A garter snake slithered through the greenery and among the stones.  “He’s so long,” Alex said.  He didn’t want to pick up the snake, but watched until it disappeared.

Image: sxc.hu

He has the same fascination with salamanders and will pick them up.  He and his cousins spend a vast amount of time looking for these under stones in the area around our house.  The turn over stones and look beneath fallen logs.  (We don’t have a lawn of grass around our house, but simply “tamed” woodland.)  This has given, first our daughter and now her children, ample area for nature explorations.

What curiosities of nature can children find around your home?  Even in urban areas with sidewalks and concrete, there are ants and birds, and occasional flowers.  We lived in the city when my daughter was two-years old.  I was amazed at the curiosities of nature the toddler could find as we walked from our apartment to various shops.  She made me aware that there was more than concrete and buildings in this area.

Take time to look at your surroundings through the eyes of a child.

Post from: Blisstree

A Boy’s Fascination with Snakes & Creepies

After taking several photos and frantically comparing them to every snake pic on the internet, I identified it as a harmless, though mildly terrifying, Eastern gartersnake. Great, so if it bit Jesse, who was intent on getting close enough to it to give me a heart attack, I wouldn’t have to use my bra to create a venom-containing tourniquet on the way to the hospital. But what should I do?

Here’s what I found out:

1. All snakes have teeth; only pit vipers (copperheads, rattlesnakes, and cottonmouths) have fangs. North American pit vipers have only two rows of teeth on top and bottom, whereas nonpoisonous snakes have four on top and four on the bottom. *
2. Generally, the worst thing that happens from a nonpoisonous snake bite is that it scares the dickens out of you and you might get a minor infection at the bite. A bite from a poisonous snake, however, causes an almost immediate reaction–swelling, tissue turning a dark blue-black, a tingling sensation, and nausea. * (And if any of those things happen, call 911. Do not try to suck out the venom or do anything else you see in the movies.)
3. If you’re bitten by a nonpoisonous snake, remove tight clothing or jewelry in case the bite area swells, cleanse it with soap and water, and apply an ice pack in 15-minute intervals until it stops hurting. *

So, basically if you get bitten by a nonpoisonous snake, follow the same procedure you would if you got a cat scratch. If you get bitten by a poisonous snake, call emergency medical services. But to avoid either of those situations, be aware of your surroundings, and never try to get close to wild animals of any type, no matter how interesting or cute they are.

Because nothing says adorable like a snake.

Contents © Copyright 2007 Kristen King

Post from: Blisstree

Medical Treatment for Snake Bites