Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My 10 year old daughter just got bitten by a Garter snake here in Portland Oregon... Strangly enough I've been researching venom reactions recently and her reaction to a sudden bite seemed to be very similar to mild envenomations by rear-fanged neurotoxic species (tingling in thumb and elbow). There were also two very distinct fang marks also associated with the bite. Any thoughts?
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Amor et Lux,
Ron

"The gods tolerate the human race for no other reason than our talent for bullsh1t. It's the only thing about us that doesn't bore them to tears" Tom Robbins "Villa Incognito"

I have always been sort of on the fence about this. Garters and waters (the Natricines) definitely do have some sort of agent in their saliva, and I have bites from garters in pictures that have to two "rear fang" marks. I had a little bit of swelling after allowing the snake to chew, and the bite itched and bled for a fair amount of time.
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Andy Maddox
AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Yahoo:surfandskimtx04
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

If you steal in hunger, I will kick you when you try. These stand for me. Name your god and bleed the freak. I'd like to see. How you all would bleed for me.-Alice In Chains

I have heard that all Nerodia sp. contain anticoagulants in their saliva. This would cause the bite to bleed continuously for some time. I have also heard that wild colubrids can have bacteria inside their mouths that will cause pain and swelling in humans, in particular the rat snakes (Elaphe). I dont think that the garters, ribbons, or water snakes are rear fanged though. Certainly not to the extent of hognose snakes. I have seen my hognose eat and the fangs are noticable even in young snakes whereas in my garters there is no noticable fangs even in the adults while eating.