Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have one of them..and sometimes i handle, specially when i clean her cage, and i pu her on another small cage (meantime i clean her house)...

but im afraid of her bite and venom...is it too dangerous? some people says "nothing 2 worry", others "BEWARE..TO DANGEROUS!"..well as a newcomer i ask you....

Also, what do you do when you have to clean the cage...you put the snake on another cage and then you put it again on her original cage?

Rod!

Philodryas species have killed people. However, the venom delivery is not very efficient so they can be safely worked with using sturdy gloves and a long sleeve shirt. It would be good to use a hook to transfer the snake if you want to be particularly careful. As for what to put the snake in while cleaning, a deep garbage bin is always handy.

Cheers
Bryan
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Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Australian Venom Research Unit,
University of Melbourne
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Population and Evolutionary Genetics Unit,
Museum Victoria
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.venomdoc.com

Contrary that the people believe, all the genus Philodryas is dangerous. I´ve read a study of the venom of Philodryas patagoniensis, and the toxicity is the same than Philodryas olfersii.
Besides, the document comments that the proteolytic activity of the venom is higher than some species of Bothrops.

Cheers,
PhilodryasFAN

P.D: Sorry for my bad english

Having been a recipient of several prolonged bites by P. olifersi (over 30 seconds with no effect) and P.viridissimus (the most severe of which-nearly five minutes of chewing- left my finger swollen for a week.) I am curious about these "fatalities".

Which Phios have taken lives? And if so, might this have been more in line with a sensitivity or possible allergic reaction rather than the venom its self? I am begining to feel like Superman here...

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

The severe envenomations and deaths from Philodryas bites (with P. olfersii the most well documented culprite partially due to proximity and widespread distribution) were envenomations, not allergy (allergy doesn't cause systemic myotoxicity or hemorrhage).

One nice thing about coagulopathy, is that you actually feel fine. For example, with both of my Hoplocephalus stephensii bites, my blood chemistry was absolutely rooted but I didn't feel it. It may have been interesting to draw some of your blood to see if there was any disturbance.

Sounds like you may have gotten very lucky. Go buy a lottery ticket

Cheers
B
-----
Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Australian Venom Research Unit,
University of Melbourne
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Population and Evolutionary Genetics Unit,
Museum Victoria
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.venomdoc.com

If so, I must have been lucky (at the very least) a dozen times or so(lol).

We never handled P.o. with gloves and bites were frequent.

...I will buy a ticket for you too!

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

you mention de OLFERSII..but I had understood that the AESTEVIUS is the "safest" of the PHILODRYAS family...is that true...

and another question..which is the best way to handle a snake...i meand, one hand on her head and the other on the middle of the body? is there any tequinique so not to hurt her?

thanks!
rod

I would like to get my hands on these documented fatalities, the only one I knew of, was a brazilian infant.