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In the interview coming out in the September 30 issue of New Scientist about my research, they made a major editing error. After I had seen and approved the piece they made changes that resulting in a huge mistake.

The quote from me:
"The good news, though, is that while 'colubrids' like garter snakes, American racers, and radiated rat snakes may have similar venom as their more deadly cousins, even if you stuck your hand into those snake's throat, you would not get a deadly bite"

Was changed to general text (outside of quotations thankfully at least) to:
Garter snakes, American racers and radiated rat snakes drip venom from their back teeth, so unless you plan on sticking your hand down a snake’s throat you would be unlucky to get a deadly bite.

There is of course a radical difference between the two statements.

I of course immediately contacted the editor when the sent me an advance copy. It is too late to change it in the issue. However, for whatever its worth, they will be printing the following correction in the next issue:
Due to an editing error, our article about snake venom gave the impression that it is possible to receive a deadly bite from garter snakes, American racers and radiated rat snakes, all of which are kept as pets. This is not true. Even if you stuck your hand into those snakes' throats, you would not get a deadly bite

::sigh:: Media. What can you do?

Cheers
Bryan
-----
Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Australian Venom Research Unit,
University of Melbourne
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Population and Evolutionary Genetics Unit,
Museum Victoria
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.venomdoc.com

Bryan, I am looking forward to reading the issue and thanks for the clarification (but hey, I would have read between the lines and understood what you were trying to say so I don't think there will be too much confusion despite the editing error). I've got a few question for you that I will ask off line. Keep up the good work! Any recent interesting photos from the field?

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
City of Lake Forest, Illinois

>>In the interview coming out in the September 30 issue of New Scientist about my research, they made a major editing error. After I had seen and approved the piece they made changes that resulting in a huge mistake.
>>
>>The quote from me:
>>"The good news, though, is that while 'colubrids' like garter snakes, American racers, and radiated rat snakes may have similar venom as their more deadly cousins, even if you stuck your hand into those snake's throat, you would not get a deadly bite"
>>
>>Was changed to general text (outside of quotations thankfully at least) to:
>>Garter snakes, American racers and radiated rat snakes drip venom from their back teeth, so unless you plan on sticking your hand down a snake’s throat you would be unlucky to get a deadly bite.
>>
>>There is of course a radical difference between the two statements.
>>
>>I of course immediately contacted the editor when the sent me an advance copy. It is too late to change it in the issue. However, for whatever its worth, they will be printing the following correction in the next issue:
>>Due to an editing error, our article about snake venom gave the impression that it is possible to receive a deadly bite from garter snakes, American racers and radiated rat snakes, all of which are kept as pets. This is not true. Even if you stuck your hand into those snakes' throats, you would not get a deadly bite
>>
>>::sigh:: Media. What can you do?
>>
>>Cheers
>>Bryan
>>-----
>>Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry
>>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>Australian Venom Research Unit,
>>University of Melbourne
>>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>Population and Evolutionary Genetics Unit,
>>Museum Victoria
>>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>http://www.venomdoc.com
-----
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

Cheers for that mate.

Indeed, switched on people would be able to figure out what I had really said.

However, I went to great pains to make it crystal clear that the vast majority of these animals were completely harmless despite being technically venomous. This was deliberate so as not to provide ammunition for anti-herp legislation. To have some twit editorial assistant screw that up at the last instant makes me want to grow my hair back just so that I could immediately pull it out!

Au revoir
B
-----
Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Australian Venom Research Unit,
University of Melbourne
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Population and Evolutionary Genetics Unit,
Museum Victoria
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.venomdoc.com

Dr. Fry told us he would like to grow some back-hair and pull the editor's head off. -Creative Editing Magazine