Mary Cope
Now that it is finally warm, the animals are active and the plants are growing. As we spend more and more time in the great outdoors, we need to keep a watchful eye out for dangerous plants and animals. Luckily for us, not many poisonous animals reside here in Cortland County ,and the ones that live in New York State are rather rare.
Now, we all know the usual poisonous insects around here, such as wasps, hornets, and bees. Then there is the harmless, yet extremely painful, bite from the giant water bug, which is very common in our local ponds. However, many people don’t know about the snakes and spiders, although rare, that do inhabit New York.
Here in New York, we have sixteen species of snakes; of those, four are venomous, but only three are considered dangerous to humans. Thankfully, they are rare and timid. One of the three is the eastern hognose snake which, although venomous, is not considered poisonous to humans. They are found in small pockets around eastern New York but are rare and pose no threat.
The second is the eastern massasauga rattlesnake. This snake is venomous and dangerous to humans, although its bites rarely result in death. There are only two colonies in western New York near Rochester, neither of which is in Cortland. Their habitat lies in the Bergen Swamps and the Oneida Lake Swampland, so if you go hiking or if you visit those areas, keep an eye out to try to avoid any unwanted conflicts.
The third snake is the northern copperhead. These reptiles are poisonous, but they have the least poisonous venom of all the pit vipers and are not capable of killing a healthy adult. They are not found in Cortland but farther down state, in the Hudson Valley region. They blend in with leaves very well and like places with lots of debris, so staying on marked trails could help avoid any confrontations.
The last poisonous snake in New York is eastern timber rattlesnake. This snake is found in the lower Hudson Valley, the southern and eastern Adirondacks, and parts of Central New York. They are highly poisonous and pose an extreme danger to humans. Luckily, they rattle their tail as a warning to back off. If you are ever confronted with this, don’t panic; simply stop and slowly back up the exact way you came until you are a safe distance from the area in which the snake was.
All of these snakes eat small animals and will only strike at people as their last line of defense. They all prey on smaller animals, such as rodents and amphibians. Don’t go seeking them out and, as long as you give them their space and respect them as the amazing predatory animals they are, you should steer clear of any problems.
Spiders can also be venomous, although very few pose any kind of threat to humans. As a general rule, it is probably not the best idea to go around picking up and handling spiders. Even a non-harmful bite can still result in itchy, sore, or slow healing areas around the bite. Northern black widow spiders have been known to enter the southern areas of the state during summer months, although they are rare in New York. They are “cobweb” spiders, so you can avoid a bite by not blindly sticking your hands into corners or debris-covered areas. They especially like to build webs in mailboxes, so if you are ever visiting the southern states, be aware of that fact.
Another dangerous spider is the brown recluse. If you are bitten by this small spider that inhabits corners or areas that are dark, undisturbed, and tucked away, you should seek immediate medical attention. Both of these spiders are extremely rare for New York and are found farther downstate.
Should you get bitten or stung by any sort of insect, reptile, or arachnid, it is a good idea to seek medical attention to avoid any severe reaction or infection.
