Some love them, others freeze at the sight of them - snakes are interesting creatures, but are seen as unpredictable and even those who are not afraid of them at least treat them with respect. In any case, you may want to know how to act properly in an encounter and protect yourself from snakes.
You can discover them in your own garden, while hiking in the great outdoors and even in the outdoor pool. To avoid a bite, you should behave correctly. And what do you actually do if you get bitten?
What can you do to avoid an encounter?
Of course, the reptiles have favorite places that you could avoid. Above all, they like it warm, but also hidden or at least in the immediate vicinity of a place to hide. Such places are:
- taller grass
- rock
- bushes
So it's a good idea:
- to keep the grass in the garden short. Snakes will not crawl across the short lawn for no reason, but will keep their distance from it.
- Keep beds with low shrubs and bushes free of weeds so that the reptiles have no place to hide.
- Always use paths and avoid tall grass when walking and hiking.
Warn the reptiles
This may sound a bit strange, but you can actually do this, because an animal that senses someone moving towards them is prepared and can react accordingly (crawl away or just stay where they are).
Just your steps create vibrations that the snakes can feel. Additionally, while hiking, you can also use a hiking stick to tap the ground.
Protect yourself from snakes with the right clothing
The beautiful weather encourages us to wear as little clothing as possible. Short pants and sandals are simply part of summer. This isn't a problem in itself, but it's inappropriate when hiking. At least the area below the knees should be protected.
Protect yourself from snakes when hiking:
- wear sturdy shoes, such as hiking boots
- Protect the calves and shins area with thicker, long socks or long pants
- A small first aid kit is always an advantage, even for other situations
While gardening:
- Long sleeves are a good idea because you will occasionally be working in taller grass where a snake or two might be hiding.
- Garden hand protection is primarily worn to protect your hands from dirt, thorns, etc. But you can also protect them from snake bites.
- Long pants are also recommended in the garden if you want to protect yourself from snake bites.
- Certain repellents can keep reptiles out of the garden in the first place.Here you can find out which ones.
Protecting yourself from snakes – what to do if you encounter them?
As soon as it's nice and warm outside, the sun-worshipping snakes come crawling out. And so it happens from time to time that our paths cross. First of all: don't panic! Because the reptiles have a worse reputation than they actually deserve and are anything but keen on fighting.
Which plants keep reptiles away?read here.
They only attack in exceptional cases and that is to catch prey or to save their own lives. Since snakes are smart enough to know that humans are not appropriate food, only the second reason remains. For this reason:
- Under no circumstances should you try to drive the snake away. Not with a stick and certainly not with your legs or hands. This would only provoke a self-defensive reaction and in the worst case scenario that could be a bite.
- Stay calm, keep a greater distance and simply walk around them or back again. Avoid sudden movements and, above all, running directly towards them.
- If the path doesn't allow you to go around it, you can still use a stick if necessary. It would be practical if you already have a hiking stick with you anyway. If not, look for a stick as long as possible because snakes are good jumpers. You can use the stick to move the reptile away.
What if you do get bitten? How do you react correctly?
It is not always possible to identify native snakes, so you may not know straight away whether the bite was poisonous or not. Yes, there are also poisonous snakes in Germany, but non-venomous ones can also bite. Sometimes it is even the case that the poisonous ones tend to withdraw and be calmer, as they naturally do not want to waste their valuable poison unnecessarily. And some nonvenomous species of snakes can prove to be more aggressive when harassed.
Which snake species live in Germany and which are poisonous?
- Äskulapnatter (Longest Zamenis)
- Aspisviper (Vipera aspis) –poisonous
- Barred grass snake (Natrix helvetica)
- Glattnatter/Schlingnatter (Coronella)
- Kreuzotter (Vipera berus) –poisonous
- Ringelnatter (Natrix natrix)
- Dice snake (Natrix tessellata)
A notice:The slowworm is often incorrectly referred to as a snake (no wonder since it has no legs). In reality, it belongs to the lizards.
How poisonous are our poisonous snakes actually? In general, they cannot be compared with exotic snake species. Even the adder, which is considered the most poisonous snake in Germany, only becomes truly life-threatening if the person bitten has previous illnesses or weakened health.However, special caution is required with children. In any case, see a doctor immediately!
Either way, if you are bitten, you should first act the same way:
- Don't panic. We know that this is easier said than done. But the increased pulse ensures that the poison enters the circulation even faster.
- Remove jewelry and watches that are near the wound.
- Rinse the bite site with water; an antiseptic is even better.
- Affected limbs should be kept as still as possible when treating the wound and then completely immobilized so as not to promote the spread of the poison.
- Call the emergency doctor/ambulance service (112) or drive the affected person directly to the emergency room.
Take all of these measures even if you think it wasn't a poisonous snake, because confusion is always possible when you're panicking.
Under no circumstances should you:
- Cut off the limb
- cut open the bite wound
- suck out or burn the wound
- apply a tight bandage
- cool
