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I've heard of various exotic and locally made drinks that contain snake venom. Is this harmful to drink? Does venom only cause damage if injected and not ingested? What's the concentration in these drinks?

I've heard of vodka in Texas with rattlesnake venom (and sometimes actual rattlesnakes) in it. I've also heard of some drink from Thailand (I think) with cobra venom.
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1.0.0 Great Plains Ratsnake
1.0.0 Corn, Lavender Aztec het for Amel
0.1.0 Black Ratsnake
0.0.1 Texas Rat (tame)
1.0.0 Broad Banded Water Snake, Hypo
1.0.0 Black Bassador Retriever
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In Thailand the local whiskey is called "Mekong" and cobra blood and gall bladder is put into it and drank out of a shot glass. Twice I have been put in a position so as not to insult my host have been forced to drink it. I saw no venom, at least in Thailand, put in the concotion.....TC

I have drank it, it was pretty good. Personally I like the Black Mamba concoction from Africa. Makes you feel like Superman!

RB

Randal feeling like superman??? Oh geeze... watch out world!

Snake venom must be injected or absorbed through the mucous membranes to cause harm. Ingested venom is not harmful....stomach acids do a pretty good job of breaking it down anyway....Venom typically travels through both the circulatory and lymphatic systems when injected, and this is where it does alot of damage. (All this is assuming of course that one does not have a bleeding cut or open lesion when one decides to chug some snake venom!)

As far as these exotic concoctions, I've heard of them but never tried them....I have no idea as to the relative concentrations....

-Kris

-Kris

so the stuff in Thailand is made with cobra blood, not venom and the stuff that does have venom won't jack you up unless you provide a way for it to get into an open cut.

Thanks for the responses, guys.
If I ever find myself in a shady bar in Waco or Mozambique, then I shouldn't worry.
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1.0.0 Great Plains Ratsnake
1.0.0 Corn, Lavender Aztec het for Amel
0.1.0 Black Ratsnake
0.0.1 Texas Rat (tame)
1.0.0 Broad Banded Water Snake, Hypo
1.0.0 Black Bassador Retriever
2.1.0 Godchildren, 1 Evil, 2 possible hets

I don't believe most of the cytotoxic or hemotoxic venoms would be a big problem ingested but I did have a friend who got hit with a N. nigricollis in the face. He had some abrasions in the lip area and although wearing goggles he had some fairly minor effects several hours later. Many parts of our bodies have semipermeable qualties allowing things to be absorbed thru osmosis. For this reason I don't believe I would drink venom from a dangerous species with a virulent neurotoxic venom......TC

well said tom.

don't worry. I'm not planning on guzzling any venom filled drinks. I'm just trying to satisfy my curiosity.
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1.0.0 Great Plains Ratsnake
1.0.0 Corn, Lavender Aztec het for Amel
0.1.0 Black Ratsnake
0.0.1 Texas Rat (tame)
1.0.0 Broad Banded Water Snake, Hypo
1.0.0 Black Bassador Retriever
2.1.0 Godchildren, 1 Evil, 2 possible hets