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RE: North Carolina Researchs Coral Snake Snakebite
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by Cro on March 8, 2005
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Shane: The idea that Coral snakes are rear fanged was published in the 1890's by a respected museum herpetologist, ( E.D. Cope ? ) I can't remember for shure, and repeated again and again by other writers. Some herpetologists in the 1930's like Raymond L.Ditmars had it right, but others just kept repeating the error in their publications. The error appeared in countless scout handbooks, nature guides, and other books, and became generally accepted as being true, even by folks who were otherwise knoledgeable about snakes. It is amazing that folks like Miss Hutson keep the error going with her statement "Unlike vipers, coral snakes lack fangs. They bite and hold their victims, injecting venom through their teeth". One has to wonder what she was actually told by Dr. Meggs? Perhaps she did some independent research on coral snakes? Part of the confusion could also come from the fangs being deeply grooved, and not always fully closed to form a channel, which has lead some researchers to call them maxillary teeth and not true fangs. Also, the habit of coral snakes to bite and hold and "chew" leads folks to think they are "chewing in the venom", and keeps the myth of rear fanged going.Once something is published incorrectly it tends to get repeated again and again. A good example of this is in the excellent book "Coral Snakes of the Americas" by Roze. They cite my article on breeding M. fulvious, and have my name right in the text, but in the bibliography it was misspelled as Zeger! Now that has been repeated in at least two other publications by folks who never read my article, but just copied Roze's bibliography! John Zegel
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RE: North Carolina Researchs Coral Snake Snakebite
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by Snakeman1982 on March 9, 2005
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The fangs of elapids are called proteroglyphous fangs which are front fixed fangs. Rear-fangs = Opistoglyphous, front hinged-fangs (vipers) = solenoglyphous, and aglyphous dentation for no fangs. Incase anyone was curious.
Also, I didn't think that coral snakes had many dry bites. I'll have to look into that later. Of course, it could be because I am writing this at 4:30 am.
Robert
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RE: North Carolina Researchs Coral Snake Snakebite
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by timberrattlesnake89 on March 10, 2005
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Eastern Hognose snakes are pretty much still not venomous. Also they are not dangerous to humans so they do not consider them dangerous. I have had plenty of people tell me that they are not venomous. They have rear-fanges because what food they eat. They eat toads and frogs which will puff up if attacked from a hognose. The hognose then will use it modified teeth to pop the frog.
Phillip
Live and Let Live
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