# Snake Bites Self Video....A Word of Caution



## Ozarkgal (Aug 18, 2013)

For those of you out there that have occasion to kill poisonous snakes on your property, this is an eye opener as to their nervous system reaction.  So please be safe when handling them and keep this in mind.

 I keep telling my husband and brother to be careful of handling the snakes they kill. Sometimes they will pick them up by the tail, and I always fear it will be able to strike out just from nerve reaction. This backs up my fear and Hubby was amazed when I showed him this. I doubt he will be handling anymore snakes he presumes are dead. The snakes we kill are water moccasins (cottonmouths) and are usually swimming in the creek. I know once they are shot, they take a long time to stop writhing.


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## JustBonee (Aug 18, 2013)

Water moccasins are common in my area too.  That's quite an eye opener OG!     In the past,  my husband had occasionally taken a swift large shovel to a snake when the opportunity  presented itself.  .. not the really large ones though.  Usually the snakes take off quickly toward the water.  ..  there is a bayou system ditch running by the property. 
Also, there are large snapping turtles living in there, some over 12-14" long.   
Reminds me, I was outside late one night last week, and saw a slithering thing catch my eye in the driveway..  looked at it through the night yard light and it was the greenest green snake I've ever seen... looked to be glowing... weird. Green snakes are  grass snakes ? and non-poisonous I do believe.  Anyway, I stood there until it ran off.


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## Diwundrin (Aug 18, 2013)

I really hope that's the creepiest thing I see for a while.  



I was told as a kid never to go near dead snakes because "they don't die until sunset".   A myth of course but good advice nonetheless.


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## SifuPhil (Aug 18, 2013)

Wow - talk about getting a little head ...

I ran into my fair share of copperheads when I used to free-climb back in NY, but luckily I was never bit. Now water mocs I have a VERY healthy fear of. 

Snakes also figure large in my choice of religious pursuits ...







Like father, like son I guess ...


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## Jillaroo (Aug 18, 2013)

_I saw that on a TV show on saturday night , a young girl was bitten on the hand by a brown snake that was laying on the table waiting to have an autopsy done on it, apparently it is a common occurence_


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## terra (Aug 19, 2013)

Copperheads are prevalent in our area..... I've shredded a few whilst driving the ride-on lawn mower.

I remember reading in the national geographic magazine a few years back.  In Venezuela, the farm workers have a secret weapon against snake bite because they are often many miles away from medical help.
If bitten by a snake, they simply grab hold of an electric fence a few times.... yep, 6000 volts will sure kickstart you.

Seriously, the article in NG states that the sudden and extreme electric shock neutralises the snake venom.


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## rkunsaw (Aug 19, 2013)

I wish all venomous snakes would bite themselves. The outdoors would be much more enjoyable without them.


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## Ozarkgal (Aug 19, 2013)

terra said:


> Copperheads are prevalent in our area..... I've shredded a few whilst driving the ride-on lawn mower.
> 
> I remember reading in the national geographic magazine a few years back.  In Venezuela, the farm workers have a secret weapon against snake bite because they are often many miles away from medical help.
> If bitten by a snake, they simply grab hold of an electric fence a few times.... yep, 6000 volts will sure kickstart you.
> ...



That's very interesting.  I would like to hear from someone who's actually done that.  Don't know if I would pass out from the bite or the shock first.  Sometimes the cure is worst than the malady.


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## Diwundrin (Aug 19, 2013)

Haven't heard of that one Tezza.  You'd need to have one really handy if you had a Taipan attached though.


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## terra (Aug 20, 2013)

I'll see if I can dig up the article Diwundrin.... I make contact with electric fences on a regular basis with my farm work.  It's not a big deal but geez, it sure does make your hair stand on end.  (if I had any).


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## terra (Aug 20, 2013)

The most striking results have been obtained by researchers at Hospital Vozandes in Ecuador where electrical treatment of snakebite is a government-endorsed program. In one study, 299 snakebite patients were treated with various approaches; conventional therapy resulted in >20% morbidity and 5% mortality. *In the same population, treatment by electrical shock had 1% morbidity and no mortality, a substantial improvement over conventional treatment results*.
A more comprehensive study of 322 patients treated with electroshock first aid showed very encouraging results. The group who were treated promptly recovered with *substantially better mortality and morbidity than would be expected without electroshock first aid.


source:  *http://venomshock.wikidot.com/


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## Diwundrin (Aug 20, 2013)

Interesting read Tezza, but the bottom line is that the figures are for S.American viper types, mortality rate around 7%  untreated.  





> members of this genus are responsible for more fatalities in the Americas than any other group of venomous snakes. In this regard, the most important species are _B. asper_, _B. atrox_ and _B. jararaca_. Without treatment, the fatality rate is estimated to be about 7%, but with treatment this is reduced to 0.5-3%.[SUP][2][/SUP]



I'd say most of ours, Browns, Tigers etc would have a much higher rate than that and the Taipan would be closer to 100% untreated.  

But even the E. Browns wouldn't give you much time to rig up a battery.



> The venom that the Brown Snake carries is said to be the second (2nd)  most toxic venom of all land snakes world wide, the first being the  Australian Inland Tiapan. The brown snake is considered *Dangerous to man. *Bites from this species of snake have caused *death within minutes*,  rather than hours or days, with even a juvenile (new born) potentially  delivering enough venom in a single bite - to kill 20 adults. *Today, brown snakes are responsible for most of the fatalities from snakebite - per year. *Even  a slight scratch which has broken the top layer of skin can be the  cause of a fatality - it doesn't have to be a full on bite to cause  envenomation.




Time is a factor and you simply wouldn't have the time to muck about rigging up gear when it could take you out in under 10 minutes if you keep moving about.  Maybe that's why we've (I've) never heard of shock as snake bite treatment??  Immobilization is the best thing to delay it taking effect, not doing a dash to find an electric fence.

Still, the stun gun might be an option. If they were even legal here.


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## Ozarkgal (Aug 20, 2013)

Diwundrin..how many species of venomous snakes do you have there...in Arkansas, we have 7 different varieties..not all located in the same region, thank goodness! The most prevalent here are copperheads, water moccasins and rattlers.


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## Warrigal (Aug 20, 2013)

Not sure of the full number but this site lists the 10 most venomous Australian snakes, with a photo gallery.

http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/view-image.htm?gid=11893

Snakes are protected in Australia.


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## Diwundrin (Aug 20, 2013)

I've been trying to find a straight out list OG but they all seem to have different rating systems. 


> Australia has some 140 species of land snake, and around 32 species of  sea snakes have been recorded in Australian waters. Some 100 Australian  snakes are venomous, although only 12 are likely to inflict a wound that  could kill you.


 They vary greatly from being dangerous to mice level,  to ones that can inflict enough venom in a single bite to kill 26 people. Unfortunately that's the type around here.  The Eastern Brown snake is the most dangerous as it inhabits urbanised areas and is a lethal damned thing but it kills more dogs than people.


There aren't all that many dangerous ones that we're ever likely to see never mind get bitten by, as one site points out, they are smarter than us and avoid us.  Those who get bitten usually are just not paying attention and step on them, or corner them inadvertently, or are trying to be heroes.

The inland Taipan is the deadliest but very rarely seen and it's habitat is out in the unpopulated desert regions.
The coastal Taipan is not one to meet either, in tropical N.Qld
The Eastern Brown is widespread along the East coast and hinterland
Tiger snakes are around here too, they like the coastal dunes and can be heard slithering off more often than seen.  Fine by me.
Red Bellied black snakes are about too but they're very timid and usually survivable anyway
Death Adders, don't think there's too many of them and not sure what range they cover

There's others but many seem to be variations of similar species so  putting a name and number on them is a bit hard from memory.

We have, arguably, around 9 of the top 11 venomous species but that's misleading because more people die in other countries from less venomous bites than here because of the population differences   the habitats and availability of treatment.  The danger of them is relative.
The most venomous snake in the world is rarely encountered at all.  It's a sea snake found around the tropical seas up north.

We do take snakes a bit more seriously than they merit really.  We like to tease the tourists about 'em I think.
More likely to get zonked by a stray golf ball than die of snake bite statistically.

Here's a couple of sites to confuse yourselves with.... they did me.



This one puts the whole thing into perspective.
http://www.outback-australia-travel-secrets.com/australian_venomous_snakes.html

These are bit suss, one even has a wrong snake pictured.

http://www.snakeaway.com.au/site.cfm?/snakeaway/2/


http://www.gondwananet.com/australian-animals-reptiles-snakes.html


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