I know how you feel, Sandy, but that snake-bite kit is just an abundance of caution, maybe even law-suit avoidance There was a time when I was scared of lizards, but after living in the woods for 16 years, I look snakes square in the eye, even copperheads!

Really just watch your step, and, even if you see a snake, it's more afraid of you than you are of it. There's been a black snake, probably a black racer, who I've seen in my garden twice this week. When he sees me, he slithers off.

Watch your step! :O

I sure hope you see a red satyr - I looked at a picture of one in my field guide, and they're quite pretty!

Sherry

Snake bit kits dont work. Make lots of noise. The snakes want to avoid you. The butterflies could care less about the noise. If they won't let you go without one, then just get one, they should be cheap.

If worried, get a nice pair of boots with puncture proof material and a cane to move brush aside so you can see more where you are stepping

No snakes; no Red Satyrs; a bust of a day. Beautiful scenery, though. Not all of Oklahoma is experiencing an abundance of lepidoptera this year.

Have to agree with Beaniebeagle. I used to work/volunteer at a reptile house at a zoo. We used to look at snake bite pictures for fun (like butterfly people, reptile people have their own quirks :) ). Anyway, some of these victims had used snake bite kits and caused real damage. With the exception of the coral snake (which has to really chomp on you to envenomate) and mojave rattler, all the snakes in the US are hemotoxic. That means the venom will destroy tissues. Using a tourniquet will only cause more damage to surrounding tissues. Snake bite = rapid trip to the ER. That is the best medicine.
Glad you had fun and were safe,
Elisabeth

Here is a link that might be useful: Snake bite info

Elisabeth,

Thanks for the info. I've been wondering about you since I hadn't seen a post this spring. Hope your year and studies are going well.

Sandy

Thanks! So far so good. My kids are getting older and hence more driving around. I am also helping out with quite a few butterfly counts. It starts to get overwhelming. Spring in Ohio is alternating between hot and beautiful. So, we have quite a few butterflies early. I am on my second batch of sleepy oranges already. Usually it is mid to late summer till we see them.

Hope all is well with you!
Elisabeth

Good to hear from you again, Elisabeth!

Sherry

Snake bite kits are a really bad idea. People who use them almost always do more harm than good and they also waste valuable time when they should be getting to a hospital. Your best snake bite kit is a cellphone and/or a set of car keys.

And more importantly, the goal shouldn't be to treat a snakebite it should be to avoid one. A good pair of sturdy snake proof boots is a far better idea than a snake bite kit if snakes are a major concern.

But even if you don't wear snake proof boots you should be fine. To put the risk in perspective, even if you don't wear snakeproof boots you are far, far more likely to wind up in the hospital from a car crash on the way there than to get bit by a venomous snake while you are there.

Thanks, everyone. I am going back to complete my task of finding the Red Satyr. No snake bite kit, and clothes have been treated with permethrin. It's the ticks and chiggers I worry about. I'm learning. I'll be on trails, so I'm not so concerned about snakes. Hopefully, I'll have a photo to share in the next couple of days.

Sandy

Sandy, I don't blame you for being concerned about ticks and chiggers. I had always wondered how someone could not feel a tick on them until I had one on me (twice). The first time I was up in the rue bed and happened to look down to see a tick crawling up my leg. I didn't feel a thing! Another time my husband saw something on my back and here one had attached itself to me! That freaked me out to say the least! I went to the doctor and she prescribed Doxycycline. I didn't used to even know what a tick looked like and now I see them multiple times a year on one of us or on one of the cats. I think they're creepy looking and they really scare me knowing what they're capable of doing. I've never seen chiggers though. Anyway, I'm not familiar with snake bite kits do don't know what to tell you about that, but I sure would be careful when out on a butterfly expedition. I hope that you get to see the Red Satyr.
Cathy