Bitten by a Snake in Tennessee? Do This Immediately

A snakebite is one of those emergencies where the actions you take in the first few minutes genuinely matter. The right response can significantly improve outcomes. The wrong response — and there are several common mistakes — can make things considerably worse.

This guide covers exactly what to do if you or someone with you is bitten by a snake in Tennessee.

This is the only step that is truly non-negotiable. Every snakebite should be evaluated at an emergency room, even if you are not sure the snake was venomous.

Do not wait to see if symptoms develop. Venom from Tennessee's pit vipers (copperheads, cottonmouths, and rattlesnakes) begins causing tissue damage immediately. Early treatment is dramatically more effective than delayed treatment.

If you are in the Nashville area, the following hospitals carry CroFab antivenom:

• Vanderbilt University Medical Center — 1211 Medical Center Dr, Nashville
• TriStar Centennial Medical Center — 2300 Patterson St, Nashville
• TriStar Skyline Medical Center — 3441 Dickerson Pike, Nashville
• Saint Thomas West Hospital — 4220 Harding Pike, Nashville

Call ahead if possible — this allows the emergency department to prepare antivenom before you arrive.

Movement accelerates the spread of venom through the lymphatic system. After calling for help:

• Have the victim sit or lie down in a comfortable position
• Keep the bitten limb at or slightly below heart level
• Minimize movement — do not walk if you can avoid it
• Stay calm — anxiety and elevated heart rate also accelerate venom spread

If you are alone and must move to get help, move slowly and deliberately.

Venom causes rapid swelling. Remove anything that could become a tourniquet as swelling progresses:

• Rings and bracelets
• Watches
• Tight clothing or shoes near the bite site

Do this gently and quickly, then do not touch the bite area again.

Emergency physicians need to know:

• What time the bite occurred — this helps them assess venom progression
• What the snake looked like — species identification affects treatment decisions

If you can safely photograph the snake from a distance without approaching it, do so. If not, note what you remember: size, color, pattern, head shape, presence of a rattle. Do not attempt to capture or kill the snake — this is how most secondary bites happen.

These are the most common mistakes — all of them make outcomes worse:

Tourniquets concentrate venom in one area, dramatically increasing local tissue damage. They do not prevent venom from spreading systemically and can cause permanent injury to the limb. Do not use them.

This is perhaps the most persistent snakebite myth. Cutting the wound and attempting to suck out venom does not remove meaningful amounts of venom, introduces infection risk, and delays getting to proper treatment. Do not do it.

Cold causes vasoconstriction, which concentrates venom in the tissue and worsens local damage. Ice packs on snakebites are contraindicated.

An older folk remedy involving car batteries or stun guns. There is no scientific evidence this works, and it causes additional injury.

Alcohol dilates blood vessels and accelerates venom absorption. Do not give the victim alcohol in any form.

Keeping the limb elevated above the heart increases the rate at which venom moves toward the core. Keep the limb at or below heart level.

Emergency rooms do not need the snake to treat the bite — they treat based on symptoms and species description. Attempting to catch or kill the snake is how most secondary bites happen. Leave it alone.

Tennessee has four venomous snake species, all of which are pit vipers. Their venom is primarily hemotoxic — it attacks blood cells, disrupts clotting, and causes local tissue destruction.

Northern Copperhead: The most common cause of venomous snakebite in Tennessee. Copperhead venom is the least potent of Tennessee's venomous species, but bites still cause significant pain, swelling, and tissue damage. Antivenom is used selectively based on symptom severity.

Western Cottonmouth (Water Moccasin): Cottonmouth venom is more potent than copperhead venom and causes more severe local tissue damage. Bites near water sources in Middle Tennessee should be treated as potentially cottonmouth until proven otherwise.

Timber Rattlesnake: Tennessee's largest venomous snake delivers the largest venom dose. Timber rattlesnake bites are serious medical emergencies. Antivenom is almost always indicated.

Western Pygmy Rattlesnake: The smallest of Tennessee's venomous snakes. Bites are painful and cause local tissue damage but are rarely life-threatening in healthy adults. Still requires emergency evaluation.

When you arrive at the emergency room with a snakebite, the treatment team will:

1. Assess the bite site — measuring swelling, noting tissue discoloration, and documenting the bite pattern
2. Draw blood — to assess clotting function, which is affected by pit viper venom
3. Monitor vital signs — blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen levels
4. Determine antivenom need — based on species, bite location, symptom progression, and lab results
5. Administer CroFab antivenom if indicated — CroFab is effective against all four of Tennessee's venomous species

The length of hospital stay depends on severity. Minor copperhead bites may require only observation. Severe rattlesnake bites may require multiple doses of antivenom and several days of inpatient monitoring.

To put the risk in perspective:

• Approximately 7,000–8,000 venomous snakebites occur in the United States each year
• Fewer than 10 result in death annually — almost always due to delayed treatment or underlying health conditions
• Tennessee sees several hundred venomous snakebites per year, the majority from copperheads
• With prompt treatment, the vast majority of snakebite victims make a full recovery

The risk of death from a venomous snakebite in Tennessee, with modern medical treatment, is extremely low. The risk of significant tissue damage and a difficult recovery is real — which is why prompt treatment matters.

The best snakebite treatment is not getting bitten in the first place. In Tennessee, most bites are preventable:

Watch where you step and reach. The majority of bites occur on the hands and feet — usually when someone steps on a snake they did not see or reaches into a rock pile, brush pile, or wood stack without looking first.

Wear appropriate footwear outdoors. Leather boots provide meaningful protection against bites to the foot and ankle. Sandals and bare feet offer none.

Use a flashlight at night. Copperheads and cottonmouths are more active after dark. A flashlight lets you see what is on the path ahead.

Teach children not to handle snakes. Children are disproportionately represented in snakebite statistics. Teach them to look but not touch.

Reduce snake habitat around your home. Rock piles, brush piles, wood stacks, and tall grass near the house attract rodents — and the snakes that hunt them. Keeping the yard tidy reduces encounters.

Do not attempt to handle or kill it. Call Nashville Snake Removal at (615) 613-5992. We provide professional venomous snake removal throughout Middle Tennessee, 24 hours a day.

A two-minute phone call is always safer than a DIY removal attempt — and it is the approach that keeps you out of the emergency room.

Nashville Snake Removal serves Davidson, Williamson, Sumner, Wilson, Robertson, Dickson, and Stewart counties. Same-day service available. Call (615) 613-5992.