REGION — It’s summer, and the snakes are out. 

Many here aren’t dangerous. Only a few species, like rattlesnakes and copperheads, are venomous. 

But snakebite, even without poison, can harm kids. 

“In the U.S.,” according to a post on Stanford Children’s Health, “snakebites most often occur between April and October. Even a bite from a nonvenomous snake can cause an infection or allergic reaction in some children.”

If your child is bitten by a snake, the hospital says, treat the bite as if it were venomous and take your child to an emergency room as soon as possible. Antivenin, if needed, should be given within four hours.

Pretty sure it wasn’t a venomous snake? Doesn’t matter; go to the ER anyway. “Even the bite of a non-venomous snake can cause significant injury, particularly to children,” says Mount Sinai’s health library. A bite can cause an allergic reaction or can get infected, according to Boston Children’s Hospital. 

Stanford Children’s Hospital notes that “snakes usually only bite when provoked. This can happen when a child accidentally steps on a snake.”

To learn more about snakes, snakebite and avoiding snakes, visit https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/, www.mountsinai.org or https://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions/snake-bites.