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Boomslang???
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by Puma3 on September 15, 2007
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Is the Boomslang the largest rear-fanged snake? Are there subspecies of the snake? How do they compare in agility with Mambas?
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RE: Boomslang???
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by Chris_Harper on September 15, 2007
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Since you want to split hairs, I think you are safest saying that Disphilodus typus is the longest rear-fanged colubrid of medical concern, reaching only around 6 feet. Secondly, there are no subspecies. And lastly, while quite agile and speedy, they do not seem to have graceful agility of Dendroaspis polylepis, which seem to pour through tree limbs like mercury through a maze.
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RE: Boomslang???
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by GREGLONGHURST on September 16, 2007
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The false water cobra (Hydrodynastes) gets considerably longer and heavier than Dispholidus, but has not as yet proven to be anywhere near as dangerous.
~~Greg~~
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RE: Boomslang???
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by Peter84Jenkins on September 16, 2007
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Boiga irregularis (brown tree snake) can reach 10ft in length. I can’t remember if it was a TV documentary or a book called “The Biology and Evolution of Australian snakes” that talked about the venom of irregularis being medically significant. I will check my books at home and back up my statements.
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RE: Boomslang???
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by Chris_Harper on September 16, 2007
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And after Bryan Fry published his data on the presence of toxins in many different colubrids, it's hard to come up with an exact answer. I suppose that the colubrid that I would most not want to bitten by though, is the Boomslang - hence the component of my answer "of medical concern".
CH
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RE: Boomslang???
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by Chance on September 17, 2007
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Hmm, I don't know Chris, I think Thelotornis is a bit more worrisome than Dispholidus simply because there aren't enough annual Thelotornis envenomations to warrant an A/V being produced. At the very least, Dispholidus venom is generally slow acting (you know, while it's dissolving your innards), but one usually lives for a good 24-48 hrs before crashing and dying. I'm betting you'd have enough time to locate the monovalent A/V somewhere and get it flown in and administered before - hopefully - irreversible damage occurred. With Thelotornis though, if it gets in a good envenomation, as the old saying goes: you may as well tuck your head between your legs and kiss your arse goodbye. Just my opinion anyway....
-Chance
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