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WEBSTER COUNTY CITIZEN (Seymour, Montana) 08 August 03 A terrible, yet true, snake story (Fred Spriggs)
We've got another Cedar Gap snake story this week. Unfortunately, it's not about the big snake of legend from a half-century ago, but it does involve a big snake, just not one large enough to stretch across the road.
This week's snake story comes to us via Seymour City Clerk Doylita McCormack.
On July 28, south of Cedar Gap, her brother, Eric Allmon, was bitten on the hand by a large copperhead.
According to Doylita, the snake bit him on the hand when he bent down to pick up a cigarette lighter he'd dropped.
In minutes, she said, his hand started swelling, and by the time he made it to Cox Medical Center South in Springfield, his arm was bloated and swollen up to his armpit. She added that antivenin isn't given any more because of the risk of a reaction that can cause the person to quickly die - so there's not much in the way of treatment they do now, except treat for pain and swelling.
The snake, measuring in at 31 inches, was one of the largest copperheads seen by our new resident snake expert, Seymour Mayor Jimmy Crisp, who even drove out to where the dead snake was on display in the back of a pickup, Doylita said.
I've heard that Jimmy has long and loudly proclaimed there are no copperheads around Seymour, so I suppose he went out to check for himself.
Doylita added that the biggest copperhead Jimmy ever killed in his home environs of Gainesville was a 38-incher.
I've heard a couple of different versions of the Allmon snakebite story. In one, after Eric was bitten, the big pit viper's fangs were stuck in his hand, and the snake had to be pulled out.
Ouch!
A terrible, yet true, snake story

The very beginning of this story says Montana. I believe its supposed to be Missouri.

Shaggybill: You're right of course .... just put it down to this canucks' lack of knowledge on the state abbreviations ... I reverse Maine and Montana all the time too. I'll try to do better in the future (Let's see ... Montana, Maine, Mississippi, Maryland ... (New) Mexico ... any other 'm' states?)
cheers
Wes

>>Shaggybill: You're right of course .... just put it down to this canucks' lack of knowledge on the state abbreviations ... I reverse Maine and Montana all the time too. I'll try to do better in the future (Let's see ... Montana, Maine, Mississippi, Maryland ... (New) Mexico ... any other 'm' states?)

Missouri, Massachusetts

Definitely a case of unfair favouring of the leter M!

Cheers,

Wolfgang
-----
WW

WW Home

>>Shaggybill: You're right of course .... just put it down to this canucks' lack of knowledge on the state abbreviations ... I reverse Maine and Montana all the time too. I'll try to do better in the future (Let's see ... Montana, Maine, Mississippi, Maryland ... (New) Mexico ... any other 'm' states?)

Missouri, Minnesota, Massachusetts

Definitely a case of unfair favouring of the leter M!

Cheers,

Wolfgang
-----
WW

WW Home

Sounds like a redneck wive's tale to me.

that a story would make it into a (small town) newspaper if it weren't 100% true? Did you notice that the mayor & local "snake expert" had killed a 38" copperhead? If he's killin' 'em, why's he referred to as an expert?

~~Greg~~

first off that a copperhead got to 31 inches while is large and impressive, is not unique, that it bit him because he reached down to pick up his cigerette lighter seems phoney not to say he wasn't bit, just that the species of copperhead in that area and not particularly aggressive snakes, can they bite of course then can, is pressed too closely. as for the swelling aspect, even when considering the alledged size of the snake to have swelling all the way up to the arm pit within a relatively short period of time sounds incredulous. The toxcity of copperheads irregardless of ssp, simply isn't that toxic, and they doon't have the venom reserve to do that much with, and someone please correct me if wrong, and provide the text to back it up, but in MODERN RECORDED MEDICAL HISTORY, NO-ONE has EVER died from the bite of a copperhead, no-one. unless allergic to the venom, then that is a different matter, but since no was given AV and since he failed to die, obviously wasn't that. As for AV allergic shock while is a possibility the hospital SHOULD be prepared to deal with that. Were they-who knows. Just my nickel's worth of input.
Barry

In MO transpecos copperheads live don't they? if so they are rather miserable, take back the aggressive statement if that was the species, all else applies
Barry

In MO, one would expect to find southerns, northerns, but for the most part of the state osages (and of course integrades between).

While the gist of what you are saying is generaly true, there are a couple of minor inaccuracies..

1. Large Copperheads ARE capable of delivering a life-threatening bite. It seems they simply choose not to. It would seem they normally inject very small amounts of venom in a bite although capable of delivering substantially more. I suppose they don't want to waste venom on a defensive bite that they may need later to secure prey.

2. Copperheads are one of the most aggressive species of Crotalid in the U.S., and inflict more bites per year in the U.S. than any other species. I think Western Diamondbacks inflict more SERIOUS bites and are a close second in total number of bites. A recent study by Whit Gibbons (anyone in the field of Herpetology knows who Whit is) shows that Copperheads bite when Eastern Diamondbacks and even Cottonmouths don't.

3. There have been a couple of fatalities from Copperhead bites in recent history, but they are attributed to multiple bites. One of them was bitten 3 times. I can find reference to these cases, but no detail so far.

4. The swelling is one of the more remarkable features of Copperhead envenomation, along with the associated pain. It is quite possible that this person swelled to the armpit. It is also quite a painful bite. I remember one instance while road cruising in Alabama, one of our "crew" was tagged on the index finger by a Copperhead. By the time we got back to one of the other guy's house (45 minutes or so), the swelling had progressed to his elbow. He recovered without AV treatment and with no serious tissue destruction (some minor scarring), but was quite miserable for a couple of weeks. This was a very minor envenomation.

5. The "serum sickness" associated with Equine AV treatment is generally not seen during the initial hospital stay and during treatment of the bite. It usually occurs from a few days to about 3 weeks or so from the time the AV is administered and is usually treated with corticosteroids. During administration of antivenin what the doctors are looking for is signs of anaphylaxis. This is the severe allergic reaction that occurs in persons who may be hyper-sensitive and can easily result in anaphylactic shock and death. This is not nearly so prevalent now with the use of CroFab ovine serum Antivenom.

Antivenin is normally not indicated in Copperhead envenomation. These bites are usually treated with pain management (narcotics) and infection prevention measures. However, antivenin has been used in severe Copperhead envenomations and compartment syndrome swelling has been seen in some cases, and may require fasciotomy. In the cases where antivenin was required, those bites could have been life or limb threatening without AV therapy. It seems that the most serious bites are usually from captive specimens or specimens that are in the process of being captured or restrained. That would tend to support the idea that Copperheads don't inject much venom in a simple defensive bite, but will as a last ditch effort if they feel truly threatened or if they are angry.

not that it even matters, I'm just bored. I see you on here alot Oldherper and you usually have some pretty interesting and informative things to say. That just caught my eye. And alot of the rest just seems to be speculation. Like I said though, not that it matters and I really couldn't care less so don't get offended. I almost wish copperheads weren't hot so you could handle them. To me, them being venomous has nothing to do with my fascination with them. From what I've observed from them, even Trans Pecos' I've kept are very docile and actually don't mind being handled. They're awesome snakes and at least in the U.S. have a very undeserved reputation.

Rattlesnakes aren't the only Crotalids. In general the members of the family Crotalidae are the pit vipers, including Cottonmouths, Rattlesnakes and Copperheads.

When you say Crotalus, you are speaking of a Genus. Those are the Rattlesnakes.

As a species, there are very few copperheads that get of size, to capture one that exceeds 3 ft is a large copperhead indeed. The books state the mythical size of 5 ft, O would dearly like to have seen that snake, but I can only live but so long, being 47 doubt I have enough lifespan to see that snake. I memory serves me, the math on lethal dosage for bites have been roughly cited as around 135 of venom to be considered fatal to the " average" adult human. Now BGF or WW would know with certianity, but again if memory serves me the most that a copperhead ( agkistrodon ), is susposed to be capable of having is in the general neighborhood 60 mgs. For a adult copperhead to deliver a fatal bite using these as indicators, then he would have fully loaded venom glands. Bite you and totally exhaust all venom reserves, then run over to wal-mart, and buy 75 more mgs of venom, buy with his credit card, thank the doorman , run back to you, bite again fully exhasusting his reserve yet again, lean over and refill with the left over 15 mgs of venom ( see could only take 60 at the refill ) Then totally exhaust that. Then die from starvation due to having a over extended credit card balance, and not able to recharge glands for 3 monthes. Their close cousins the Cottonmouth, are a much larger snake, larger venom storage capasity, and while generally accepted to have a more potent venom then copperheads.
I kow as fact that short tailed shrews posess a very potent neurotoxic venom, they have reddish brown tipped teeth, and are generally quite willing to share. but for that to mean something to a adult human- would require them to attack by the herd ( fortunately they are solitary hunters )
If someone is hyper allergic to the venom then of course there can be complications, that aside, to date I never read a rtictle, medical text, nothing that EVER clearly implied was copperhead bite as cause of death, never--wives tales, mythes, war-stories aside. Because of the extreme rarity ( like never ), were some one to actually die from the bite of a copperhead that would provide fodder for quite a long time in forums like this and others, certianly newspapers would run with it. The species I have posted is that of northen ssp, I worked with southerns as well both are fairly calm and well behaved, my understanding is that the transpecos is a very defensive ssp, so demeanor wise while a bite can occur, and do they are no true threat. As for willingness to bite, as mentioned before only one ssp I know of is truely defensive and is mentioned above. But with that said copperheads bite more people then all other species of venomous snakes combined in North America, when one sees of the projected 2500 bites perhaps 26 die thats a fairly safe record--of those 26 guess how many are copperhead bites 0. If my numbers are in any way wrong please feel free to correct them factually, and for the record to the very best of my kowledge and until I see other wise will continue to preach not a single person has died directly from the bite of a copperhead none Swelling described from the article I would expect from a much more capable crotilid like a C. Atrox or Ruber
Barry

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just didn't feel like taking the time to explain it all. Thanks. Haha.