This article recently appeared in the  Charleston Mercury written by Alan E. Green, DVM and Kristin Welch, DVM, DACVECC

Beware of snakes as warmer weather arrives in the Lowcountry. Our outdoor pets are vulnerable these days, and it’s not just hunting dogs that are in danger.

Dr. Kristin Welch, who helped with this article, is the head of Emergency and Critical Care at Charleston Veterinary Referral Center and the only board-certified critical-care specialist in South Carolina. She reminds us that of more than 120 species of snakes identified in the United States, 20 of them are venomous. Those that are poisonous in South Carolina include three species of rattlesnakes as well as cottonmouth water moccasins, copperheads and coral snakes.