TEMPLE, Texas — Snake encounters can be frightening, especially when you're unsure if you're dealing with a venomous snake.
Penrod Flock is a rescue group based out of Temple that helps relocate unwanted snakes found in homes and backyards. It’s a passion of Devran and Cheri Foster, who also operate the dog-grooming business ‘I Shih Tzu Knot’ in Temple. Penrod Flock enjoys being able to educate, raise awareness and give a second chance at life for snakes.
“Every living creature has a right to live,” Cheri Foster explained, “from the smallest snakes to the bigger snakes, they all help our ecosystem.”
Foster says snakes are "just big puppy dogs" and that "They just want love".
Like it or not, snakes have an important role in our ecosystem. Snakes help control the rat population, which are known to carry ticks, fleas and even diseases.
“Snakes go wherever there's food,” Devran Foster added. “If you've got snakes around your house, you've got rodents or birds or something else around your house that they're trying to hunt.”
Snakes seek shaded shelter. Central Texans will commonly find snakes under piles of wood, sheds and even playscapes. However, they can also linger in strange places. Foster said Penrod Flock has been called to rescue snakes from all sorts of areas, including pipe drains, boots, A/C units and once even a Christmas tree.
Unfortunately, snake repellents aren’t as effective as promised, according to Cheri Foster. One of the best preventive measures is to keep your property clear of debris. It’s important to keep your grass trimmed and rodent-free.
“If you're clearing your yard and you're moving sheets of plywood, you find a snake, all of a sudden they see this big scary predator five feet above them,” Devran Foster explained. “So they get really defensive and they can try to run off, or they'll turn around and go back to bite you”
If the snake is slithering off, Foster suggested using a gardening hose to spray some water in the direction of the snake. The cold water will keep the snake away.
“If you leave them alone, they will leave you alone," Foster said.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department advises against killing snakes. According to TPWD, bites often happen because someone is attempting to kill the snake.
If you do get bitten by a snake, the best thing you can do is stay calm as you seek medical attention. Remove any rings, watches, or any tight-fitting jewelry you may be wearing. If possible, keep the bite at heart-level.
Baylor Scott and White Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dominic Lucia says they’ve treated several snake bites in children from Central Texas, specifically when the weather starts to warm.
“One of the common themes we hear is the child is in a yard that's maybe a little bit high grass,” Dr. Lucia told 6 News. “We have wood piles, we have toys, old tools, things like that, and we're reaching under something, not looking where we're sticking our hands.”
Some common symptoms of snake bites are swelling and bruising. You may also experience dizziness, numbness, tingling, seizures, sweating and bleeding.
Don’t waste your time trying to kill the snake. Lucia says sometimes people try to kill the snake because they may think it will help with the medical treatment, but a picture will do just fine. He says there have been instances where a snake bites a person, and another person tries to kill it, and instead a second person gets bit. Lucia says bringing in a picture of the snake is more reasonable.…but, again, don’t waste your time trying to get a photo of the snake, your priority should be seeking medical attention.
“Keep the child calm, keep the bite at the level of the heart and call for the experts," Lucia told 6 News.
There are other misconceptions that can make the situation more complicated.
“This is not Gunsmoke," Lucia explained. "We are not sucking out venom anymore in 2024. We don’t want to cut into the fang marks, we don't want to use suction devices.”
Lucia also agrees keeping a clean and tidy environment helps everyone, including the snakes, who are "just out hunting, living their best life from running into where your children are playing.”
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