Spotted: copperhead on Dobbins Published Sept. 26, 2011 By Thomas Vaughan 94th Airlift Wing Safety DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, GA -- A runner spotted a copperhead snake near the running trail behind the Air Force gym recently. The copperhead is one of three venomous snakes found in North Georgia and is the most commonly encountered. "The copperhead is fairly common," said Linda May, environmental outreach coordinator for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. "I wouldn't say you'll run into one every time you walk outside, but if you're outside a lot, especially if around brushy areas, you could come across one." It's not unusual that there is atleast one confirmed copperhead sighting on Dobbins every summer, however, reports usually come from servicemembers in or near wooded areas. Still, there have been no confirmed venomous snake bites on Dobbins according to one source who has worked on Dobbins since the late 1970's. So what do you do if you are one of the lucky ones who spot a copperhead? The best course of action is to, simply, leave the snake alone. According to North Carolina State University, almost 80 percent of snake bites happen when someone is trying to capture or kill the snake. If given the opportunity, they escape on their own - down a hole, under a ledge, or in the case of cottonmouth snakes, into the water. "(Staying away) is safer than trying to whack at it," said May. "You have a greater chance of being bitten on your forearm if you try to kill it. May also pointed out it's against state laws to kill a non-venomous snake. Contrary to popular belief, snakes do not chase people and they typically don't want anything to do with people. "They see you as a big predator," May said. "Whether they're venomous or not, you are a big predator that is going to hurt them. So the only time they're really going to go after you is if you corner them and that's their last chance of survival." But occasionally, bites do happen. May said the best thing to do in this scenario is immediately get to a hospital. She said people used to be instructed to take various precautions like sucking on the bite, but these can sometimes do more harm than good. "There have been more people to hurt themselves doing those things then help themselves," she said. Ultimately, in case of a venomous snake bite a first aid kit includes a set of car keys and a cell phone and the best thing is to go to the nearest hospital.
