Editor's Note: The following article is part of an ongoing science series written by faculty members at Arkansas State University and published periodically by The Sun.

By Joy B. Trauth

and Stan E. Trauth

A family in Yellville has had more than its share of venomous snakes in the yard this summer.

Bobby Neal, a graduate student in the Department of Biological Sciences at ASU, retrieved more than 80 copperheads that had been collected by property owner Chuck Miller. This sounds like a scary experience -- and should be since this species is dangerous. But it also raises the questions of how many venomous species of snakes there are in Arkansas and what are the chances of being bitten by one.

It may come as a surprise that scientists will tell you there are no poisonous snakes in Arkansas. The reason is a matter of semantics: the poison that one would consume by licking a South American poison arrow frog could be fatal, but any snake can be licked or eaten without harm -- unless one attempts to lick a live venomous snake and is bitten in the process.

Poisonous organisms are harmful if eaten. Venomous snakes have venom-producing glands that can be injected into other organisms.

There are approximately 515 venomous snakes worldwide, and six of them are known to occur in the Natural State.

The five species of venomous snakes found in Arkansas in addition to the southern copperhead are the Texas coral snake, the western cottonmouth, the western diamondback rattlesnake, the timber rattlesnake, and the western pigmy rattlesnake.

All of the venomous snakes in Arkansas except the coral snake are commonly called "pit-vipers." They have a facial pit between the eye and the nostril that acts as a heat-sensitive organ used to detect their prey such as rats. Pit-vipers also have elliptical eye pupils unlike the round pupils of nonvenomous snakes; coral snakes do not have triangular shaped heads and their pupils are round.

Of Arkansas' venomous snakes, only the copperhead, cottonmouth and timber rattlesnake have been documented in Craighead County. The copperhead is Arkansas' most common venomous snake, but it is also the most docile: when disturbed within a hiding place, copperheads will often remain motionless with the body coiled. However, they will strike quickly when poked or prodded.

The western cottonmouth is a large, heavy-bodied, semi-aquatic pit-viper which may reach more than five feet in length. Adult cottonmouths are mostly black, dark brown or olive. This species is especially common in fish and minnow ponds with aquatic plant life. Because of their ill-tempered nature, large fangs and potent venom, western cottonmouths are very dangerous.

Both the western diamondback rattlesnake and the timber rattlesnake are highly venomous and extremely dangerous snakes. Their bites can result in swelling, pain, weakness, difficulty in breathing, heart pain, paralysis, hemorrhage, low blood pressure, nausea and vomiting.

A venomous snakebite requires immediate medical attention. Recommended steps to be taken when addressing a pit-viper bite are:

• keep the victim calm and decrease physical activity,

• immobilize any bitten extremity with a splint and keep the bite below heart level, and

• move the victim to a medical facility as quickly as possible.

Do not use a snake bite kit. This only delays medical treatment and can exacerbate the wound and lead to additional complications.

So, what are the chances of being bitten by a venomous snake in Arkansas?

Very slight.

Although there are no precise statistics for the state, nationwide about 7,000 people are bitten by venomous snake each year. Of that number, only five to six fatalities result on average. That is less than half of the fatalities that result from dog attacks.

For more information about snakes, see "The Amphibians and Reptiles of Arkansas" by Trauth, Robinson and Plummer, or contact the ASU Department of Biological Sciences at biology@astate.edu.

J.B. Trauth is a Ph.D. candidate in environmental sciences and an instructor in the Department of Biological Sciences at ASU. S.E. Trauth is a professor of zoology in the Department of Biological Sciences at ASU.