As high temperatures rise each day, snakes are starting to appear in driveways, residential lawns and garages.

Two types of venomous snakes are common on the northern Cumberland Plateau: copperheads and timber rattlesnakes. Two others are also common in the state: cottonmouths and pigmy rattlesnakes (far southwest corner of Tennessee).

To avoid snake bites, keep your hands and feet out of areas you cannot see. Watch where you step, and do not pick up rocks or limbs without first looking for snakes. If you are out on a hike, pay extra attention to what is ahead and the sides of you on the ground.

WHAT DO I DO IF I’M BITTEN BY A SNAKE?

Call 911 immediately. Delays in treatment can make your condition worse and increase the risk of death. In the meantime, try to remain calm, since anxiety and increased heart rate can speed the rate at which your body absorbs the venom. Remove jewelry and tight clothing, since swelling is likely to occur. Position the bite area so that it is at or above the heart while waiting for paramedics to arrive to help you. Avoid the use of tourniquets, and do not cut the area of the bite in an attempt to drain the venom. Both of these procedures can lead to serious complications, which can do more harm than the snake bite itself.

HOW DO I KNOW IF A SNAKE IS POISONOUS?

As a general caution, treat every snake as though it’s venomous. When you encounter a snake, stay at least one body length away from the creature until you can determine if it is poisonous. A less effective way of determining whether a snake is venomous is by the shape of its head. Both copperheads and timber rattlers have diamond-shaped heads, but some non-venomous species can have heads that mimic those shapes. Try to get a description of the snake to give to medics if you are bit by one.

Nationwide, about 10,000 snake bites occur each year, with 12 to 15 fatalities. Approximately 85 percent of snake bites are below the knee, and about 50 percent are “dry bites” in which no venom is injected.