>>I was thinking the same things about the "hundreds of deaths"...

This I can't comment on, I don't know.

>>...and "angled fangs,"...

See my reply below.

>>...also that kings are somewhat less "hypodermic" than other snakes...

Fangs and skull are virtually identical to the coral snake discussed here. Thuroughly "hypodermic" in spite of much myth and misunderstanding.

www.madprogrammer.com/snakes/CoralSnake

>>...thus their "chewed" biting action.

A common adaptation among snake eaters that may have to try several times to get a fang in between scales.

>>But 2 ounces of venom in a bite is certainly a vivid image, about a half-full styrofoam coffee cup.

This is actually the part I wonder about. I keep hearing this number thrown around in non-scientific contexts. I've never seen hard data, but I've assisted in milking about a 12 foot king and while the amount of venom made my jaw drop, I'm sure it was still a fraction of an ounce. I wonder if, perhaps, this started with a factual source as "2 cc's".

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