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what if a snake bites itself?
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by superchuck on June 1, 2001
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My son asked me a question the other day and I don't know the answer and am hoping someone here does. The question was, "what would happen if a rattlesnake, copperhead, or a cottenmouth happend to accidentally bite itself. Would it get sick, or is it immune to its own venom?" Pretty cool thinking for a 7 year old little boy. Any body have an answer?
Thanks,
Chuck
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RE: what if a snake bites itself?
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by BGF on June 7, 2001
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For the most part, nothing. This is due to them having circulating antibodies to the venom.
Cheers,
BGF
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RE: what if a snake bites itself?
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by TIMFRIEDE on June 8, 2001
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Hello Dr Fry, can you tell me why ven snakes have the ability to produce Ig against their own toxic protein? Is this true for all ven. ophidians? Could I use their blood to counter a bite? Peace, Tim
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RE: what if a snake bites itself?
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by tj on July 31, 2001
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If a snake bites itself it will have no effect.
The venom is part of it's normal flora. Just like every human has e. coli in there colon.If you are wiping yourself with toilet paper and your aim is off, or the tp isn't that strong and you don't wash your hands before eating, there is no way you can get e. coli from it. It's almost the same way with a snake biting itself, it is immune to it's venom. Although,
if a bitis gabonica was to bite itself it would probably kill itself due to the size of its fangs.
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RE: what if a snake bites itself?
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by FSB on August 3, 2010
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Coming rather late to the party, I know, but I've become bored with Ask the Experts and happened upon these interesting little forums (or is it fora?).
It is a relief to know that we are all immune to our own crap.
Dr. Fry, does it follow that the antibodies can protect an animal against bites from other snakes of the same or similar species then? Obviously, overtly ophiophagus elapids have venom that is made for other snakes, but I've seen copperheads bite one another while feeding, and I once received a large C. horridus that had been packed in the same container with a cottonmouth. Yeah. The cottonmouth had bitten the rattlesnake, which suffered no ill effects.
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