The City of Las Cruces is providing information to residents about safety around snakes. There are thirty snake species that call Doña Ana County their home. Of these thirty snakes, only five pose as “potentially” life-threatening. They include the following species:

 

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

Banded Rock Rattlesnake

Northern Black-Tailed Rattlesnake

Prairie Rattlesnake

Desert Massasauga

 

Non-venomous and rear-fanged snakes that may resemble rattlesnakes in Doña Ana County and are NOT dangerous:

 

Chihuahuan lyre snake*

Great Plains rat snake

Mexican hognose snake*

Plains hognose snake*

Painted Desert glossy snake

Sonoran gopher snake

 

* = rear-fanged snake species NOT dangerous to humans.

 

Doña Ana County is also home to three harmless snakes species that are similar to another venomous snake species native to our state – the Sonoran coral snake. However, the Sonoran coral snake is only found in Catron, Grant and Hidalgo Counties. The three harmless snakes in our county are the New Mexico milk snake, ground snake and the Texas longnose snake.

 

What to you do if you encounter a venomous reptile?

 

• If you encounter a venomous reptile species within your yard/house leave it alone – DO NOT TOUCH, HARASS OR ATTEMPT TO KILL. Most envenomations (a bite from a venomous animal that has injected venom) from these animals occur as a result of the victim attempting to capture or kill the animal. This goes for family pets as well.

 

• If the encounter is in your yard or home, contact the Las Cruces Police Department’s Animal Control at 528-4100 or central dispatch at 526-0795.

 

• If the encounter is in nature, give the animal plenty of room to feel secure. These venomous animals DO NOT want to eat you; rather they view you as wanting to eat them. Biting and use of their venom is a last line of defense should other means of avoiding detection not allow for their self-protection.

 

• Before doing any yard work or gardening look around areas that could allow for a secure hiding place, i.e., fire wood piles, low trees and bushes, tall grass and rock walls/outcroppings. Keep your yard tidy, especially if your home borders the surrounding desert, as this lowers the potential hiding places for these animals to occupy – thus keeping you and them safe.

 

• Remember, we have moved into these animals’ homes and territories. They are not invading our homes, but rather we have invaded theirs. New housing/business developments at the edge of the desert and surrounding mountains are areas most prone to encounters as a result of habitat destruction.

 

The following is a list of Do’s and Don’ts should the unfortunate event of being bitten by one of our local rattlesnake species occur:

 

DO:

• Remove yourself from proximity of the animal and remain calm, maintaining slow, regular breathing.
• Remove any constricting items from the affected area, i.e., watches, jewelry, etc.
• Keep bitten location immobile and below the level of the heart if possible.
• If possible, decrease total body activity.
• Be able to identify, or at least describe the snake, without endangering yourself to a second bite or causing a second victim. Doing so will assist the hospital in administering the proper anti-venom, if needed.
• Call 9-1-1 and receive medical treatment immediately.

 

DON’T:

• Do NOT cut and suck the venom out. Attempting to suck out venom has shown to be ineffective and if any venom is sucked out, it may result in absorption into tissues of the mouth.
• Do NOT apply ice to the bite area.
• Do NOT use a tourniquet or constriction bands, these will isolate the venom causing worse damage to organs and tissue in the bite area.
• Do NOT use alcohol or drugs. Alcohol and pain medication may make the local blood vessels larger, resulting in faster venom circulation throughout the body.
• Do NOT use electric shock treatment. Use of this may result in burns or problems to the heart.

 

The following is a list of useful websites and references:

 

Degenhardt, W. G., Painter, C. W., & Price, A. H. 1996. Amphibians & Reptiles of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque.

 

www.cnah.org – The Center for North American Herpetology.

 

www.nmcpr.state.nm.us/NMAC/parts/title19/19.035.0010.pdf -

New Mexico Administrative Code – Protection for Amphibians and Reptiles.

 

www.reptile-database.org – The Reptile Database.

 

www.reptilesofaz.com – Reptiles of Arizona (some species also native to NM).

 

Stebbins, R. C. 2003. Western Reptiles and Amphibians. Third Edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., New York.

 

http://web.nmsu.edu/~cnewsom – Reptiles and Amphibians of Southern New Mexico.

 

For more information contact Chris Newsom, Naturalist at 575/522-3120. The TTY number is 575/541-2161.

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