Tennessee is a popular state for hiking enthusiasts. Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers 850 miles of trails, frequented by upwards of 400,000 hikers annually. Any hiker visiting a Tennessee park or campground for the first time should familiarize themselves with some of the region’s potentially dangerous wildlife.
Hikers are mistaken if they believe the nation’s concentration of venomous snakes is limited to the dryer, southwestern regions of America. Copperheads are a commonly observed venomous snake in Tennessee. Like most potentially dangerous animals in the state, copperheads are non-aggressive and will avoid humans whenever possible, striking only if they feel threatened or cornered. Hikers should give these snakes plenty of space to avoid the copperhead’s hemotoxic venom, which can lead to severe tissue damage.
Tennessee is also home to the pygmy and timber rattlesnakes. Timber rattlesnakes are more common and, at five feet long, far larger. Bites from pygmy rattlesnakes can be highly painful but are unlikely to threaten human life. On the other hand, Timber rattlesnakes are the most dangerous of the state’s four venomous snakes.
There are a few larger animals hikers in Tennessee may encounter on the trail, especially in eastern Tennessee. The black bear is the largest predator in the state, growing up to 800 pounds. There are roughly 7,000 individuals throughout the state. Black bears tend to avoid hikers, but humans must be especially careful if they encounter a mother with cubs, and Males in need of food will demonstrate increased aggression.
The black widow spider may be considerably smaller than the black bear, but it can pose just as great a threat to hikers. Black widow bites are somewhat common in America, but fatalities are rare. Still, a black widow bite in the middle of the woods can pose major problems for hikers, with symptoms including nausea and cramping.
The black widow is one of only three venomous spiders in the United States. The brown recluse spider can also be found in Tennessee. A brown recluse spider’s venom is more potent than a rattlesnake’s, but the amount that can be injected into a human results in less of an overall threat to human life. Brown recluse spiders often transition from the hiking trail to the home at the end of the year, when the spiders start seeking warmth.
Ticks are even smaller than spiders but pose arguably the greatest risk to hikers in Tennessee. The average tick bite is a minor inconvenience, but ticks can carry serious diseases that transfer to humans, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease. These conditions are not as rare as some hikers might think; between 10 and 20 percent of tick bites leave lasting symptoms, such as arthritis or chronic fatigue. Hikers should avoid tall grass, wear long pants and high socks, and thoroughly check themselves for ticks after time spent outdoors.
Finally, no hiker wants to get sprayed by a skunk. While there are certainly deadlier animals on the trail, a skunk’s spray may be more of an inconvenience than some people think. Receiving a direct spray can result in temporary blindness, a major complication on the hiking trail. The spray can also cause nausea, vomiting, and breathing problems. Skunks also rank among the leading careers of rabies in the United States.
Chase Pipes 