Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
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Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
I was Wondering who else has been bit by a venomous snake? I was bit by a Arizona Black Rattlesnake. It was 3 years ago and I was 10 at the time.
Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
Not I...I have been given a few "2nd chances", by stepping within inches or upon, but I was lucky, they did not seem anxious to bite despite my clumsy blundering. Tell us what you would do differently next time, or tell us how we can avoid being bitten...what circumstances led up to you getting bit? Did you fully recover? I hope so, I hear it is profoundly umpleasant and painful.
Vic
Vic
Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
Almost got added to that list today, but I've luckily stayed off of it.
- Tim Borski
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Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
I've been bit twice, about a year apart. Both were on my right gaiter.
Tim
Tim
Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
Same here - no bites yet. My two herping buddies have been bitten by a copper and a cotton respectively, and I have had close calls with both, as well as nearly stepping on a canebrake. Most of the close calls were stupid maneuvers that only avoided disaster because the snake was calm and forgiving. I've decided now that I just won't put my flesh within 3 feet of a venomous snake.
Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
I don't think so, apart from a strange and unconfirmed encounter which I may post at a later time. However, the closest I got was last year when a baby Naja Kaouthia (Monocellate Cobra) missed my finger by a matter of millimetres. My brother got it on (average) film and it's on youtube - other than that I have never had a venemous snake try to strike.
Love posts like this, keep the stories coming.
Rupert
Love posts like this, keep the stories coming.
Rupert
Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
Nope and don't plan to. Unless you are stepping near them (accidentally) or you are a professional venom extractor, there should be no reason to be THAT close. Some people get uncomfortably close when they are busy looking through the viewfinder of their camera and I have seen strikes against lenses.
-Jake
-Jake
- muskiemagnet
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Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
i was playing with a 100mm macro lens at SR this fall. got too close to a copper. it missed my hand, but was close. no more macro for me. i'll zoom in on them. i'd rather have the entire snake in the pic anyways. i have seen pics of people who make a bite shield for around their camera. good idea for those of you who want that close shot. my advice to avoid being bitten is to be aware of your surroundings, and do not touch hots.
-ben
-ben
Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
bb copperhead.....it hurt
Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
Sidewinder 1966, W Cottonmouth 1967, E Cottonmouth 1971-ish. Done with that foolishness.
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Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
2... when I was young (18/19) and dumb (uneducated) and caught a fang through a bag 2 years ago, due to complacency in the field. All Helleri... first two very serious life-threatening bites... last one fairly mild.
There's extensive existing threads on the topic... I got the flu, so gonna cut this short... my full story's (with pics) are included in the other threads... use the search function and you shpild be able to find them... jim
There's extensive existing threads on the topic... I got the flu, so gonna cut this short... my full story's (with pics) are included in the other threads... use the search function and you shpild be able to find them... jim
Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
The closest I've come is a couple of very near misses when I was still young and stupid, due to nothing other than the fact that I was still young and stupid. The snakes involved will forever have my gratitude for not taking advantage of the situations. Watch where you put your body parts - all of your body parts, all of the time - when afield in venomous snake country. Getting a better angle for the photograph, collecting the specimen before it gets away or whatever other goal you might have in mind simply isn't worth risking a bite.
Gerry
Gerry
- kyle loucks
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Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
When I kept venomous. Atheris squaminger - dry bite, I was lucky.
Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
Arizona Coral
Ridgenose Rattlesnake
Prairie Rattlesnake
Northern Copperhead
all on my right hand, all from holding snakes in my right hand.
The copperhead cost $666 -- no joke
That was the last one -- Memorial day 1984 near Meriden, Connecticut.
Ridgenose Rattlesnake
Prairie Rattlesnake
Northern Copperhead
all on my right hand, all from holding snakes in my right hand.
The copperhead cost $666 -- no joke
That was the last one -- Memorial day 1984 near Meriden, Connecticut.
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Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
That's it?!?!Jeff wrote: The copperhead cost $666 -- no joke
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Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
I would avoid mistaking Arizona Black Rattlers with California Kingsnakes. Here is the story I have posted before.VICtort wrote: Tell us what you would do differently next time, or tell us how we can avoid being bitten...what circumstances led up to you getting bit? Did you fully recover? I hope so, I hear it is profoundly umpleasant and painful.
Vic
It was a warm summer morning in Prescott, it was 2009 and I was 10 years old. I was in my backyard throwing sticks for my dog, I went up onto my backyards deck and looked down over the fence I saw a big snake (5 feet) that I thought was a California kingsnake I ran down to it as fast as I could! I surprised him and gave him no time to rattle or coil up. He struck at my hand that I had planned to grab him with and envenomated me I went to the Yavapai Regional Hospital which had no idea what to do about a rattlesnake bite so they flew me down to the Phoenix Children's hospital where I received 32 vials of antivenin I stayed for 3 days. I am way more cautious now though and I don't mess with rattlesnakes either!
I made a full recovery and yes it is VERY unpleasant and painful.
- Mark Brown
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Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
First and last bite was a Northern Copperhead in 1976. Very painful but no lasting effects, aside from some small scarring from the self-applied Cutter kit (no medical treatment).
It was the deadly old chemical combination of alcohol and testosterone and caused me to drastically reconsider my procedures when working with captive venomous (the bite was at home).
I've never had so much as a close call in the 35 years since.
It was the deadly old chemical combination of alcohol and testosterone and caused me to drastically reconsider my procedures when working with captive venomous (the bite was at home).
I've never had so much as a close call in the 35 years since.
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Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
Cottonmouth bite at the base of my right thumb 1978. Was commercial road hunting (back when I did such things) on Alligator Alley (back when you could actually hunt that road) and we were picking up water snakes right and left. I spotted a three foot 'water' snake on the shoulder of the road and jumped out of my Jeep to grab it. I quickly shined a light on it to make sure of the I.D. (not long enough though) and then made the grab. An instant later I got two injections that felt like hot water on my hand. I dropped the snake and knew right away what had happened. When I put the flashlight back on the snake--which was casually moving off, I could see what it was... a nice cottonmouth.
Got nine viles of antivenin and spent four days in Good Samaritan Hospital in West Palm Beach. Then three weeks later had a terrible bout of serum sickness which frankly, felt worse than the bite. I broke out in hives and puked my brains out for two days.
Never made that mistake again.
Got nine viles of antivenin and spent four days in Good Samaritan Hospital in West Palm Beach. Then three weeks later had a terrible bout of serum sickness which frankly, felt worse than the bite. I broke out in hives and puked my brains out for two days.
Never made that mistake again.
Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
I've never been bitten...and as far as I know, never came really close to being bitten. I'm pretty cautious when it comes to venomous (and I keep a couple too).
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Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
Let's see, Northern copperhead twice a week old neonate when I was 15 and a really big adult when I was 17 that caught a vein sort of ( that was fun).
Once by an eastern cottonmouth.
Several baby Pygmy bites when I was breeding them and having to assist feed the little ones.
One fang scratch by an Indian cobra got a little in not much.
Scariest systemic bite symptoms where caused by an African giant cranial horned baboon spider.
All bites occurred on my right hand except the cottonmouth which was on the right ankle last bite was when I was 24 so 6 years without a bite. All bites where caused by clinical stupidity any questions on the effects or treatment feel free to ask.
Once by an eastern cottonmouth.
Several baby Pygmy bites when I was breeding them and having to assist feed the little ones.
One fang scratch by an Indian cobra got a little in not much.
Scariest systemic bite symptoms where caused by an African giant cranial horned baboon spider.
All bites occurred on my right hand except the cottonmouth which was on the right ankle last bite was when I was 24 so 6 years without a bite. All bites where caused by clinical stupidity any questions on the effects or treatment feel free to ask.
Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
How were the baby pigmy bites? I've heard other folks talk about them and just brush it off as nothing more than a wasp sting.MuayThaipan wrote:Let's see, Northern copperhead twice a week old neonate when I was 15 and a really big adult when I was 17 that caught a vein sort of ( that was fun).
Once by an eastern cottonmouth.
Several baby Pygmy bites when I was breeding them and having to assist feed the little ones.
One fang scratch by an Indian cobra got a little in not much.
Scariest systemic bite symptoms where caused by an African giant cranial horned baboon spider.
All bites occurred on my right hand except the cottonmouth which was on the right ankle last bite was when I was 24 so 6 years without a bite. All bites where caused by clinical stupidity any questions on the effects or treatment feel free to ask.
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Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
Any venomous snakebite is potentially life/limb threatening so please don't take this as though I'm saying baby Pygmy bites aren't potentially very serious events, there's always to many variables to generalize but all of mine where comparable to wasp stings except a few that felt more like stings from those huge sand hornets and the bitten digit is stiff and generally useless for a few days and occasional swelling of the maxillary lymph nodes is quite uncomfortable.
Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
I almost took a timber rattler bite to the face once, luckily avoided it due to pure dumb luck. If it had made contact and it wasn't a dry bite I probably wouldn't be here today. Besides that I have gotten bitten by a handful of rearfanged species that I knew had some venom but are all basically harmless, I experienced some local swelling and pain for short periods of time but nothing serious, I was handling them in ways I would never do with any sort of real hot snake.
Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
This is probably the closest I've come. Just before hoping off of a fallen log I did a double take at my intended landing zone. It's surprising that an adult helleri can be so well hidden.
I tried to get a better picture once I was on the ground, but the helleri proved to be very... excitable.
I tried to get a better picture once I was on the ground, but the helleri proved to be very... excitable.
- Gluesenkamp
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Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
not envenomated yet unless you count rearfangs that are just uncomfortable.... last time it was a thamnophis just this friday.
- walk-about
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Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
I understand lots of us have been bitten here. It is part of this passion we share. If you do this long enough, you will eventually get bitten. And that is just a fact. Perhaps a more interesting question might be - what long term side effects (if any) has anyone experienced as a result of a venomous snake/lizard bite?
RocK ON!
Dave
RocK ON!
Dave
- Bryan Hamilton
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Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
Its not a fact. If you have a good mentor and use the proper tools you can safely work with venomous snakes.walk-about wrote: If you do this long enough, you will eventually get bitten. And that is just a fact.
- Mark Brown
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Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
I agree with you, and that mentality has always bothered me. I've known dozens of people who have handled hot herps for years and never been bitten, and I've known a few who've been bitten many times. To say that if one does this long enough one will be bitten is to imply an acceptance of inevitability that just isn't there and can even be a self-fulfilling prophecy.Bryan Hamilton wrote:Its not a fact. If you have a good mentor and use the proper tools you can safely work with venomous snakes.walk-about wrote: If you do this long enough, you will eventually get bitten. And that is just a fact.
I'd bet that every single herper who has been bitten can tell you the exact thing that he or she did wrong and which led to the bite. A venomous bite for a herper is graphic evidence of a mistake, and if you're cautious, aware and vigilant there is no reason you should ever be bitten.
Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
I could not agree more - it is not "a fact" - it has a variable occurrence rate among the population, which at the individual level can be managed downward with proper tools, technique, and mindfulness. Accepting snakebite as an eventuality for every dedicated enthusiast does nothing whatsoever to get individuals to accept & adopt the personal responsibility required to make snakebite an increasingly rare event among our population.If you do this long enough, you will eventually get bitten. And that is just a fact.
Its not a fact. If you have a good mentor and use the proper tools you can safely work with venomous snakes.
Why would we want to deter people from taking responsibility for their own health?
Cheers,
Jimi
- walk-about
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Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
Jimi,
Your point well taken. I think what I was attempting to convey is that if you spend enough time in their realm and habitats of venomous snakes, at some point you will make the mistake of placing your hand or foot on or near a venomous snake. I was not talking about manipulating them in any fashion for a random photo op. I don't go there.
RocK ON!
Dave
BTW, Bryan, I am curious what you mean by 'safely working with venomous snakes'??? Is that not a contradiction?
Your point well taken. I think what I was attempting to convey is that if you spend enough time in their realm and habitats of venomous snakes, at some point you will make the mistake of placing your hand or foot on or near a venomous snake. I was not talking about manipulating them in any fashion for a random photo op. I don't go there.
RocK ON!
Dave
BTW, Bryan, I am curious what you mean by 'safely working with venomous snakes'??? Is that not a contradiction?
- Bryan Hamilton
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Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
Hi Dave,
I don't think its a contradiction at all. Its like driving a car safely. Getting in a car and speeding it up to 60 mph is potentially extremely dangerous but most of us agree that it can be done safely.
The point was already been made that unless there are few cases where there is a legitimate need to interact with a venomous snake. A hands off policy is best for the snakes and people. I work mostly with Great Basin rattlesnakes. Like all rattlesnakes, they are completely non-agressive. The only way I can imagine one biting you (if you aren't trying to kill or capture) is if you step on it and injure it in some way.
If you do have to capture and handle a venomous snake, using tongs and tubes and keeping your hands out the strike zone are very safe methods. I had a very good mentor that emphasized that it is unacceptable to suffer a bite. This really made an impression on me. We didn't take unnecessary risks and that was a condition of employment.
Certainly anything is possible and accidents happen. But we can drive down the the probability of an accident. And for me the mind frame that a bite is not acceptable is really important in that process.
I don't think its a contradiction at all. Its like driving a car safely. Getting in a car and speeding it up to 60 mph is potentially extremely dangerous but most of us agree that it can be done safely.
The point was already been made that unless there are few cases where there is a legitimate need to interact with a venomous snake. A hands off policy is best for the snakes and people. I work mostly with Great Basin rattlesnakes. Like all rattlesnakes, they are completely non-agressive. The only way I can imagine one biting you (if you aren't trying to kill or capture) is if you step on it and injure it in some way.
If you do have to capture and handle a venomous snake, using tongs and tubes and keeping your hands out the strike zone are very safe methods. I had a very good mentor that emphasized that it is unacceptable to suffer a bite. This really made an impression on me. We didn't take unnecessary risks and that was a condition of employment.
Certainly anything is possible and accidents happen. But we can drive down the the probability of an accident. And for me the mind frame that a bite is not acceptable is really important in that process.
- walk-about
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Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
Bryan,
Good points. However I am not talking about handling snakes here. I am talking about the probability of an accident with potential snake bite when one enters areas that are highly concentrated by venomous snakes. I agree with you that indeed as you said, "...can drive down the probability" of a potential bite. Absolutely this is true. Like wearing a seatbelt and having airbags in our autos will give us a much better survival chance than say vehicles without airbags and drivers not wearing seatbelts. But at the end of the day, this does not mean one would survive a head-on collision with another auto. My point is this..... accidents happen. Regardless of how careful you are.
I wear snake-bite boots when in the field. But if you read the boot manufacture's product information, it states that their product will withstand the majority of snake-bite/fang penetration from most North American snakes. What the hell! In other words, there is no %100 percent here.
I have had on two occasions, cottonmouths fall into my canoe from overhanging branches. These were small snakes that were impossible to see until they were in my boat. These could have been potential 'accidents' no doubt, especially had they fallen on my head. I once fell through a hickory log from a timber cut I was exploring for a university project. As I walked across the log, it seemed very stable, until I fell through a 'soft ' portion of the log. As I pulled my leg out of the log, the whirrling sound of a large timber rattlesnake hiding inside the log just inches from my foot, just about blew my heart out of my chest. Another potential 'accident'. I understand that we have all had our close calls. And I guess I would be preaching to the choir if I continued...but
I was bitten in 1997 by a Kentucky Agkistrodon . This snake I never saw until it tagged me. It was completely hidden by leaf matter. It was one of the worst experiences of my life. These events happen. And that IS a fact. And I do truly believe that if one spends enough time in the field, they will eventually be bitten. Most of my colleagues have been bitten at some point in their lives. I do accept it. I think I'm a 'realist' here. I pray that none of my friends ever experience another bite again. But I would rather be prepared mentally than those who think it could not, nor would never happen to them. It was my mental strength that got me through the first one.
Good luck to all in the field in 2013
RocK ON!
Dave
Good points. However I am not talking about handling snakes here. I am talking about the probability of an accident with potential snake bite when one enters areas that are highly concentrated by venomous snakes. I agree with you that indeed as you said, "...can drive down the probability" of a potential bite. Absolutely this is true. Like wearing a seatbelt and having airbags in our autos will give us a much better survival chance than say vehicles without airbags and drivers not wearing seatbelts. But at the end of the day, this does not mean one would survive a head-on collision with another auto. My point is this..... accidents happen. Regardless of how careful you are.
I wear snake-bite boots when in the field. But if you read the boot manufacture's product information, it states that their product will withstand the majority of snake-bite/fang penetration from most North American snakes. What the hell! In other words, there is no %100 percent here.
I have had on two occasions, cottonmouths fall into my canoe from overhanging branches. These were small snakes that were impossible to see until they were in my boat. These could have been potential 'accidents' no doubt, especially had they fallen on my head. I once fell through a hickory log from a timber cut I was exploring for a university project. As I walked across the log, it seemed very stable, until I fell through a 'soft ' portion of the log. As I pulled my leg out of the log, the whirrling sound of a large timber rattlesnake hiding inside the log just inches from my foot, just about blew my heart out of my chest. Another potential 'accident'. I understand that we have all had our close calls. And I guess I would be preaching to the choir if I continued...but
I was bitten in 1997 by a Kentucky Agkistrodon . This snake I never saw until it tagged me. It was completely hidden by leaf matter. It was one of the worst experiences of my life. These events happen. And that IS a fact. And I do truly believe that if one spends enough time in the field, they will eventually be bitten. Most of my colleagues have been bitten at some point in their lives. I do accept it. I think I'm a 'realist' here. I pray that none of my friends ever experience another bite again. But I would rather be prepared mentally than those who think it could not, nor would never happen to them. It was my mental strength that got me through the first one.
Good luck to all in the field in 2013
RocK ON!
Dave
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Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
Dave, this interests me because we see so many cottonmouths. Would you mind sharing a bit about your experience, including treatment and any residual effects?I was bitten in 1997 by a Kentucky Agkistrodon . This snake I never saw until it tagged me. It was completely hidden by leaf matter. It was one of the worst experiences of my life.
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Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
Dave,
I believe those are called 'authentic' bites, as opposed to unauthentic(?) bites that occur when working or interacting with snakes.
After my first two, I went 36 years without a bite. And as others have said... totally my fault and I know exactly what I did wrong. Lost focus for 1 sec, while 'gushing' about the lifer SB ringneck we had just finished photographing, while preparing to take a helli out of a bag, to be photographed. I got my hand too close to the bag, and the snake struck through the bag and I caught a fang in the finger.
A careful herper is actually a lot less likely to suffer an authentic bite than the general public... but yeah... they can and do happen. I've had only one close call, from a completely concealed Ruber... struck at me but came up a fraction of an inch short... jim
I believe those are called 'authentic' bites, as opposed to unauthentic(?) bites that occur when working or interacting with snakes.
After my first two, I went 36 years without a bite. And as others have said... totally my fault and I know exactly what I did wrong. Lost focus for 1 sec, while 'gushing' about the lifer SB ringneck we had just finished photographing, while preparing to take a helli out of a bag, to be photographed. I got my hand too close to the bag, and the snake struck through the bag and I caught a fang in the finger.
A careful herper is actually a lot less likely to suffer an authentic bite than the general public... but yeah... they can and do happen. I've had only one close call, from a completely concealed Ruber... struck at me but came up a fraction of an inch short... jim
Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
same here in madison county. yet to find anyother hot here.Tamara D. McConnell wrote:Dave, this interests me because we see so many cottonmouths. Would you mind sharing a bit about your experience, including treatment and any residual effects?I was bitten in 1997 by a Kentucky Agkistrodon . This snake I never saw until it tagged me. It was completely hidden by leaf matter. It was one of the worst experiences of my life.
- Bryan Hamilton
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Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
Those are good points Dave. I know several people that have been bitten by copperheads and never saw the snake. I have heard those accidental bites referred to as "legitimate" bites versus "illegitimate" bites (when someone is interacting deliberately with the snake). I can see how a bite would be more likely from an Agkistrodon which are some of the most cryptic animals on the planet.
I took your comment to mean a bite is inevitable if you're deliberately working with venomous snakes. My mistake.
I took your comment to mean a bite is inevitable if you're deliberately working with venomous snakes. My mistake.
Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
Not quite. Bryan is correct - the term is "legitimate", as in a "legitimate accident" where the snake-human interaction was not started on purpose by the human. The distinction could be blurred a bit by arguing about how careful the victim had been to avoid the accident in the first place - was he running in tall grass in sandals, gathering firewood bare-handed at night, flopping down for a break onto a pile of leaves or up against a log, etc etc.I believe those are called 'authentic' bites, as opposed to unauthentic(?) bites that occur when working or interacting with snakes.
Likewise, me too, but I guess I'd still disagree with the assertion that spending enough time in the woods or desert with snakes around is going to get you bit. (Take that logic far enough and who in their right mind would leave the house?!?!?) Just as with our chances of taking an illegitimate bite, we can work aggressively to drive down the odds, the risk of a legitimate envenomation: mind your hands feet and face, use appropriate gear and clothing, stop look and listen frequently, etc. It all falls under the rubric "don't be a dumbass, and work hard at it".I took your comment to mean a bite is inevitable if you're deliberately working with venomous snakes. My mistake.
Just to make clear, 1) I too have felt the sickening squishiness of a big fat viper under my boot - and am here to tell ya that is not a good time, and 2) sure, accidents DO happen, but if we conduct every single field jaunt with the attitude "Not today it isn't going to happen!", then I believe we increase our chances of maintaining that idea as a fact and not just a fancy.
I think we can relate the nation's experience with auto and commercial air accidents to the topic under discussion - with a combination of technological and behavioral improvements (better gear, better training, better enforcement, etc), we have driven down the accident rate really, really impressively. Bad things still happen, but we have made them much rarer events, as an expression of # of incidents per million miles traveled, simple raw # of fatalities, and also fatalities proportional to population. There's no reason at all herpers can't do the same thing.
cheers,
Jimi
Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
I was bitten by a black-striped snake, Coniophanes imperialis, in Guatemala. Resulted in lacerations to the skin and at least a milliliter of blood loss.
Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
Gee, if we're going to go that far... I was bitten by a young Xenodon rabdocephalus in Guatemala (interacted with plenty of specimens of Coniophanes spp. there, too, but none of them made much of an effort to bite me). I suffered only modest localized effects that lasted no more than several hours. The effects of my wife learning of my getting bitten by casually handling a "venomous" snake, however, persist to the present day.jonathan wrote:I was bitten by a black-striped snake, Coniophanes imperialis, in Guatemala. Resulted in lacerations to the skin and at least a milliliter of blood loss.
I've never had much concern about the rear-fanged species, but then I've never dealt with the species known to be dangerous to humans.
Gerry
Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
In 79 I was clamped on by Boiga cyanea in the webbing of my middle digits. I remember having some mild swelling and being fairly nauseated all night. The next day I felt fine, though the swelling was still visible. Shame on my wreckless teen years!
Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
gbin wrote:Gee, if we're going to go that far... I was bitten by a young Xenodon rabdocephalus in Guatemala (interacted with plenty of specimens of Coniophanes spp. there, too, but none of them made much of an effort to bite me). I suffered only modest localized effects that lasted no more than several hours. The effects of my wife learning of my getting bitten by casually handling a "venomous" snake, however, persist to the present day.jonathan wrote:I was bitten by a black-striped snake, Coniophanes imperialis, in Guatemala. Resulted in lacerations to the skin and at least a milliliter of blood loss.
I was throwing it in as a joke, but yeah, my wife was actually there when it happened, which led to the following exchange:
Her: (watching me bleed strongly after some quite vicious gnawing) Oh, is it venomous?
Me: Um, yeah, but not much.
Her: What do you mean not much!?! What are the effects?
Me: Um, not sure. (proceed to explain everything I could think of that could potentially happen, since all I knew was that it was rear-fanged)
So, yeah, I had some aftereffects I had to deal with for quite a while, but not physical. I think the main reason I didn't pick up that Assam Mountain Snake the other day was because she absolutely did not want me handling an unidentified snake, no matter how "sure" I was about its lack of venom.
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Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
I've never had much concern about the rear-fanged species, but then I've never dealt with the species known to be dangerous to humans.
Gerry[/quote]
Funny, but I think that is just about exactly what Karl P. Schmidt said just before he got nailed by a boomslang.
And then died.
Gerry[/quote]
Funny, but I think that is just about exactly what Karl P. Schmidt said just before he got nailed by a boomslang.
And then died.
Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
I figured that was the case, Jonathan, and appreciated it as an opportunity to introduce my own (hopefully) humorous anecdote. My conversation with my wife went similarly. I don't know about you, but I feel pretty sure that if I were to bring up the incident to my wife now, many years after it occurred, she would get angry at me about it all over again.jonathan wrote:I was throwing it in as a joke...
Ouch! Ok, Carl, you got me! I guess when I mentioned earlier my no longer being young and foolish, what I really meant is that these days I am less young and foolish. (Well, I'm really not very young at all.) I reckon I should use more care with rear-fanged snakes henceforth; it'll certainly please my wife even if it does no other good.Carl D. May wrote:Funny, but I think that is just about exactly what Karl P. Schmidt said just before he got nailed by a boomslang.
And then died.
Gerry
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Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
I know. But you set it up so well that I couldn't resist!gbin wrote:jonathan wrote:I was throwing it in as a joke...Ouch! Ok, Carl, you got me! I guess when I mentioned earlier my no longer being young and foolish, what I really meant is that these days I am less young and foolish. (Well, I'm really not very young at all.) I reckon I should use more care with rear-fanged snakes henceforth; it'll certainly please my wife even if it does no other good.Carl D. May wrote:Funny, but I think that is just about exactly what Karl P. Schmidt said just before he got nailed by a boomslang.
And then died.
Gerry
Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
I did, didn't I? And now after a night's further reflection I'm forced to concede that it's possible my wife's persisting anger about that Xenodon incident stems at least as much from the fact that my attitude toward rear-fanged snakes didn't change as from the incident itself (though in my defense she's never expressed it that clearly - and I can be kind of dense when it comes to figuring out the unexpressed). Ah, well, in learning as in so many other things in life, "better late than never!"
Play safe, everybody!
Gerry
Play safe, everybody!
Gerry
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Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
while on the X-country trip my son and I took, we cruised a small midland watersnake, which puffed up and flattened his head out and was striking like crazy...I was PRETTY sure it was a water snake, but my son was afraid it was a moccasin or some else venomous... and every time I'd go to pick it up... he'd yell "DON'T TOUCH IT!!"
After picking it up and convincing him it was non-venomous, I spent the remainder of our trip yelling "DON'T TOUCH THAT" at him... every time he went to pick anything up... his phone, a soda, ect... good times... jim
Oh yeah... I got tagged by my Mangrove several times, back in the 70's... don't recall any symptoms... but generally too inebriated and/or high back then, to have paid attention to anything less painful than my daily regimen of debreeding, saltwater whirlpool, and redressing my first crote bite... Painkillers/booze/pot= Blissfully oblivious.
After picking it up and convincing him it was non-venomous, I spent the remainder of our trip yelling "DON'T TOUCH THAT" at him... every time he went to pick anything up... his phone, a soda, ect... good times... jim
Oh yeah... I got tagged by my Mangrove several times, back in the 70's... don't recall any symptoms... but generally too inebriated and/or high back then, to have paid attention to anything less painful than my daily regimen of debreeding, saltwater whirlpool, and redressing my first crote bite... Painkillers/booze/pot= Blissfully oblivious.
Re: Who else here has been bitten by a Venomous Snake?
June 6, 1986. Ajusco, DF, Mexico.
I got careless with this little snake -
Sorry about the lousy photo, but this was before I had an autofocus camera and about 10 seconds before this shot it had just tagged me on my focusing finger!
I got careless with this little snake -
Sorry about the lousy photo, but this was before I had an autofocus camera and about 10 seconds before this shot it had just tagged me on my focusing finger!