What are the states with most snake bites in America?
The United States of America is, by size, the third largest country in the world. It is a land of cultural and natural diversity. Landscapes vary from tropical beaches of Florida, prairies, all the way to the cold Alaska. Different climates impact flora and fauna of each state. Each year snake bites are on the rise, especially during springtime and summer. In the USA there are between 8,000 and 10,000 reported snakebites annually, out of which 30% are venomous. However, since medicine is well-developed in today’s world, there are approximately only 5 deaths annually. In this list, you can take a look at the states with most snake bites in America. Venomous snakes are native to every state except Hawaii, Maine and Alaska with around 20 venomous species mostly present in the southwestern United States. If you are interested which states are home to the most venomous snakes, you can take a look at our list of States with the Most Venomous Snakes in America.
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The above-mentioned number of annual snake bites might be underestimating the real situation, since many snake bites are not reported. You should be most careful between April and September when the weather is warmer and most people choose to spend time outdoors and explore beautiful nature around them. The circumstances prior to the snakebites usually involve attempt of handling the snake rather than the reptile’s aggressive behavior. Hence, 98% of snake bites are located on extremities. There are a couple of precautions you might take in order to avoid snake bites. Firstly, avoid tall grass and stick to the trails and when exploring the wilderness around you, wear heavy boots and long pants. They will protect your ankles from possible sprains and long pants will reduce the possibility of having to deal with ticks or snake bites. If you spend a lot of time hiking, it might be a good idea to have Antivenom Kit with you. Wondering where to buy it? You can take a look at our list of Best Antivenom Kits on Amazon and Walmart.
Since a lot of snake bites go unreported it was very hard to find exacts statistics of snake bites per state. Some websites, including CBS News state that one in four attacks occur in Florida or Texas, thus pinning these states on top of our list of states with most snake bites in America. However, I’ve decided to create this list according to a comprehensive study by Dr. Joann Schulte et al. Dr. Schulte, study lead author and medical epidemiologist, who collected and analyzed data from all 50 states in regards to reported snake bites in children from 2000 to 2013. Dr. Schulte and her team presented a map of snake bites per state which will be used as main criteria for rating states on this list. Numbers on the map show rate of venomous snakebites per million population aged ≤18 years. States with higher number of snake bites are ranked higher on our list as well. Now let’s take a look at the list of states with most snake bites in America:
