what if scenario about snakes

[Serentiy]

HEllo everyone. I was just wondering after our 2 mile hike and seeing a few snakes, one on the trail that I almost stepped on What if it bit me and I did not know what kind it was? this one was just 6 inches long.It to me looked like a baby diamond back water snake.We have a lot of them here. But what does the hospital do If you do not know which one bit you? I know each has a different kind of antovenmon to use. Do any of you take a snake hook with you out hiking and what do you do when a snake or two is in the middle of the trail?<br />Serenity

 

[JB]

Re: what if scenario about snakes

If you live in or visit snake country it is a really good idea to learn the correct names of all local poisonous snakes and how to identify them. Also, never put your foot in a place you haven't looked at first.<br /><br />That "baby diamondback watersnake" was possibly a juvenile copperhead, but more likely a harmless snake. There is no such critter as an officially named diamondback watersnake and if it bit you the ER guys wouldn't have a clue what antivenin to use.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: what if scenario about snakes

Originally posted by Serenity:<br />what do you do when a snake or two is in the middle of the trail?<br />Serenity

I always shot them. I know snakes do a lot of good, but they are paid for if I walk upon one in my path, sorry.

 

[fixin]

Re: what if scenario about snakes

Your poisonous snakes(pit vipers) have eyeballs like a cat,non-poisonous snakes have round eyeballs.

 

[neumanns]

Re: what if scenario about snakes

Snakes give me the willies....Even the ones that are not dangerous. Never met one I liked, not even garter snakes.

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: what if scenario about snakes

Serenity. If it had a rattle then the antivenin is the same regardless of what kind of rattlesnake it was. It's called CroFab and it's a sheep derived serum. It's not at all important to know what kind of rattler it was. All rattlesnakes, with the exception of one, are hematoxic and the treatment for all of them is the same. The one neurotoxic rattler is the Mohave Rattlesnake "crotalus scutulatus" and is found only in Arizona and California and parts of Nevada. The Mohave is the most venomous by 20 times of all the rattlesnakes. CroFab is still the antivenin of choice, but a much larger dose is usually needed. <br /><br />If the snake you saw was a rattlesnake, it was most likely a Western Diamondbacked rattlesnake. "c. atrox", the baby snakes are quite a bit more dangerous than the adults because they have not yet learned how to control their venom release. <br /><br />Just remember, the snake is more afraid of you than you are of it! <br /><br />

 

[gaugeguy]

Re: what if scenario about snakes

I'm with SBN on this one, I'm not a big fan of the serpent. If it crosses my path it's getting whomped to death. Never been bit, but if I ever was, I'd have a carcass to bring to the ER with me.

 

[Terry H]

Re: what if scenario about snakes

What's the reason for the big fear of snakes? Anybody here ever been killed by one? How about, anybody here ever been harmed by one? If this is a "Bambi Syndrome", where did it originate? Just curious. Chief

 

[rodbolt]

Re: what if scenario about snakes

hello<br /> having been bit once by a tiny water moccasin I learned its survivable. I also learned coors and snake charming are a bad combination. usually if they are not about the house I leave them be and enjoy watching them. its only when they decide that the home area is their home area that I have a conflict. I also reccomend learning how to identify snakes by sight and to learn the habits of at least the pieznous ones . deadly pieznous . usually snakes,like sharks and mountain lions and bears, just do what they do. to assume they are Vicous or killers usually gives them credit for a brain that reasons. so far they have not devoloped hand held weapons. so I dont kill them out of hand and they can be facinating to watch. spiders on the other hand are deadly killers usually making me hurt myself trying to get away . <br />so remember that the next time you see a basketball sized spider or a 27ft long copper headed water rattler, that includes the part you saw and the part you thought you saw, odds are they wont attack. the water moccosin,in certain situations will attack. best tosteerclear and know where to expect them.

 

[Serentiy]

Re: what if scenario about snakes

Thank you every one. I would like to shoot them but I live in city limits and was hiking in a city-owned property, By which I would get in trouble for shooting at them,Even tho I,m licenced to carry. I read the sign that said no weapons allowed. So I left my pistol at home I will be on the look out for them and walk slower now and just let them be. I was not going to get close enough to see if it had the pits under it eyes. I just jumped back and and watched it flip it's tail around. then it crawled away.<br />thank for the advice<br />Serenity

 

[rodbolt]

Re: what if scenario about snakes

if i am close enought to see if it has cats eyes or round eyes i am either really drunk or really to close. either way its bad

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: what if scenario about snakes

I remember reading about a survey that attempted to put a dollar figure on the subject of snakes versus their main diet - mice. The average snake eats 'X' amount of mice which in turn saves 'X' amount of crops from being destroyed yadda yadda yadda.......<br /><br />The results were staggering, each snake was worth $1500 or some thing like that.<br /><br />Aldo

 

[wilkin250r]

Re: what if scenario about snakes

$1500!!! Heck, I'll make a fortune selling at half that price!

 

[rolmops]

Re: what if scenario about snakes

I lived in snake country for 2 dozen years and learned how to respect them.The difference between a poisonous one and a harmless one is easily visible.The poisonous ones are thick up to the anus and from there the tail tapers off real fast.Non poisonous ones taper off gradually along their entire body.<br />Most of the snakes you see by day are the nonpoisonous ones.They usually are fast movers,having to chase their prey.They are also the ones that get killed a lot more than the poisonous ones because you can see them so much more often.The poisonous ones are mostly active at night and although they can strike very fast,they usually move slowly.The reason why you see them on the black tarmac in spring,is because they try to warm up.<br />The everage non poisonous snake -being immune to its poison- regards the poisonous one as his ideal food,this prey, being slow and very nicely fitting in a snake's belly.Biologists figure that the average non poisonous snake consumes about 37 poisonous ones each year.That means that for every good snake you kill you will have to deal with an extra 37 bad ones in your area.The areas where most of the daytime non poisonous snakes are killed are usually infested with the nasty kind.<br />In short,if you do not know whether it is poisonous or not,do not just instantly try to kill it because especially by day,it usually is a good one

 

[rodbolt]

Re: what if scenario about snakes

and that is why if they are not about the homestead I leave them be. basketball sized spiders are a different story .

 

[Realgun]

Re: what if scenario about snakes

My boy was telling me the best thing when encountering a rattlesnake is to throw sand at it.<br />I then asked him where was he going to get the sand he said in his pocket. I asked him how did you get sand in your pocket. He said before hiking we need sand in out pockets. <br /><br />The wife just wanted to know who threw the mud in the washer.

 

[fireman57]

Re: what if scenario about snakes

If I have to roll the snake over to see if he is thick up to his anus then I am either too curious or too stupid.

 

[KeltonKrew]

Re: what if scenario about snakes

We have a lot of snakes up at our lake house. We leave them alone. I don't have any mice problems and there are quite a few lots that need mowing. (of course the hawks help with that too). As long as they don't get near my boat, I let them swim by. The cotton mouths can be aggressive and territorial, but rarely do we see them. We mainly see the diamond back water snake. Harmless, but we keep an eye on them while we're swimming just to make sure they don't come our way <br /><br />We did have one start to come our way and I can tell you....this fat boy can walk on water

 

[gaugeguy]

Re: what if scenario about snakes

I really don't know when I became fearful of snakes, I used to catch them and keep them as pets as a kid <br /><br />My list of confirmed kills on venomous snakes includes the Habu in Okinawa, a Sand Viper in Saudi Arabia, a Mojave rattler in Ca, and an Eastern Timber rattler in NY.