it's rare to get a bite that has enough venom to cause a reaction from a rear fanged snake, even rarer to get a reaction that warrants a visit to the ER. You have to keep in mind that the purpose of a rear-fanged snakes venom is to subdue prey its not primarily defensive, and unless you allow the snake to chew, you are not in much danger. I wouldn't let this incident deter you. Not that you shouldn't be careful, but the reason that most of here keep rear-fanged snakes, is that mistakes in handling are more forgivable. I would say that you might think twice about keeping a rattle snake or a cobra, but with rear-fanged snakes, you should still feel confident.

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• I got tagged... - nogard, Mon Jul 12 23:55:09 2004
• RE: I got tagged... - WW, Tue Jul 13 04:17:39 2004
• RE: I got tagged... - rick gordon, Tue Jul 13 12:42:12 2004
• Agreed - rearfang, Tue Jul 13 17:18:20 2004
• Thanks - nogard, Sat Jul 17 02:11:15 2004