bite study says these 2 things can help keep you safe
The University of Florida is widely known for its annual investigation of shark bites around the world, but a new study by researchers at the school does a deep dive into 20 years of bites from an even deadlier species: venomous snakes.
In a state where “Florida man” has become synonymous with bizarre behavior, it may come as no surprise that the study revealed most bites reported at one local hospital occurred in adult men, a third of whom intentionally interacted with a wild venomous snake.
“Typically, people’s experiences with getting bitten are due to an interaction that was inadvertent — they stumble upon a snake or reach for something without seeing one camouflaged,” said senior author Norman L. Beatty, a medical doctor and assistant professor of medicine at the university. “In this case, people were seeking them out.”
The study also revealed important information for snake bite victims everywhere: most victims wait too long to seek treatment, and too many try outdated methods for self-treatment.
An estimated 7,000 to 8,000 people are bitten annually by venomous snakes in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bites cause only five deaths a year, but long term injuries are much more likely, with 10-44 percent of victims bitten by rattlesnakes experiencing lasting injuries, such as the loss of a finger.
Worldwide, snakes are thought to be responsible for up to 125,000 human deaths annually, according to earlier research reported in the study. Venomous snakebites are particularly lethal in areas with poor access to life-saving antivenom.
Findings from 20 years of snakebites
The group of four researchers at the University of Florida dug into the historical records of bite victims after finding treatment for snakebites remains poorly studied in the U.S., even though venomous snakes are found in 47 of 50 states. They examined 546 cases where patients were treated at UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville.
The average time between the bite and when a patient first saw a doctor was about two hours, Beatty said. Even among patient bitten by highly venomous species such as an eastern diamondback or timber rattlesnake, the average time to see a doctor was more than an hour.
Nearly 10% of the patients whose records were examined first tried “potentially harmful” treatments that are no longer recommended by doctors, such as using tourniquets or trying to suction out the venom, the study found.
"If you're bitten by a venomous snake, you should be seen by a medical professional for monitoring," Beatty said. "Some snake bites are what we would call a dry bite, where little, if any, venom entered the bite, but it is very important to have an initial assessment."
While the chief culprits – the pygmy rattlesnake and the cottonmouth moccasin – were not so surprising, Beatty was surprised at the “robust presence” of all four of the state’s other, less common species.
Color may play a role in the bites, with more bites reported from snakes that are easily camouflaged, the study suggested. However, the researchers also note the prevalence of the two species that together accounted for more than 50% of the bites – pygmy rattlesnakes and cottonmouths.
How bites break down in UF study
In a little more than 50 of the snake bites, the species was unknown or unspecified, and about 5% of the cases were attributed to exotic species not native to Florida. Here’s how the others break down:
- 27.8% – Pygmy rattlesnake
- 27.1% – Cottonmouth
- 15.9% – Eastern coral snake
- 7.9% – Eastern diamondback rattlesnake
- 3.1% – Timber rattlesnake
- 2.9% – Southern copperhead
'Simply' Florida
Carl Barden, a venom producer and owner of the Reptile Discovery Center in DeLand, Florida, who was not connected to the Gainesville study, was impressed with its accuracy and said it confirms previous information on snake bites in Florida and nationally.
Florida typically has had a higher incidence of provoked snakebites, Barden said. “Part of that could simply be Florida,” with its six species of venomous snakes, reptile trade and multiple venom production operations.
Of the seven facilities in the U.S. that produce the majority of venom for making antivenom and medical research, four are in Florida, including Barden’s Medtoxin Venom Laboratories.
What should you do when a snake bites?
- Stay calm and do not run
- Call 911 immediately and get immediate medical attention.
- Snap a photo of the snake from a safe distance. Its identity can help ensure correct antivenom is prescribed.
- Don't use a tourniquet
- Don't try to suction out the venom, and don't cut or slice the bite
- Medical advice differs about whether to elevate an affected extremity while traveling to a medical facility, but UF advised keeping the extremity at or above heart level if bitten by a pit viper, such as a rattlesnake, copperhead or cottonmouth.
Treating snakebites
Since a third of all the bites in the University of Florida study were the result of intentional interaction, and most bites (62.7%) occurred on hands and fingers, the study suggests many bites could be prevented.
"We did find more commonly that people were handling these snakes and not knowing they were venomous, Beatty said. The University's Florida Museum of Natural History maintains a website that can help a viewer identify snakes in a step-by-step process.
A unified system for treating snakebites within individual regions or hospital systems may improve response times, reported the study, whose first author is River Grace, a fourth-year medical student from Brevard County, Florida. Grace won an international science contest for a snake study while still in high school. The remaining co-authors are Waverly Leonard and Maggie Zawoy.
Both Beatty and Grace had a personal interest in snake bites because each has had a family member suffer a bite from a venomous snake.
Two of the larger species – the timber rattlesnake and the Eastern diamondback – were responsible for the most significant symptoms, including respiratory distress and shock. The patient died after receiving antivenom in only three of the 546 cases studied.
Barden, no stranger to venomous bites having been bitten 11 times, echoed the study’s findings for bite victims.
“The only current treatment for snakebite is antivenom,” Barden told Paste BN. “It must be given in a hospital, so if bitten by a venomous snake, or a snake you suspect is venomous, go to the hospital as quickly as possible.”
Don’t interact with snakes you don’t recognize and when outdoors, “watch where you put your hands and feet,” Barden said. “A snake you don’t see is the dangerous one.”
Beatty hopes the study will serve as a reminder that people should "just leave these snakes alone and let them be a part of our beautiful ecosystem."
(This story has been updated to add new information and to correct a misspelling/typo.)
Dinah Voyles Pulver covers climate change, wildlife and the environment for Paste BN. Reach her at dpulver@usatoday.com or @dinahvp on X or Bluesky.