Everyone's covered pythons and colubrids fairly well- I agree with their assessments, other than to say I keep a small spray bottle of rubbing alcohol near my larger snakes and monitors cages- a small squirt will make just about any of them release if they bite and hold. (No promises regarding turtles, never tried it) I've found bullsnakes to have a fairly painful bite for a nonvenomous species, if they get you just right..or...wrong.

I've been bit twice by western diamondbacks, both times while involved in milking. It was a surprise, actually- the first time I wasn't sure I had been bitten for about 30 minutes, then the pain came...and once the swelling began, the fang entry hole became visible. (He only got me with one) Before the swelling, the entry hole was very hard to see.

Once the venom began to act on my tissues, it hurt badly- and the area around the bite turned black. (I was given antivenin within 1/2 hour or less of the bite- before I was even positive I had BEEN bitten) Felt a bit like someone had filled my hand with lighter fluid and then lit it. Unpleasant.

The second time I knew I had been gotten- in the shin- but this was essentially a dry bite, partly because he hit the shin bone where there is little fat or muscle to inject. They elected not to give me antivenin, and I had little or no reaction...however, about 30 hours later I developed a really bad infection from bacteria, and was hospitalized for 9 days- much worse than the time I was envenomated.

The worst part of either experience? The cost. Few people realize it, but getting snakebit (by a venomous species)is incredibly expensive- the first cost me about $20,000, and I didn't even stay overnight...the second I have no idea- you get so many bills from different departments- but it was well over 20K. These bites occurred in 1986 and 1988, respectively. I doubt antivenin has come down in price...

Still, it beats death or losing a limb, right?



Jamie

Schertz, Tx

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