Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi - my boyfriend was recently bitten by what we think was a blacktail in Jeff Davis County. I would like to speak to someone who has been bitten by one or has known someone that has been bit by one. I just have some general questions about the bite and side affects.

He was bit on his ring finger and his pinkie finger - one bite. He didn't really have any discoloration until this morning. He was bit on Thursday around 3 pm - had a little discoloration around the bite sight for a couple hours that eventually went away.
This morning his whole arm up to almost his shoulder is yellow and then he has a black/blue coloration around his elbow area, but still no discoloration around the bite site. Is this normal -especially around the 4th day?

Also - he said last night he was feeling alot of pain in his chest - wonder if this is due to the swelling draining down into his chest cavity? You can see as the swelling leaves his arms his side keeps getting bigger and bigger.

Please let me know if you can give me any insight into this!! Thanks alot!

Christa

I don't have a personal experience with a molossus bite to share but I'm curious whether he has sought medical attention? If not, he needs to do so ASAP. In addition to all the systemic problems he's risking he could also end up losing his arm if that swelling continues to go untreated.
Chris

I don't have any bite experience to share either.
I aquired a 2.5-3ft male crotalus molossus recently and I have noticed that he drops mice much faster than any of my equal sized
C. Adamanteus or A.P. Conanti. I don't know if he is a better aim than they are or just more toxic. very grumpy also, makes my Adamanteus seem like they are on valium.
anyway as Gila7150 said, seek medical help immediatly, if you have not done so already.
Ryan

N/p

N/P

throw his butt in the Aztek and get him to a hospital. Then have Buzz call Jim Harrison at KRZ and put him in touch with the doctor to consult on the case. It's not worth losing an arm or worse.

Rich

throw his butt in the Aztek and get him to a hospital. Then have Buzz call Jim Harrison at KRZ and put him in touch with the doctor to consult on the case. It's not worth losing an arm or worse.

Rich

Hey Rich,
He was in the hospital for 3 days, and I alerted Buzz as soon as I found out - actually in route to the hospital. Anyways, he's doing fine now - going to try to go back to work today. Thankfully the bite was not that bad - Buzz went and saw him the other night and said he had it down easy street. Doctors up this way aren't too bright sometimes so I wanted to consult some people that actually knew something - Buzz doesn't really know anyone thats been bit by a blacktail so I thought this would be the next best place.
Almost all of the swelling has already gone down - only thing he's complaining about now is that he doesn't have any feeling in his arm - maybe damaged the nerve endings? This kind of went on and off for a couple of days, but for the last day he hasn't had feeling...know anything bout that?
Let me know! Thanks!

yes, bites from blacktails are rather uncommon. I think that his feeling in the arm coming and going is probably a good sign. it should get better as the swelling subsides. If he never had any at all I would be more worried. My cousin got bit by a Hopi on his finger tip and lost all the feeling there. It looks normal but he can use it like a ball-ping hammer. He walks around thumping it on rock cuts peoples heads etc.