Good Lifestyle

The return of warm summer weather means that the backyard is once again open for business when it comes to gardening, relaxing, and entertaining. But the spike in temperature also means that particular creatures are becoming more active again, including reptiles. And depending on where you live, you may want to be careful of one type of venomous snake in your backyard this season. Read on to see which hard-to-spot serpent should be on your radar.

Lesen Sie dies als nächstes:How a Snake Can Get Into Your Home Through Your Toilet.

Whether you have keen eyesight and a wealth of animal knowledge or not, it's no secret that snakes can be one of the hardest creatures to spot in nature. Their slithering bodies and timid nature make them more likely to stay hidden than get in your way. But just like other animals, there is a way you can tell they're in your yard before you actually see one.

"A common sign that you have a snake infestation is finding snakeskin around your property," Toby Cahoon ausB&T Pest Control erzähltBestes Leben. "They shed their skin as they grow, so finding old skin around is a good sign that they're currently living in your yard."

And even though they may lack the anatomy to leave paw prints behind them, snakes can still leave a telltale marker of their own on the ground. "Because most snakes move in a very unique and distinct way, it actually makes them a bit easier to identify their trails and where they've been traveling on your property," Burns Blackwell, Besitzer vonTerminix Triad in North Carolina, tells Bestes Leben, adding that you should keep eyes peeled for a side-winding pattern in the dirt or grass.

If you do happen to find evidence of snakes on your property, it may not necessarily be a bad thing: The reptiles act as predators that can help rid your garden of common pests and help promote a healthy ecosystem. But if you live in certain areas, the risk of coming across a venomous variety is also a possibility—especially thecopperhead snake, which can be particularly difficult to spot in your backyard, Die Washington Post reports.AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

According to the Virginia Herpetological Society, copperheads have a vast habitat in the U.S. that spreads throughout the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states, expanding into the Midwest and the fringes of New England. They're found in more than two dozen states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

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Thanks to the naturally effective tan and brown camouflage pattern that runs down their back, copperheads have an advantage when it comes to staying unnoticed. The snake is also known to stay still in one place for long periods, and while they're not naturally aggressive, it can be challenging to see one before it's too late and they strike defensively, according to Die Post.

Even though staying vigilant can help you avoid getting bit, copperheads are responsible for more snakebites than any other species in the U.S. each year, according to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension at North Carolina State University, per CBS News. If any venomous snake ever bites you, you should call 911 and seek medical assistance at a hospital right away, Spencer Greene, director of toxicology at HCA Houston Healthcare-Kingwood in Texas, advises. You should also remove any restrictive clothing or jewelry from the affected area and elevate the extremity above your heart while awaiting treatment.

And while the live young that copperheads give birth to pose a unique danger due to their tiny size, there is one outsized misconception about them that persists. "Contrary to popular belief, babies are born with the ability to control how much venom they deliver. Because they possess less venom than adults, their bites tend to be less significant," Greene told Die Post in an email. "That said, a bite from a pit viper of any age can be mild, moderate, or severe."

Bis zu einem gewissen Grad ist es unvermeidlich, auf jede Art von Schlange in Ihrem Garten zu kommen. Laut Experten gibt es jedoch noch einige Möglichkeiten, wie Sie Ihre Chancen minimieren können, die falschen Typen anzuziehen, indem Sie einige Änderungen an Ihrem Eigentum vornehmen.

"Schlangen sind dafür bekannt, von hohem Gras angezogen zu werden, weil sie ihnen Deckung versorgen und es ihnen leichter machen, Beute zu jagen."Craig Zeigler, Besitzer vonAgronomisches Rasenmanagement, erzähltBestes Leben. "Das Beste, was Sie tun können, ist, das Gras zu reduzieren und alle anderen potenziellen Versteckplätze zu entfernen", einschließlich einer dichten Bürste in der Nähe Ihres Zuhauses und Entfernen von Holzfällen oder dekorativen Felsen.

Es ist auch am besten, alle Vogelhäuschen und Vogelbäder von Ihrem Zuhause zu bewegen und alle Haustiernahrung drinnen zu halten. Dies verhindert, dass Vögel und Nagetiere - eine bevorzugte Mahlzeit für Kupferköpfe - anziehen und eine stehende Wasserquelle für sie entfernen.Kimberly Wyatt, Assistenzprofessor für Biologie am Good Samaritan College in Ohio, erzähltDie Post.

Lesen Sie dies als nächstes:Sie laden Schlangen in Ihr Zuhause ein, wenn Sie dies auf Ihrem Rasen verwenden.