With the arrival of summer, more and more people are getting outside to enjoy Alabama’s parks and forests.

That also means more Alabamians are coming into close contact with snakes, which may strike fear into some people’s hearts and fascination in others. The snakes, too, are more active in the warmer months.

But don’t panic: Of the 40 snake species that live in Alabama, only six are venomous. Four of those snakes can be found almost anywhere in the state, according to Jimmy Stiles, a herpetologist at Auburn University.

If you do happen to encounter a venomous snake, Stiles has a simple piece of advice.

“All you have to do is stay away from it,” Stiles said. “People feel like they have to interact with them… the snake is in its habitat, so just let it go on its way.”

Besides, it’s very unlikely that you’ll be killed by a snake. On average, only one person dies of a snakebite every 10 years in Alabama, according to the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

About 8,000 people are bitten by snakes every year, according to Johns Hopkins University Medicine, though not all of those are venomous bites.

What to do if you see a venomous snake

If you see a snake that might be venomous in the wild, leave it alone.

Most people that are bitten by a venomous snake don’t see it, according to Stiles, so it’s important to look where you’re going. Carry a flashlight when you’re walking in the woods, so you don’t accidentally step on one. And keep your hands away from dark places like logs or debris piles.

If you see a snake in your house, yard, or somewhere where it may be a safety concern, call a wildlife removal specialist. It’s not recommended that you try and move or kill the snake yourself, Stiles said.

As a last resort, you can take a water hose and spray the snake from a safe distance away, Stiles said. The snake will go in the opposite direction from the water.

What to do (and what you shouldn’t do) if you’re bitten by a venomous snake

To start with the obvious: don’t do anything you see in the movies, Stiles said.

1. Do not try to suck the venom out of the bite.
2. Do not apply a tourniquet.
3. Do not use a snake bite kit.
4. Don’t put anything on the bite.

The Alabama Poison Information Center recommends no tourniquet, no ice, and no cutting. Rings and other constrictive items should be removed in case of swelling. Keep the person bitten calm and warm and immobilize the extremity where the person was bitten.

“None of the things you see in the movies you should do, unless they’re going to a hospital,” Stiles said.

The best course of action is to get to an emergency room as quickly – but as safely – as possible.

John Hopkins says you should treat all snake bites as venomous if you’re uncertain. Even bites from nonvenomous snakes can cause infections or allergic reactions in some people.

Stiles stressed that you need to go to a medical center with an emergency department, not a primary care or urgent care center. Most snakebite patients are treated then admitted for observation: UAB is the only hospital in the state that allows certain patients to be treated in an outpatient setting.

Not all doctors are knowledgeable about how to treat snake bites, Stiles said, and treatment for bites has changed a lot in the last 25 years. National Snakebite Support, a nonprofit that provides support to people affected by snake bites, is a good resource for knowing what treatment is appropriate, he said.

National Snakebite Support recommends, for pit viper bites like copperheads and cottonmouths, to elevate the bitten extremity at or above heart level. Do not drive yourself to the hospital.

In the meantime, try to gather information. If you can safely take a photo of the snake that bit you, that can be helpful for the doctors and nurses, Stiles said.

But don’t bring the snake that bit you to the hospital, dead or alive.

“The hospital does not want it, and it will just cause problems,” Stiles said.