What Type Of Venomous Animals Do We Have In Mississippi?

Mississippi'southward woods are filled with true wonders of nature, only danger lurks in the outdoors as well. A close encounter with some animals naturally causes fearfulness in some people, but the biggest threats may not be and so obvious.

With large teeth and os-burdensome jaws, large alligators tin easily kill a homo. Co-ordinate to a report published by Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, an estimated 23 people were killed by alligators between 1948 and 2004. Other sources indicate alligators killed an additional viii people since.

"The potential is there," said Ricky Flynt, Alligator Program Coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wild animals, Fisheries and Parks. "The alligator itself is an apex predator. They are very potent and capable."

While there have been roughly 30 fatal attacks in the last 60 years, all but two occurred in Florida. In Mississippi, in that location is no record of an alligator attack, fatal or not.

"Nary a 1," Flynt said. "We've never had a single documented attack.

"They (Florida) have a tremendously larger alligator population than we exercise. They besides have a denser (human) population near water. The amount of alligator habitat in Mississippi is only a fraction of that in Florida."

Comparatively lower numbers of gators in Mississippi, residential evolution patterns and a healthy respect for the beast announced to take kept Mississippians abroad from fatal conflicts. Considering of those factors, Flynt said the danger they pose is low.

"On a calibration of one to 10, possibly a two," Flynt said.

But when people interact with the reptiles, such as by feeding them, they become more comfortable around humans and the gamble of conflict dramatically rises.

"That rating of a two goes to a nine or 10," Flynt said.

A bear of a trouble?

Estimates on the population vary, merely biologists agree that Mississippi'southward black bear numbers are growing. Along with it, concern virtually condom has also grown among some outdoors enthusiasts.

The numbers vary amidst different sources, but most indicate in that location have been about 60 deaths from black bear attacks in Due north America since 1900 and just over xx of those happened in the Usa. The statistics provided on the US Fish and Wildlife Service website are about the same. But like alligators, black bears have notwithstanding to be life-threatening in Mississippi.

"No, in that location'south never been an attack," said Brad Young, executive director of Mississippi Wild fauna Federation. "Not in the recorded history of Mississippi history, anyway."

Young, who is a biologist and spent many years working with black bears, said low numbers of bears in the land is role of the reason they've non been a threat, merely their nature should also exist considered.

"Bears simply avoid people," Immature said. "They merely don't like people is what it comes downwardly to.

"In a natural setting, a comport in the forest and you're walking in the woods, the chance of an encounter is slim to none. Even in Louisiana there are people who live and hunt in areas with high densities of bears and never accept a trouble."

Problems arise when bears are lured out of their chemical element past food and venture closer to humans than they normally would. Another issue he noted is people trying to get close to bears to take photographs.

"Don't try to sneak up on the thing," Immature said. "You're asking to be made an example out of."

Venomous strike

Snakes probably generate more interest and fear than simply about annihilation out there — specially the venomous varieties.

In Mississippi, venomous species include the Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake, pygmy rattlesnake, timber rattlesnake, cottonmouth, coral snake and the most common, the copperhead. A bite from a venomous snake tin be painful at best and even cause decease.

Nationwide, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health reports at that place are vii,000-8,000 snake bites annually. Of those, about five are fatal each yr.

In Mississippi, only one death has always been recorded from a snake bite. According to the Grenada Star newspaper, it occurred in 2013.

Although the odds of dying from a venomous ophidian bite are low, the pain caused and the price of treatment are extreme.

Dana Sanders, Jr. of Hurley was bitten last year past a big timber rattlesnake in Claiborne County.

"I put my foot where I couldn't see," Sanders said. "That's a rule you just don't pause in the wood."

Not but did Sanders endure hurting and several days in a Vicksburg medical facility, his treatment bills totaled $442,000.

If you encounter a venomous ophidian or one you lot can't positively place, don't gamble, says noted herpetologist Terry Vandeventer, who is well-known for his communication.

"Take two steps back and walk abroad," Vandeventer preaches.

If a person is bitten by a venomous snake, the Mississippi Land Department of Wellness suggests keeping the affected area at or slightly beneath the level of the heart and getting the victim to a hospital equally chop-chop as possible.

The fizz

It wouldn't be summertime or autumn in Mississippi without the sounds of mosquitoes buzzing. Unfortunately, what is generally just an itchy bite can be a killer.

West Nile virus does not make the headlines quite like information technology did years agone, but cases continue to be reported. Symptoms of the virus are more often than not balmy.

"West Nile can be self-limited," said Dr. Alan Jones, Academy of Mississippi Medical Center chairman of Emergency Medicine. "Information technology can be just a fever."

Only it can also be a killer. According to the MSDH, in that location have been 23 deaths caused past West Nile since 2010. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious diseases reported 97 deaths from the virus in 2014 nationwide.

Jones said when we look at the number of mosquito bites, dying from Westward Nile virus is not likely.

"Yous're talking hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of bites a year," Jones said.

Nonetheless, with several deaths each yr in Mississippi, West Nile-carrying mosquitoes pose a danger.

Long way down

For hunters, at that place is another serious danger that awaits. It doesn't take claws, teeth or venom, either. Information technology'southward the tree stand.

According to Randy Newell, spokesperson and law enforcement officer for MDWFP, there were more than 20 tree stand-related injuries terminal year and four were fatal. That number of annual fatalities is almost average, he said.

Four deaths a year may not seem like a big number. But when you consider there are only about 138,000 deer hunters in Mississippi and not all of them use tree stands, 4 deaths a year becomes pregnant.

"People aren't climbing viii or 10 feet anymore," Newell said. "They're climbing twenty to 25 feet."

For hunters who survive a autumn from those heights, Newell said paralysis is common.

"It's a bad situation," Newell said. "It will impact the residual of your life and your family."

Tree stand up accidents come in all shapes and sizes, but Newell said the majority happen when a hunter is climbing or descending. Because of that Newell said all deer hunters using tree stands should have some type of lifeline that keeps them attached to the tree at all times.

"That lifeline will salve your life," Newell said. "It'southward nothing but an insurance policy.

"I totally trust that lifeline. Without information technology, you'd encounter me doing Mississippi Outdoors on a v-gallon bucket."

Contact Brian Broom at (601) 961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com. Follow The Clarion-Ledger Outdoors on Facebook and @BrianBroom on Twitter.

Source: https://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/2015/08/22/five-deadliest-things-mississippis-woods-sort/32213789/

Posted by: madisonwidefirearm.blogspot.com

Share this post