COLUMBIA, S.C. — You may notice more snakes slithering around the Midlands. According to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources website, there are 38 known species of snake in this state.
Six of them are venomous. An encounter by either a human or an animal can be deadly.
One woman said she knows that all too well.
“The incident itself is still questionable - we don’t know," Ali La Grand said.
Duck, Lucky, and A-Ron were the loves of Ali's life.
“When I found them, they were just, they were a mess," she said. "I don’t know how long had already been hurt. But you could just see they were extremely swollen, lethargic, just in dire distress."
Ali said the dogs were attacked by at least one rattlesnake on her property. The three dogs were outmatched.
“We lost one, unfortunately. And now that my other two dogs are healing, the tenacity of these bites is bad," Ali said. "One of them, my beagle, got bit four times - we can see four bites. And it just seems unusual that a snake would be that ferocious."
This time of year, more venomous snakes like copperheads and timber snakes roam the Midlands of South Carolina.
Jay Keck with the South Carolina Wildlife Federation explained why.
“In the spring and the fall, they are breeding, so they are way more active now than the winter or the summer," Keck said. "So, spring and summer are busiest times of year."
Unfortunately for dogs, the risk of an attack is more likely this time of year, according to Keck.
"I do oftentimes hear about dogs because they put their nose down to them and get bitten in the face," he said.
Ali is now focusing on her dogs, nursing them back to good health.
“I actually picked my dogs up yesterday," she said. "Both my boys are now back at home."
The state wildlife expert, Keck, added to be mindful while out in high grass or while gardening because more snakes are out.