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Dealing with Venomous Snakes in Florida School Yards series

Summary
Summary
This series of four fact sheets helps teachers and parents protect children from potentially hazardous interactions with venomous snakes in Florida. Written with Florida public schools in mind, private schools, child daycare centers, and homeowners will also find this information useful, including:
  1. information that schools can provide to concerned parents
  2. steps schools can take to discourage snakes from entering school property
  3. a brief educational program teachers can present to students
  4. an action plan telling what to do in the event a child is bitten by a venomous snake, and
  5. a guide to assist in recognizing venomous snakes in Florida.

Related websites

Publications

Cómo prevenir encuentros entre niños y serpientes

Steve A. Johnson y Martin B. Main

La forma más efectiva de proteger a los niños de la mordedura de serpientes es simplemente evitar que interactúen con ellas. En este documento se recomiendan medidas que pueden tomar las escuelas para prevenir el ingreso de serpientes a la propiedad escolar. Además se ofrecen algunas ideas para desarrollar programas educativos sobre estos reptiles y para entrenar a los niños sobre qué hacer si se encuentran con una serpiente en su escuela o en otro lugar.  Se incluye un programa educativo breve que los maestros pueden utilizar con los estudiantes. 

Dealing with Venomous Snakes in Florida School Yard

Steve A. Johnson andMartin B. Main

Emergency Snakebite Action Plan

Steve A. Johnson andMartin B. Main

Preventing Encounters between Children and Snakes

Steve A. Johnson and Martin B. Main

The most effective way to prevent a child from being bitten by a venomous snake at school or elsewhere is to prevent them from interacting with a snake. We provide measures that can be taken by schools to discourage snakes from coming onto school property and we provide a short educational program that teachers can give to students. This document is WEC 201, one of a 4-part series of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation entitled Dealing with Venomous Snakes in Florida School Yards, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date September 2005. 

Recognizing Florida's Venomous Snakes

Steve A. Johnson andMartin B. Main

Florida is home to 45 species of native snakes, six of which are venomous (poisonous). The venomous species include five pit vipers (Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake, Timber Rattlesnake, Pygmy Rattlesnake, Copperhead, and Cottonmouth) and the Coral Snake. Although each of the six venomous species in Florida have unique characteristics that allow them to be readily identified by experts, there are many non-venomous species with which the venomous species may be confused. Therefore it is best not to attempt to capture, harass, or harm any snake. To do so may put you at risk of being bitten by a venomous species.

This series of four fact sheets helps teachers and parents protect children from potentially hazardous interactions with venomous snakes in Florida. Written with Florida public schools in mind, private schools, child daycare centers, and homeowners will also find this information useful, including:
  1. information that schools can provide to concerned parents
  2. steps schools can take to discourage snakes from entering school property
  3. a brief educational program teachers can present to students
  4. an action plan telling what to do in the event a child is bitten by a venomous snake, and
  5. a guide to assist in recognizing venomous snakes in Florida.

Related websites

Publications

Cómo prevenir encuentros entre niños y serpientes

Steve A. Johnson y Martin B. Main

La forma más efectiva de proteger a los niños de la mordedura de serpientes es simplemente evitar que interactúen con ellas. En este documento se recomiendan medidas que pueden tomar las escuelas para prevenir el ingreso de serpientes a la propiedad escolar. Además se ofrecen algunas ideas para desarrollar programas educativos sobre estos reptiles y para entrenar a los niños sobre qué hacer si se encuentran con una serpiente en su escuela o en otro lugar.  Se incluye un programa educativo breve que los maestros pueden utilizar con los estudiantes. 

Dealing with Venomous Snakes in Florida School Yard

Steve A. Johnson andMartin B. Main

Emergency Snakebite Action Plan

Steve A. Johnson andMartin B. Main

Preventing Encounters between Children and Snakes

Steve A. Johnson and Martin B. Main

The most effective way to prevent a child from being bitten by a venomous snake at school or elsewhere is to prevent them from interacting with a snake. We provide measures that can be taken by schools to discourage snakes from coming onto school property and we provide a short educational program that teachers can give to students. This document is WEC 201, one of a 4-part series of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation entitled Dealing with Venomous Snakes in Florida School Yards, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date September 2005. 

Recognizing Florida's Venomous Snakes

Steve A. Johnson andMartin B. Main

Florida is home to 45 species of native snakes, six of which are venomous (poisonous). The venomous species include five pit vipers (Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake, Timber Rattlesnake, Pygmy Rattlesnake, Copperhead, and Cottonmouth) and the Coral Snake. Although each of the six venomous species in Florida have unique characteristics that allow them to be readily identified by experts, there are many non-venomous species with which the venomous species may be confused. Therefore it is best not to attempt to capture, harass, or harm any snake. To do so may put you at risk of being bitten by a venomous species.

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