The Carolina Poison Control (CPC) center recently issued a warning that residents bitten by snakes in the month of April has increased nearly four times in the same period in 2016. The CPC reported that it has received 71 phone calls this year, compared to 19 calls in April of last year.

Local amateur herpetologist Fred Bahnson said the increase in activity is partly due to the mild winter. Bahnson has been involved in snakebite care for 40 years and has given talks about wilderness safety over the years, educating people on the best way to handle snakebites and what to do if bitten.

Bahnson said that the most frequently asked question during his presentations is "What do you do if you're out in the backcountry and are bit by a rattlesnake?"

If you do get bit, proceed to the nearest Emergency Room as quickly and safely as possible.

"That's the question that is universally asked," he said. "Obviously, if you have a cell phone the best thing to do is to call or have someone meet you. If you have friends with you, maybe they'll help you get out. You have to use good judgment and get to the safest or best way to get to the nearest hospital."

Bahnson said that the only two venomous snakes found in local backyards and forests like DuPont and Pisgah are the timber rattlesnake and the northern copperhead.

"The bite from the timber is by far more dangerous than that of the copperhead," he said. "The venom is about 2.5 times more potent per drop, and they are usually larger, but it's more toxic and comes in larger volumes from bigger fangs."

Rattlesnakes are almost always docile, but copperheads can be feisty or docile. Copperheads more often come out at twilight or dark, so people out in their yard wearing flip-flops during those times are more at risk, according to Bahnson.

Rattlensakes are going to be out during the daytime, but if it's real hot they come out in the evening and they tend to be more rare. Bahnson said that copperheads are more common in neighborhoods and yards, and rattlesnakes are typically found out in the forest or in rural areas like farms.

Other snakes found locally are the black rat snake, more commonly known as the black snake, the garter snake, and the northern water snake, which is sometimes mistaken for a copperhead, or more often than not since it is usually seen in the water, a water moccasin. But water moccasins do not live in the mountains.

"We do not have water moccasins; they only live below 1,500 feet in elevation," said Bahnson. "Unless someone brings one in. The water snake is often confused with the water moccasin. It would be rare to find one more than 10 feet away from a creek or river."

Bahnson said the best advice he can give people regarding being bitten by a snake is to be watchful where you put your hands or feet. Most of the times when people are bitten, they weren't looking, he said.

"They were weeding their garden or they were out in the yard and they stepped down while talking to someone on the phone," he said.

Bahnson said that one in four snakebites is a "dry bite" which means the snake didn't use venom in its bite. He said if it is a small rattlesnake it'll have less volume than a big one. The most dangerous circumstance is a small person that gets bitten by a large snake, which is potentially fatal.

The treatment is anti-venom, and it is most effective if given within four hours of a bite. If a person is on a hike at Shining Rock and he has two hours out to the car and another 1.5 hours to Brevard. Anti-venom is not available to the public. It's mixed up with saline and given intravenously. The price per vial is $11,750, according to Bahnson.

"Knowing what I know, if I were at John Rock on a hike and got bit, I would make sure to see the snake and make sure it wasn't something else," said Bahnson. "But I wouldn't try to catch it or kill it or anything like that. I would turn around and walk briskly but not run to my car. If I had a cellphone I would alert them that I was coming in with a snakebite. If I got to the car, it depends on how I felt. I would call EMS, rather than wait to drive up. I'd try to speed up getting to the hospital in any way safely.

"We had a 44-year-old banker up here last July 4 weekend Hiking with a friend in Pisgah National Forest. He got bit by a rattlesnake and almost died. That's how dangerous they can be. Before the days of modern day anti-venom treatment, one in four people bitten by rattlesnakes died. That was only about 12 years ago."

Bahnson said that people with dogs in the forest should take precautions to make sure their pets don't get bitten. Bahnson said that larger dogs typically fair better than smaller ones from snakebites. Some of the things people can do to ensure their pets don't get bitten is the keep them on their leash. DuPont State Recreational Forest requires all dogs be kept on leashes, and in Pisgah pets are required to be kept on leashes in campgrounds. But out in the forest they are allowed off the leash.

Courtesy photo Timber Rattlesnake

"If it's a large dog most of them will survive a snakebite. They usually won't eat, but they do swell up. Most large dogs will survive without any treatment, but with a small dog you're better off taking it to the vet. Some vets have anti-venom. We have a Welsh Corgi that was bit by a rattlesnake," he said.

Bahnson said that around the house and in the yard, there are a few key areas that snakes are attracted to. Bird feeders attract rodents, which attract copperheads and rattlesnakes. Brush and log piles attract snakes as well. Rock walls that are south facing often attract snakes.

"Usually, if you steer clear of snakes, then your chances of being bit are low," he said. "But snakes can strike half the length of their body, so a four-foot snake can strike two feet, an important consideration if you see a curled up snake waiting for prey."