Scarlet Kingsnake - NON VENEMOUS(shown for comparison) (Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides):  A fairly small (to 2 feet), beautiful snake ringed with red, yellow or white, and black.  The pattern of this constrictor has the red rings touching the black rings (in the coral snake the red rings touch the yellow rings).  This snake is common to abundant in pine flatwoods habitats throughout southeastern Georgia.  The flattened snout is probably an adaptation for squeezing beneath bark - scarlet kingsnakes are often found under the bark of pine snags; they shed their skins and find prey (green anoles) in this habitat.  It is a secretive animal that prowls at night during the summer.

*** Disclaimer - We at A3 Superior are by no means members of the medical community, nor are any of our staff medical doctors.  The information below is not medically researched by anyone on our staff.

If you are bitten by a snake, or are around someone who is, there are a few precautionary measures that should be taken, even if the bite is from a non-venomous snake.

Immediately upon being bitten, get away from the snake as soon as possible to avoid further bites.  If at all possible, identify the snake, or be able to at least describe it.  Emergency care will likely be needed only if the snake is identified as a possibly venomous species.  If you are not certain as to the identity of the snake, seek medical help, misidentification of a bite can be fatal.

The wound, as with all, should be washed with soap and water, and care should be taken to ensure that there are no broken teeth, or other things in the wound.  Snake bites can cause tetanus, so a booster may be needed if the person who was bitten has not had one in the past five years.

A number of old first aid techniques have fallen out of favor. Medical research supports the following warnings:
  Do NOT cut and suck. Cutting into the bite site can damage underlying organs, increase the risk of infection, and does not result in venom removal.
  Do NOT use ice. Ice does not deactivate the venom and can causefrostbite .
  Do NOT use electric shocks. The shocks are not effective and could cause burns or electrical problems to the heart.
  Do NOT use alcohol. Alcohol may deaden the pain, but it also makes the local blood vessels bigger, which can increase venom absorption.
  Do NOT use tourniquets or constriction bands. These have not been proven effective, may cause increased tissue damage, and could cost the victim a limb.

The above information was taken from WebMD (full article here http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/snakebite-treatment).  

While there are not many species of poisonous snakes in our area, many are still concerned with keeping the creepy crawlies away from their home and yard - an understandable concern and effort, as venom or no venom, no one wants to be faced with a snake bite, or worse, a child with a snake bite.Generally speaking, it is nearly impossible to keep snakes out of your yard completely.  The only way that this might be accomplished is if a fence is installed around the perimeter of your yard that is made of a material with no gaps, so that snakes cannot enter.  This would mean surrounding your property in mesh, and would not prevent holes and other accesses to the property.  The best way to prevent snakes is to remove the things that might attract snakes.  Remove their hiding and breeding places, and they will have little desire to enter your property.  Such things might includebushes, ponds, tall grass, brush piles, wood piles, gaps in stone walls, decks, walkways, any openings leading under the house or into the foundation, and any presence of rodents.
Some snakes cannot be prevented even in this matter, and since there is currently no snake repellent proven to be effective, the best course of action may be trapping them.
Tips to Remember:
Keep grass and shrubs well groomed
Seal holes & gaps in house and yard
Remove any debris from the yard
Install fencing

While outside cleaning up my garden this past week, I was reminded of an often misunderstood pest.  My garden sits comfortably nestled in the center of a large rock wall, an obvious home for the chipmunks of the neighborhood.  Quite naturally, along with the little fuzzies, come one of their largest predators, the snake.  In the state of New Jersey alone, there are twenty-three species considered to be native residents of the state!  For many this is reason alone to dislike the garden state, but what most don’t realize about this number is that of the twenty-three, only two are actually venomous snakes.  That’s not to say that any of the remaining twenty one couldn’t or wouldn’t bite you, but fortunately, the bite would not do any more harm than to give you a surface injury. (Thank goodness!)

Snakes Native to the State of NJ:

                     Non-Venomous

Ø  Eastern Worm Snake (Carphophis amoenus amoenus)

Ø  Northern Scarlet Snake (Cemophora coccinea copei)

Ø  Northern Black Racer (Coluber constrictor constrictor)

Ø  Southern Ringneck Snake(Diadophis punctatus punctatus)

Ø  Northern Ringneck Snake(Diadophis punctatus edwardsi)

Ø  Corn Snake(Elaphe guttata guttata)

Ø  Black Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta)

Ø  Eastern Hognose Snake (Heterodon platirhinos)

Ø  Eastern Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula getula)

Ø  Coastal Plain Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum)

Ø  Eastern Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum)

Ø  Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon)

Ø  Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aestivus)

Ø  Smooth Green Snake (Opheodrys vernalis)

Ø  Queen Snake (Regina septemvittata)

Ø  Northern Pine Snake (Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus)

Ø  Northern Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi dekayi)

Ø  Northern Red-Bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata)

Ø  Eastern Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis sauritus sauritus)

Ø  Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis)

Ø  Eastern Smooth Earth Snake (Virginia valeriae valeriae)

                        Venomous

Ø  Northern Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen)

Ø  Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)

Of the twenty three species of snake common to New Jersey, only two are venomous!