Citation

Leatherman SP, Rangel-Buitrago N. Ocean Coastal Manage. 2023; 237: e106540.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2023.106540

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The beach is a vast environment filled with varied animal species, most of which are benign to humans or indifferent to their occasional interactions. One of the animals most associated with interactions in both marine and freshwater beach environments are snakes. These interactions can be traumatic events that may sometimes have tragic consequences for humans. Snake encounters on beaches have become an unexpected coastal hazard. While such occurrences are rare, they are increasing in some locations due to overpopulation, food scarcity, and warmer conditions (related to climatic change). Interactions of snakes with humans tend to draw significant and often exaggerated attention from the public and the media. Pressure is usually placed on local governmental organizations to respond in some manner to prevent further attacks. The increase in alien snake species in beach and near-beach environments have added to the problem. The purpose of this paper is to review records of snake encounters and attacks in the USA and provide some recommendations to help stakeholders make informed decisions when responding to snakes on beaches.

Language: en

Keywords

Attack; Beaches; Interaction; Management; Snakes