Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've always wondered when people talk about the venom in snakes,some are labled under "fatal" and "life threatening", and some are "not fatal to humans", etc.My question is,are snakes that are NOT "deadly" and "fatal" to humans only that when when the bite is treated or is it when bitten and not treated they are still not fatal?Cuz couldn't any venomous species be fatal to humans if not treated,or are there hots that can not be deadly to the untreated bite?Because of course the protocal is always get to a hospital,but I am just confused on the fact that some are non fatal to humans and some are,and whether or not this is based on treatment or not.Because like I said,even the mildly venomous can kill if not treated I was told and taught.Sorry kind of a weird thing to bring up,just tryin to get some clarity on it..

Mike
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"Never insult an Alligator until you have crossed the river"-oriental proverb

Certainly there is the danger of unexpected death, but many venomous snakes are not generally capable of delivering a fatal bite to a healthy adult. There are unpleasant exceptions--talk of copperhead deaths in the past few months. The big concern even for "mildly" venomous snakes is often to make sure that tissue damage is minimized. A copperhead that cannot usually kill a healthy adult certainly can cause that healthy adult to lose some tissue, mobility, even a finger.

There are also additional factors that come into play. A person that is bitten could have an allergic reaction. The person's overall health also comes into play. Someone like myself that has a chronic illness could also have more complications than someone who's heath is good.
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Bryan, Atlanta GA

1-0-0 Rescued Ball Python - Apep
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It's best to treat all venomous snakes as having a potentially fatal bite. Just because a snake has never had a recorded fatal bite, naja pallida for instance, doesn't mean it isn't capable or should be treated with less respect....not saying you would do that. There are many snakes that are capable, but haven't, and some that have, but one wouldn't think capable. That's why they should be treated with respect, you never know how one can react to that particular snake's venom. I've heard of many people talk about how eyelash's are good beginner because of their "mild" venom. Apparently these people have never seen a bite, or talked with someone who has been bitten. If one bites you during a feeding response and unloads, you're gonna have a really bad day, and be minus a digit or two the next week, or worse. That's why it's key to have respect and a good protocol. I'd say keep your own stock of AV, but I'd be a hypocrite as I have access, but don't have my own supply....but that's pretty much just like the majority. Being mentored, having a healthy respect for the snakes, not taking on more than you can chew, and being careful, are pretty much the key's to keeping snakes.
You don't get an unwarranted bite by following certain procedure's, and then you really don't need to worry about the venom capabilities. I do ask about certain snakes' venom, if it is something I'm not familiar with, it's not bad to ask question's and know what certain symptoms are in case of a bite.
Now that I went on a tangent (sorry), yes, some are not as deadly as others, some are deadly even with AV. Some you can get bitten by and not go to the hospital, some you can get bitten by and not have a chance to make it to the hospital. So, it is not a weird or dumb question.