Rattlesnakes Have Panhandle Officials Worried

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CARSON COUNTY (CBSDFW.COM) - Carson County is seeing an alarming abundance of rattlesnakes this year, and they think they know why. Carson County Sheriff Loren Brand told KFDA that he believes the large amounts of rain they received flushed out a number of the snake dens.

Brand went on to say that he alone has killed between 25 and 30 snakes this year, which is way beyond the norm.

So, what can we do to protect ourselves and our loved ones?

-- Use caution when walking in places where snakes can find heat (garages, sidewalks, open fields and barns, for example).

-- Kill the snakes with a hoe or a shovel.

-- Be careful after you have killed a rattlesnake. There may be live babies inside of them. Baby rattlesnakes cannot control how much poison they release, so they release all of their poison when they bite.

If you are bitten by a rattlesnake:

-- Do not try to treat it yourself, call 911!

-- The doctors will start an IV.

-- They will keep you in a calm environment.

-- They will administer pain medicine if needed.

-- Anti-venom is then given.

Experts urge rattlesnake bite victims not to treat the wound themselves, because the venom breaks down a persons tissue and, if not treated, it could result in an amputation.