Snakebite Statistics in the United States

About 7,000 to 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes in the United States each year, and about 5 of them die.¹

• Deaths are rare: on average, only about 0.07% (1 in 1,400) of venomous bites are fatal¹.
• Many more people are bitten by nonvenomous snakes or receive dry bites (no venom injected), which typically cause only minor injury.

The South accounts for most venomous snakebites in the US: 9,079 of the 11,138 emergency department visits for venomous snakebite in 2016, or 82%.³

• The West followed with 1,188 visits (11%), then the Midwest with 756 (7%) and the Northeast with 115 (1%).³
• In the West, rattlesnakes caused 879 of these bites, about 74% of the region's visits.³
• 34% of patients were treated in rural counties, although only 19% of Americans live in one.³

Note: These figures come from a national sample of emergency department visits, which reports regions rather than individual states. Widely shared state rankings, such as Texas with 1,408 bites a year, come from estimates for 1959.⁴

Copperheads caused about 69% of the venomous snakebites reported to US poison centers in 2024 where the snake was identified: 2,672 of 3,891 cases.⁷

Rattlesnakes (all species) came second with 850 cases, about 22% of identified bites.⁷

• Cottonmouths accounted for 285 cases (7%) and coral snakes for 84 (2%).⁷
• Another 1,212 bites came from unidentified pit vipers.⁷ These counts include only bites reported to a poison center, so they don't capture every bite.
• Rattlesnake bites tend to be more serious. In 2016 rattlesnakes caused 19% of all venomous snakebite ER visits but 41% of those that ended in a hospital stay (983 patients).³

Yes: most people bitten by snakes are male. A national study of 2016 emergency department visits found that 65% of venomous snakebite patients were male³; older regional and national studies reported 69% to 80%. The gap is usually put down to behavior: men, especially younger men, are more likely to handle snakes or take risks, and many outdoor jobs with higher exposure are mostly done by men.

• Females made up the other 35% of those 2016 visits³.

Half of all venomous snakebite ER visits in 2016 (50%) happened in summer, and 32% fell on a weekend.³

Intentional handling means the person was holding or handling the snake when it bit.

Examples include:

• Recreational handling of snakes: Picking up or playing with wild or pet snakes.

Accidental encounters are bites from stepping on a snake, reaching too close to one or coming across one by surprise.

Common situations include:

• Hiking and camping: Stepping on a hidden snake.
• Hunting: Moving through snake country when snakes are most active.
• Gardening and yard work: Reaching into thick plants where you can't see.
• Fishing: Especially around cottonmouths, also called water moccasins.

Seasonal Trends: What Time of Year Do Snakebites Peak?

The vast majority of snakebites happen in the warmer months, which in the US usually means late spring, summer, and early fall.

• Time of Year: Cases climb in April and May, peak from June to August (50%)³, and drop off by late fall. Winter (December–February) accounts for less than 5% because snakes are dormant (brumating) in the cold.
• Day of the Week: 32% of venomous snakebite ER visits in 2016 fell on a Saturday or Sunday³, when more people are out hiking, gardening or camping and crossing paths with snakes.
• Time of Day: Most bites happen in the afternoon and early evening, when both snakes and people are most active. In a nationwide survey of hospital cases (1958–59), 43% of bites happened between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. and only 9% between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m.⁴
• Weather: Heat and rain are strong predictors of snake activity, and bites rise on warm days, especially in southern and desert states such as Georgia and Arizona.