The Nantou County Fire Department on Monday urged residents to be vigilant of dangerous snakes after a local man surnamed Hsu (許) reported encountering three venomous snakes during a single evening stroll in Yuchih Township (魚池).
Hsu said that he went for a walk at about 6:30pm on Sunday in the suburbs of Dongchih (東池) and Dalin (大林), but beat a retreat within an hour after running into three vipers: a Taiwanese krait, a brown-spotted pit viper and a Stejneger’s pit viper.
“Fortunately, I had my flashlight and cane with me and was not bitten,” he said, adding that he has seen a snake on his strolls every day over the past week.
Photo: Hsieh Chieh-yu, Taipei Times
The department said that the county’s mountains are home to many snake species, including poisonous ones, and the hot weather seems to be driving snakes to the suburbs.
Snake nuisance complaints have risen over the past four months, with 385 calls in April, 347 in May, 384 in June and 383 last month, or about 10 per day since the beginning of summer, the department said, adding that the temperature has a direct correlation with the level of snake activity.
Due to its climate and diverse woods, Yuchih is possibly the best snake habitat in the county’s 13 townships, as evidenced by the wide variety of snakes captured by firefighters each year, it said.
Photo: Hsieh Chieh-yu, Taipei Times
The best way to prevent snakebites is to avoid venturing into areas of known snake activity, the department said, adding that clearing tall grasses, fallen trees and bamboo groves increases the safety of areas around a home.
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