"Take all bites seriously and get medical attention immediately," Baldwin says. "Coral snake antivenom is very effective. There has only been one reported death from a coral snake bite in the U.S ...

In the past few years, snakebite antivenom has been in the news, again. In states such as Texas and Florida, a shortage of coral snake antivenom has put medical providers in a disturbing position.

Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I write about the ocean, climate change, and the future of our planet. When envenomation occurs in humans, bites are often painless and ...