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Snakebites and YOU
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by Buzztail1 on August 30, 2005
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Here lately (over the past year) I have noticed a lot of people quoting statistics that "there has never been a death attributed to a pigmy rattlesnake (or a copperhead)."
Well, whether or not there have been any deaths caused by these two snakes (I have no desire to search through newspaper archives for the point of this post), there is a lot of space between death and sitting comfortably in your computer desk chair and talking about a snakebite.
Just a few of the things between death and comfort are:
PAIN ! ! !
swelling
disfigurement
necrosis
skin grafts
fasciotomy
hair loss
loss of digit or limb
loss of work/play time
various (and sometimes long term) sensitivities
and did I mention?
PAIN ! ! !
Just as a graphic example:
http://www.venomousreptiles.org/libraries/download/3563/Bailey's%20thumb5%20June%205%202004.JPG
This photo is from our snakebite photo album.
It is of a little girl who was bitten by a Copperhead.
You are absolutely right in that she probably won't die.
Aren't you glad that you didn't have to sit and see (or feel) the pain she must have felt for her finger to get to that state?
I hope she got to keep the finger!
And that it still works!
A friend of mine was bitten by a Rhinocerous Viper several years ago.
He is still taking pain medication in relation to his body's reaction to the venom!
YEARS LATER!!!!
Get it?
It is NOT just about whether a snakebite will kill you.
There are worse things than death.
Karl H. Betz
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RE: Snakebites and YOU
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by Rabies on August 30, 2005
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Well pointed out. Death from snake bite is a rare event( where medical treatment is available) but morbidity is not.
John
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RE: Snakebites and YOU
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by GREGLONGHURST on August 31, 2005
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Excellent point, Karl. I do have one book that pretty much documents a couple of fatalities from southern copperheads. They were over forty years ago. I can dig it out & give you details if you'd like.
~~Greg~~
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RE: Snakebites and YOU
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by bush_viper17 on August 31, 2005
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Another thing is that noone knows if they are allergic to the venom of a snake or not. You may have a medical condition you dont even know about. After you get bitten you will also not be able to proudly say that you have never been bitten before.
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RE: Snakebites and YOU
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by tj on August 31, 2005
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Excellent points, Karl. I'd also like to add that an insurance company may or may not pay for the claim if the person was bitten at their home. So, you have pain, lost work and play time, pain, possible loss of a digit or function, pain, and then a large medical bill. Things to ponder when going out to buy that mildly venomous snake.
-Tom
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RE: Snakebites and YOU
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by LarryDFishel on August 31, 2005
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While I certainly agree with your point that no venomous snake should be taken lightly, in another thread we've just seen a good example of what happens when this thinking is taken too far. Someone came in to ask advice on a first snake (wanted a white lip) and said his local dealer told him he should start with a gaboon becuase it's easier to handle and "a hot snake is a hot snake". Doh!
Yes, any venomous bite is at least potentially serious, may bankrupt you and should be avoided at all costs.
However, it seems to me that there is a world of difference between a copperhead where the bite you referred to is a worse than average example and something like a gaboon where the last two bites I heard about in the U.S. were both fatal in spite of medical attention. I think it is perfectly reasonable in that context to talk about a copperhead as being at least "much less dangerous".
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RE: Snakebites and YOU
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by Buzztail1 on August 31, 2005
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Larry,
I agree with you to a point.
My issue is not with the people who have plenty of experience and recognize the difference in the potential from various bites.
I am concerned, as obviously you are, about the newer keepers who come on here with very little experience and talk as if they KNOW about various snakes' bites not being "so bad".
If someone were just going to start out, I agree that the bite of a Copperhead, because someone made a stupid beginner's mistake, would be a whole lot less severe that that of a Gaboon Viper.
HOWEVER (the whole point of my original post), that bite from a Copperhead, although it may not kill you, is NOT going to be a "Oh I just made a little mistake, guess I won't do that again." It may alter your body and your whole life for the rest of your life.
I don't think a great many people here are aware that "a bite that probably won't kill you" still has life altering ramifications.
I guess the bottom line is that this is not a very forgiving "hobby" and there really isn't room for "beginner's mistakes" to begin with. One needs to be very sure that they know what they are doing before putting themselves in a position where their life or that of someone with them is in danger.
Karl H. Betz
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