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BATH CHRONICLE (UK) 10 July 03 Sawyer Bites Back After Adder Attack
Wiltshire golfer Gary Sawyer survived a snake-bite to play the round of his life and reach final qualifying for The Open championship this weekend. He joins three other Bath-area players - Craig Bell (Kingsdown), Steve Surry (Cumberwell Park) and amateur Ed Butler (Lansdown) - who will attempt to win a coveted place in the Open at Royal St George's next week.
Sawyer, 33, who is attached to the Tony Valentine Golf Centre at Corsham, shot a twounder-par 69 at the regional stage at Minchinhampton.
But it was touch-and go whether he was fit enough to play after the most frightening experience of his golfing life.
He was practising at the nine-hole Lafarge course (formerly Blue Circle) near his home at Westbury when he put his hand in a bush and was bitten by an adder.
He was rushed to the Royal United Hospital in Bath, was off work for several days and only passed himself fit on Sunday to play at Minchinhampton the next day.
"There was considerable swelling, I came out in blisters everywhere and had no energy, " he said. "I have only just come off the tablets but I hope my stamina will be back for the weekend."
There were three places available for six players who each shot 69. Sawyer was first to qualify after making a birdie four on the first play-off hole.
Sawyer Bites Back After Adder Attack

>>Sawyer Bites Back After Adder Attack

Well, whatever kind of adder it was, it was no puff adder.

From the impressions I get from reading about puff adders, I believe Puff adders are more deadly. I am very interested in this story none-the-less. This is because it is a springboard for my learning more about the European Adders.

When I read a story like this, I always have my interest peaked in learning more about each type of snake. I have a lot of questions about the European Adders. Do they commonly kill people just like the puff adder? Or are their venom more akin to American Copperheads where lots of peeps get bitten but few if any is ever life threatening?

Just some questions I have when I read a story such as this one. Sure would appreciate anyone's answers.

cheers.
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Longtang. I like snakes and rats.

>>Well, whatever kind of adder it was, it was no puff adder.

Nope, not in the UK.

>>From the impressions I get from reading about puff adders, I believe Puff adders are more deadly.

Deathr ates for treated bites aren't all that high, but yes, they are far more likely to kill you than a European adder, and moreover, the bite is vastly more likely to lead to severe local tissue damage.

> I am very interested in this story none-the-less. This is because it is a springboard for my learning more about the European Adders.
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>>When I read a story like this, I always have my interest peaked in learning more about each type of snake. I have a lot of questions about the European Adders. Do they commonly kill people just like the puff adder? Or are their venom more akin to American Copperheads where lots of peeps get bitten but few if any is ever life threatening?

Death is truly exceptional after treated bites. In the UK, we get an estimated 50-100 bites per annum, but the last death was a small kid in 1975, so that's probably approx. 1000 bites without a single death since then. I suppose that makes the fatality rate slightly higher than for copperheads. Nonetheless, it is estimated that 20-25% of adder bites are severe (i.e., potentially life-threatening), so this is not a snake to be underestimated. Seevral colleagues have been bitten, and were unpleasantly surprised at just how dangerous the bite turned out to be.

Cheers,

Wolfgang

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WW

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Does anyone know which sub-species of v. berus is found in Southern Germany? Specifically near Bad Tolz and Sigmaringen (near Stuttgart)?

Phil/Minh

>>Does anyone know which sub-species of v. berus is found in Southern Germany? Specifically near Bad Tolz and Sigmaringen (near Stuttgart)?

The nominate form, Vipera berus berus.

The only subspecies are V.b. bosniensis (Balkans north so S. Hungary and Slovenia) and V.b. sachalinensis (Sakhalin Island, in the Pacific Ocean). The former may deserve species status, the latter may soon be synonymised.

Cheers,

Wolfgang
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WW

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...for that last fatality do you? All I could find was "no fatalities for over 30yrs" with no references.

Thanks, Lee.

BTW, nice shot! I keep finding that no matter how much I try and distract them they seem hell bent on looking straight down the lens. Grass snakes never give me that problem, just adders. Maybe they're naturally vain.

...for that last fatality do you? All I could find was "no fatalities for over 30yrs" with no references.

Thanks, Lee.

BTW, nice shot! I keep finding that no matter how much I try and distract them they seem hell bent on looking straight down the lens. Grass snakes never give me that problem, just adders. Maybe they're naturally vain.

>>...for that last fatality do you? All I could find was "no fatalities for over 30yrs" with no references.

It's kind of all over the literature, but without much in the way of specifics.

A paper that would discuss it is:

Reid, H.A. (1976) Adder bites in Britain. British Medical Journal 2: 153-156.

There is also a much more recent paper by C.J. Reading on adder bites in Britain. The Beebee and Griffiths book has the reference, I don't have it at hand.

Cheers,

Wolfgang
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WW

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My copy of the Beebee and Griffiths book finally arrived from Amazon this morning, after over a month on order! Thanks for that info.

Cheers, Lee.

There is an article in the february edition(2003)of the german DGHT publication "elaphe" concerning a V.berus berus fatality in Hungary.
A man was bitten 12 times in the course of several years, developed a severe anaphylaxis to the venom and lost his life in the course of his last envenomation despite beeing rushed to the hospital.
I don't have a copy of the article yet,as I am not a subscriber to this publication.
However I know of one man(Kurt Orth,DGHT member)who also developed anaphylaxis to the the venom of this species after 25 years of breeding and keeping these beautiful adders.
His face swells after touching V.berus shedding,but as of now he hasn't got his problem evaluated medically yet.
After beeing bitten a couple of times he developed partial immunity(personal comment)to the venom protein with the above outcome after several other bites.
best Regards, Dennis Kollarits

Although generally regarded as non-fatal to humans, and with very few fatalities reported over the past 50 years (some from UK, others from Sweden) there have nevertheless been a couple of recent reports on unusually severe intoxications V. berus from Italy, with apparently intense neurotoxic effects of the kind that points to toxic phospholipases as the culprits. As with many widespread snake species, there is probably a lot of venom variation due to prey differences.
Klaus

>>Although generally regarded as non-fatal to humans, and with very few fatalities reported over the past 50 years (some from UK, others from Sweden) there have nevertheless been a couple of recent reports on unusually severe intoxications V. berus from Italy, with apparently intense neurotoxic effects of the kind that points to toxic phospholipases as the culprits. As with many widespread snake species, there is probably a lot of venom variation due to prey differences.
>>Klaus

Hi Klaus,

That's really interesting - do you have a reference for that?

Thanks!

Gruss,

Wolfgang
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WW

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I never considered that v. berus might be a relatively 'hot' viper in some locations. Having kept pigmies, canebrakes and gaboons before I went in the Army, and knowing a little about berus, I used to free-handle them when I'd find one in Germany. I'd pick them up mid-body with a tent-peg or pole and then lay them in my hand. I never even saw one strike, so I always considered them relatively harmless in my little impromptu lectures for the troops. They were absolutely beautiful little vipers and were usually burgandy/purple color with a silver zig-zag running along the back.

Neurotoxic? Who'd a thunk it?

Phil