Watch Your Step On The Beach! Rattlesnakes Love Texas Beaches Too!

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Watch where you walk if you're headed to the Texas coastline for Spring Break because rattlesnakes love Texas beaches too! 

You've heard of the movie, 'Snakes On A Plane' but thanks to the sunny spring weather and the life cycle of rattlesnakes, we have ' Snakes On A Beach' to watch (out for) too.

Apparently, we're not the only ones who enjoy taking in some sun on the beaches in Texas!

Rattlesnakes love Texas beach dunes.

Not one, but two rattlesnakes, were spotted 'sunning' themselves on the beach dunes at Padre Island during Spring Break in 2020. Thankfully no one, nor pet, was bitten by either snake, but it does offer caution about the danger of frolicking in the sand dunes along the beaches in South Texas.

WATCH WHERE YOU WALK!

There are actually SEVERAL species of snakes that are known to be attracted to the warm sand and sunshine along the coastline of South Texas but unfortunately, the Western or Texas diamondback is native to most parts of our state AND on the dunes and beaches, like the ones at Port A, Padre Island, and Galveston, these rattlesnakes call the dunes and flats, 'home.'

Dr. Richard Henderson in the Galveston Wave reported in 2018 that " There are likely several thousand diamondback rattlesnakes that inhabit Galveston and Pelican Island."

He goes on to caution that during the summer that year, a man in Corpus Christi was actually bitten by a rattlesnake head that had been severed minutes earlier!

What should you do if you are bitten by a rattlesnake?

If you are bitten by a rattlesnake, your first step is to call 911.

The CDC offers, "Do not try to catch the snake, instead see if you can remember its color, but your first priority must be to seek immediate medical attention for yourself and your pet."

The CDC also offers what not to do which includes trying to cut the venom out or using a tourniquet.

Be careful on the dunes folks, and watch your pets as they play in the sand too.