A quick thinking dad sprang into action when he noticed his 3-year-old son had spotted a coral snake on their patio, but credit is due to the kiddo as well for using what his dad taught him about snakes to alert the family to danger.

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Bill Holdar of San Antonio knows that as the dad of a toddler, you have to always know where they are and what they are up to. Holdar also knows that teaching them about the dangers around them will also come in handy.

SNAKE!

As the weather warms up in Texas, snakes are starting to come out and find the warmth of the sun. A San Antonio child recently came across a coral snake on his family's patio, but instead of approaching it, the young toddler alerted his dad who quickly sprang into action and captured it.  Holdar told the San Antonio Express-News,

“I’ve been pretty vigilant about teaching him not to approach wild snakes and to inform an adult. I was proud he was able to identify it as a coral snake and understood the danger.”

That training paid off.

Coral Snake

Typically when you think of venomous snakes, you think of rattle snakes or even  cottonmouths or copperheads. The coral snake doesn't usually come to mind, but their venom can be even more dangerous than the previous three. Wildlife officials say that a coral snake is the most venomous snake in the state of Texas.

A coral snake is different than the other three as they are colored with red, yellow and black. Ever hear the saying, “red and yellow kill a fellow”? That's the coral snake they are talking about.

Snake Relocation

Holdar says he has no plans to keep the venomous snake saying, “I wouldn’t want a pet that can kill me with one bite,” but instead plans to relocate it.

Snake Season

Snakes are usually more afraid of us than we are of them. In fact, snakes usually only bite someone when they are cornered or stepped on. Their first instinct is to slither away and distance themselves from any potential danger.

Texas Health and Human Services reports that about 7,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes in the U.S. each year, but less than 1 percent of snake bites results in death.

So what do you do if you are bitten? First, stay calm. Second, remove any tight fitting clothing or accessories like a watch or other jewelry, and seek medical attention immediately.

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