This document discusses various dangerous wildlife that may be encountered at surface mines in Central Texas, including snakes, spiders, scorpions, insects, and mosquitoes. It describes the identifying characteristics and dangers of each species. The key points are that these creatures can cause serious harm or death, miners will share the work territory with them, and contact should be avoided. Simple precautions like watching where you step and avoiding disturbing nests can help reduce risks.
1. Beware of Hidden Dangers Painful Realities in Sharing Our Environment Created by Jim Neaves, J/R/Neaves Consulting
2. Deadly Snakes Deadly Spiders Scorpions Flying Insects Fire Ants Mosquitoes/West Nile Virus Ask yourself: What do these creatures have to do with mining?
3. Has anyone here seen these in the wild? Deadly Snakes Deadly Spiders Scorpions Flying Insects Fire Ants Mosquitoes/West Nile Virus
4. Why do we care about encountering these critters? These snakes, spiders, scorpions, flying insects, fire ants and mosquitoes can cause serious injury, illness and, in some cases, death. As a miner you will share territory with them. It is important to avoid contact with them.
5. Upon completion of this training the student will be able to identify six species of common dangerous wildlife hazards , and characteristics of each of each, that are encountered while surface mining in Central Texas, by scoring 80% on the quiz at the end of the presentation. Objective:
6. Deadly Snakes Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Copperheads Coral Snakes Cotton Mouth Water Moccasin
12. Deadly Snakes General Snake Information Head Shape Rattlesnake Rattles When a rattlesnake is born it has a small rounded tip on its tail. Each time the snake sheds its skin it will gain a new rattle segment.
13. Deadly Snakes General Snake Information Pit Viper Fangs Strike Distance (1/3 to 1/2 of body length) When not in use a pit viper’s fangs lie folded back against the roof of the snake’s mouth. When the moment of strike arrives the fangs rotate forward.
14. Deadly Snakes Snake Bites Many bites are the result of someone trying to capture, kill, or handle the snake. A number of bites occur to snake handlers, both private and professional. Most bites occur when someone steps on the snake and it bites in its own defense. Death occurs in less than 1% of snake bites , about 10 to 15 a year. Bites from venomous snakes in the United States are rare, however 8,000 such bites do occur each year. One third of rattlesnake bites are “dry” bites, in which no venom is injected.
17. Dangerous Spiders Black Widow Black widow spiders are shy and prefer secluded locations such as crawl spaces, attics, garages, and sheds where they construct a tangled, crisscross web. Common web locations are in stacked boards, firewood piles, in rubble, around water meters, under stones or protected sites. Their bites are often immediately painful. The most reliable evidence of a bite is two tiny red puncture marks around which the pain intensifies during the first three hours. The pain will continue for 12 – 48 hours and then gradually subside. Black widow venom contains a neurotoxin that can cause headache, dizziness, shortness of breath, and often painful abdominal spasms and back pain. Rigidity of limbs, increased blood pressure, and profuse sweating are other symptoms. Death seldom occurs in healthy adults. However, in children and adults in poor health may die within 12 – 32 hours from asphyxia.
18. Dangerous Spiders Brown Recluse The Brown Recluse spider is common outdoors and indoors in the southern and central United States. It is nicknamed the fiddleback or violin spider because of the distinctive dark violin-shaped marking on top of the front body. Their bites, unlike the black widow, are usually painless. However, localized burning sensation often develops within the first hour and during the next 6 – 12 hours, a small pimple or blister forms. The venom can cause extensive tissue damage (necrotic reaction) and over the next 10 – 14 days, a sunken, open, ulcerated sore up to 1 – 2 inches in diameter. It usually takes 6 -8 weeks for the bite to heal. They usually have six eyes instead of the usual eight. (Who gets that close?) In rare cases systemic complications such as liver or kidney damage results.
20. Scorpions Scorpions Scorpions are venomous arthropods and are considered relatives of spiders, mites, and ticks. There are 1,300 species of scorpions worldwide. Scorpions have even been found under snow covered rocks at elevations of over 12,000 feet in the Andes and Himalayas. Scorpions are nocturnal, predatory animals that feed on a variety of insects, spiders, centipedes and other scorpions. The venom of scorpions is used for both prey capture and defense. The venoms are complex mixtures of neurotoxins and other substances unique to the specie. The sting of a Texas scorpion is painful but seldom fatal. Scorpions are commonly thought of as desert animals, but in fact, they occur in many other habitats as well, including grasslands and savannas, deciduous forests, Montana pine forests, rain forests and caves.
22. Flying Insects Hornets and Wasps Hornets are the largest of the wasp family and are usually quite fat and round, unlike the yellow jacket. They have a fearsome reputation for stinging and causing considerable harm but in fact are not more dangerous than a regular wasp or bee. Like most bees and wasps they usually only sting if you are blocking a flight path or are moving rapidly. AVOID NESTS AT ALL COST! The best way to distinguish a hornet from stinging insects is simply the fact that they are shorter and fatter, more “squat” but quite often can be large as well as squat. Wasps are the least-loved stingers of the insect world – they don’t have an upside like bees which make honey.
25. Fire Ants Fire Ants The colonies are characterized by the mounds of soil generated above ground – a result of a network of tunnels under ground which are used for hunting. Fire Ants are very aggressive and will readily attack anything that disturbs their mound. When they attack they swarm on their target. When they bite, they firmly grasp the skin with its jaws arch their backs and insert the rear-end stinger into the flesh injecting venom from the poison sac. Fire ant venom is unique because of the high concentration of toxins, which are responsible for the burning pain characteristic of fire ant sting. People are not just allergic to fire ant stings but also anaphylactic. Due to the obvious difficulties in collecting venom from fire ants (due to their size) venom, effective immunotherapy is not available. The safest thing is to avoid them.
27. West Nile Virus West Nile Virus WNV is transmitted to humans through mosquito bites . Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on birds that have high levels of WNV in their blood. WNV is not transmitted from person to person and there is no evidence a person can get infected by handling live or dead infected birds . Most WNV infected humans have no symptoms . A small portion of humans develop mild symptoms that include fever, headache, body aches, skin rash and swollen lymph glands . Less than 1% of infected people develop more severe illness that includes meningitis or encephalitis.
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29. Write this down: Central Texas Poison Center Scott and White Memorial Hospital 2401 South 31st Street Temple, TX 76508 Emergency Phone: (800) POISON-1(TX only); (254) 724-7401-
30. Quiz: Circle the six commonly found dangerous wildlife species commonly found in a Central Texas surface mine. Deadly Snakes Deadly Spiders Scorpions Bees Fire Ants Houston Toad Texas Python Mosquitoes Armadillos Sugar Ants Horned Toad Dung Beetle
31. Quiz: Most rattlesnake bites occur when someone steps on the snake and it bites in its own defense. Death occurs in less than 1% of snake bites, about 10 to 15 a year. West Nile Virus is easily transmitted from person to person. True False True False There is no evidence a person can get infected with Wet Nile Virus by handling live or dead infected birds. West Nile Virus is transmitted to humans through mosquito bites. True False True False True False
32. Quiz: The Cottonmouth tends to exhibit behavioral characteristics of territorial animals. Humans are not just allergic to fire ant stings but also anaphylactic. Due to the ease in collecting venom from fire ants venom, effective immunotherapy is readily available. Cottonmouths favor lying dormant on logs, rocks or limbs at water’s edge. There is no evidence a person can get infected with Wet Nile Virus by handling live or dead infected birds. True False True False True False True False True False
33. Quiz: The western Diamondback is relatively large in size. The striking distance of a Coral Snake is one-third to one-half of its body length. Copperheads account for more cases of venomous snake bite than any other species. Scorpions have never been found under snow. They die in the cold. There are 20,000 species of bees world wide but if stung it is likely only the honey bee. True False True False True False True False True False
34. Quiz: The Diamond Back Rattlesnake is the most aggressive of the vipers. The Africanized Honey Bee is a variety of honey bee that is highly defensive and will attack perceived intruders. Black widow spiders are shy and prefer secluded places. The Brown Recluse spider is common outdoors and indoors in the southern and central United States. Fire Ants are very passive and will not readily attack anything that disturbs their mound. True False True False True False True False True False
35. In conclusion, we care about encountering these critters in the field because: The snakes, spiders, scorpions, flying insects, fire ants and mosquitoes can cause serious injury, illness and, in some cases, death . As a miner you will share territory with them. It is important to avoid contact with them because their stings and bites are very painful and they normally win in any contest. STAY AWAY FROM THEM!
