As temperatures soar in many desert locations, the phones are starting to ring at the Arizona Herpetological Society for snake removal.
The society’s Daniel Marchand says in many areas, snakes are a real possibility so you need to pay attention to where you are.
“It’s very easy to get sidetracked and see something beautiful over there and want to veer off the trail where the brush is heavier or obstacles are in the way,” Marchand said. “You know, we also could have snakes and other critters that are underneath those obstacles.”
Marchand says for the most part the snakes don’t want anything to do with you. He advises you not to antagonize them or get too close to them and just enjoy it for what it is. If you’re bitten he says you should use an improvised splint to immobilize the area, not a tourniquet or ice. He says you should never cut open the wound and suck out the venom.