So This Is Why You Don't Want to Be Bitten By a Snake

[Yeagermeister]

I have heard a few experts make the recommendation that if a water moccasin gets in your boat the best thing for you to do is get out of the boat immediately.

I'd be a walking on water SOB :laugh1:

 

[vta]

I have heard a few experts make the recommendation that if a water moccasin gets in your boat the best thing for you to do is get out of the boat immediately.

As opposed to staying put and being attacked. That's some real collegiate thinkin' there. :laugh1:

I'd love to hear the experts advice on looming tornadoes...

 

[Faerluna]

Lol
We have black snakes around here that can be huge. They are aggressive if messed with too.

My nephew was mowing our lawn and he said one reared up at him when he was nearing the edge of the lawn. He high-tailed it in the house to tell me and was definitely cautious after that when he finished the lawn. Hah!

 

[trickblue]

I've heard Cottonmouths were super aggressive. Never seen one. Coral snakes have small fangs too And have to chew to get the venmon, as well as, not being that aggressive.

Because they aren't constrictors? Not sure just a guess, but they wouldn't be able to eat or protect themselves otherwise.

Just hope you never do... They have a stumpy body and the tail is unusually small. They also smell like rotting flesh so I have avoided them in that way before. When they open up there mouth it is as white as cotton, thus the "Cottonmouth" moniker...

 

[ethiostar]

As opposed to staying put and being attacked. That's some real collegiate thinkin' there. :laugh1:

I'd love to hear the experts advice on looming tornadoes...

You can try asking very politely for the snake to kindly leave the boat, unless of course its carrying a cooler full of beer.

 

[jobberone]

I have unfortunately had to treat several snake bites of which two were fatal. The two fatal bites were because of handling the snake. One was drunk and bitten repeatedly when he attempted to handle the snake and was too drunk to stop after the first bite. The second was because he picked it up behind the head in less than secure fashion and it bite him on the hand then he delayed treatment.

The lesson here is don't handle venomous snakes esp when drunk. At least 50% of bites are dry and in my experience the overwhelming majority are but that's only 15-20 bites or so.

Most were copperhead when soldiers were training at night and getting up and down off the ground repeatedly often in a hurry. Everyone of these were dry bites. No bites from moccasins that I knew about. The rest were rattlesnakes only a few from stepping on or near them accidentally except the two above. Some required surgery on top of immediate treatment.

Almost all coral snake bites of significance are from handling sometimes by children. It can strike swiftly but generally needs to chew for significant envenomation.

The most dangerous snake is the Western Diamondback because it is encountered and bites more than others not because it is more poisonous. The coral is the most dangerous in terms of venom toxicity but envenomation amounts are small. The Mojave and some others has very toxic venom as well. Interestingly, there is regional intraspecies (including subspecies) differences in the kinds of venom (neurotoxic/cytotoxic/yada) as well as even differences in individual snakes in the same locality. Thankfully crotalidae/N Amer pit viper antivenom works across the board except for the Coral which needs its own antivenom.

Water moccasins are not aggressive and generally need provocation to bite although at times they appear to be aggressive when they are just trying to get away. Some individual snakes can be aggressive without provocation while others are quite docile no matter the species.

Not trying to be a know it all just want you people to give them a wide enough berth, don't handle them and hopefully don't kill them on sight. They are all part of a local ecosystem each doing its own part whether venomous or not. You can generally pick them up with a shovel or even rake if careful and transport them out of your domain if necessary. They will gratefully flee if given the chance.

 

[vta]

You can try asking very politely for the snake to kindly leave the boat, unless of course its carrying a cooler full of beer.

 

[jobberone]

:laugh1: Priceless. One son was bitten on the cheek (of the face you perverts) by our red tailed boa when he tried to extricate him from behind the TV where he was warm and happy.

 

[Kingsmith88]

Coral snakes are from the cobra family from what I understand. Copperheads, rattlesnakes and cottonmouths are all pit vipers.

Correct

 

[Wimbo]

Did anyone else look under their desks after reading this thread?

 

[Longboysfan]

We have Black Rat snakes here. One was going across our driveway as I was coming home one day and it scared the crap out of me. I'd never seen any snakes around here prior to that.

Yuck!

I only see them at work.

 

[Phrozen Phil]

The closest venomous snake to me is about 150 miles south. If they lived here, they'd require fur coats in the winter time, in which case they'd be weasels.

 

[Tabascocat]

When I was about 18, we used to water ski everyday near clear lake in the Houston area. A place I used to frequent a lot is known for water moccasins. Well, one day a skier wiped out near the edge of the creek right into a moccasin snake pit with youngins. Must have been 15 total and he died within a few hours. Needless to say, I avoided that part of the channel. Looking back I was stupid, we skied knowing snakes and alligators were in those waters and today, I don't think I could even get in those waters.

 

[Yeagermeister]

The closest venomous snake to me is about 150 miles south. If they lived here, they'd require fur coats in the winter time, in which case they'd be weasels.

Did you go visit and introduce yourself? :

 

[ethiostar]

:laugh1:

Lesson: Never take a beer from a snake without permission.

 

[HeavyBarrel]

When I was about 18, we used to water ski everyday near clear lake in the Houston area. A place I used to frequent a lot is known for water moccasins. Well, one day a skier wiped out near the edge of the creek right into a moccasin snake pit with youngins. Must have been 15 total and he died within a few hours. Needless to say, I avoided that part of the channel. Looking back I was stupid, we skied knowing snakes and alligators were in those waters and today, I don't think I could even get in those waters.

I'm not saying It dint happen but I've heard this story before......
http://www.snopes.com/critters/snakes/waterski.asp

 

[Tabascocat]

I'm not saying It dint happen but I've heard this story before......
http://www.snopes.com/critters/snakes/waterski.asp

Interesting find but this indeed happen. This kid was from the other side of the lake (clear lake high school) and we were from the south side (clear creek HS). We all kind of knew each other but at the same time, didn't if ya know what I mean.

As a matter of fact, when that happened, my dad took away my boat until I could show him I would not ski in that area anymore. It was a place called "barefoot alley", an alligator and snake haven. It was a channel off Taylor lake, which itself was a part of Clear Lake. Real eerie back there and the channel was only about 20ft wide so when skiing, you had to run the course from end to end because the boat could not do turns in the middle of it.

 

[Big D]

Holy %$#^%#$!

 

[Bigdog]

I hate snakes. They scare me to death and this is from my childhood experince swimming at a lake near my grandmother house. I had two run ins with a copperheads and a water moccasin. The water moccasin was super aggressive.

Just FYI, Hopefully no one will experience this but you will die quicker from python, anaconda, or boa constrictor than you would from a bite from a cobra.

 

[Yeagermeister]

:laugh1:

Lesson: Never take a beer from a snake without permission.

:laugh2: