Reptile & Amphibian Forums

One, I will be working with the US Fish and Wildlife this spring at some few known eastern massy's localities here in Illinois. I would like to learn more about their venom.

Two, are all venomous snakes aggressive? Just say I was in the field and found two snakes, both garters, one bit me and one would not stop biting. This may be a bad example but I just want to make an example. I you were to find two rattlesnakes, would both try to bite or is it a 50-50 chance. I am not trying to say I am going to freehandle any hots but this issue has always caught my attention. Is there something genetically that makes them aggressive?

Mike
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I have:
1.1 Kankakee Bulls
1.0 veild chameleon
0.1 corns
0.1 az king
1.2 tiger sals
0.1 3-toe box turtle
0.1 Crotaphytus collaris
1.1 Crotaphytus binctores
0.1 desert kings
1.0 Bearded Dragon (german giant)
0.1 Bearded Dragon (orange)
1.2 Bearded Dragon (red sandfire X yellow pastel/red sandfire)
1.1 Bearded Dragon (Citrus X yellow pastel)

Two, are all venomous snakes aggressive? Just say I was in the field and found two snakes, both garters, one bit me and one would not stop biting. This may be a bad example but I just want to make an example. I you were to find two rattlesnakes, would both try to bite or is it a 50-50 chance. I am not trying to say I am going to freehandle any hots but this issue has always caught my attention. Is there something genetically that makes them aggressive?

My experience with buzzers is limited to the wild. I have found that they would rather avoid contact as much as possible than engage a human. Rattlers are perfectly camouflaged, but use their rattles and characteristic defense posture to WARN OFF a big dumb skin-monkey. GARTER snakes, on the other hand, will not hesitate to bite and musk and bite and musk. Ouch. Yuck. Ouch. Yuck. Forget it.

I have successfully transported rattlers via hook and bag with no fuss. Except for the minor issue of the deadly bite, they appear to be rather docile critters. I still wouldn't want to get anywhere near the sharp end, thankyouverymuch. There's also the issue of the "bad scale day" - even docile Ball Pythons have been known to strike with no warning.