Let me know what you find out... I distinctly remember years ago getting stuck by a copperhead fang while scrubbing a cage out. I had dumped the bedding, removed everything from the cage, and proceeded to scrub everything down. I felt a prick and looked and had a copperhead fang shoved about half of its length into the palm of my hand about medial to the base of my thumb and the medial portion of my wrist. I plucked the fang out and went back to cleaning and thought nothing of it as I figured:
1) amount of venom present on the fang would be minimal
2) it is probably a fang that passed through the digestive system and is now void of any active venom proteins and
3) there wasn't much I could do about it at that point other than just watch it.

I didn't get the nasty metallic taste in my mouth that we all know is a sign that tomorrow is NOT going to be a good day... Nothing ever developed (and yes I do realize this is just one isolated case that I'm giving an example of).

I think Jim Harrison hit the nail on the head when he said that a major reaction is more likely the result of allergies and not that of envenomation proper.

Could the shed fang that hadn't passed through the digestive system still have some venom on it and cause some swelling etc??? Possibly, but as I've said on this forum before... Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and taking this as a first hand account from a less than reliable source at best, I'd have to see something more.

Still scrubbing cages barehanded and practicing shed-fang acupuncture,

Bobby Neal

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