Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i know that of rattle snakes the mojave has nuerotoxic venom. i have been chattering with an other person about localities of Tember rattlers and he keeps saying some have nuerotoxic apects to their venom. he keept bringing up the .... i think it was the cainbreak rattlesnake as an example of such a locality.

can any one confirm this or not?

thank you

ashley
-----
"I’m scared of those nasty big-eyed grey aliens, too. I think it’s that I don’t understand their motivations. I am confident of my ability to out-think, out-con, or if need be, tire-iron-upside-the-head demonic forces, ghosts and goblins, things that go bump in the night, etc. It’s the notion of something that doesn’t have any desire to talk to me except via anal probe that freaks me out"

Yes, the southern form (canebrake) in at least parts of its range has a significant amount of neurotoxin. They can be hotter than a firecracker. It would not surprise me if the same held true for the northern forms as well. Bear in mind that snakes do not necessarily have the same toxicity throughout their range. EDB's in north Florida are measurably hotter than those in southern Florida.

~~Greg~~
Venomous Snakes of the Southeast

just how neurotoxic some helleri are becoming as well. It would suck getting bitten by any of the mentioned.
-TJP

>>just how neurotoxic some helleri are becoming as well. It would suck getting bitten by any of the mentioned.
>>-TJP
-----
"I’m scared of those nasty big-eyed grey aliens, too. I think it’s that I don’t understand their motivations. I am confident of my ability to out-think, out-con, or if need be, tire-iron-upside-the-head demonic forces, ghosts and goblins, things that go bump in the night, etc. It’s the notion of something that doesn’t have any desire to talk to me except via anal probe that freaks me out"

I didn't know that Greg! Does that hold true for all species of rattlers? If so, what would cause the difference in venom (prey items, climate, heat)? Why would the southern EDB be less toxic?

I got that snippet of info about EDB venom toxicity some years ago from George Van Horn, who extracts & markets venom. He works with the venom also, fractionalizing it & so forth, & discovered a very marked difference between the north & south Florida adamanteus. I could hazard a guess or two as to the reason, but to be honest, your guess is probably as good as mine.

~~Greg~~
Florida's Venomous Snakes

I personally know a herper that was bitten by one of the Oceola Canebrakes. He arrived at the local hospitals ER ten minutes later in full cardiac arrest. They gave him a Vial of Wyeth A/V "IV push" undiluted and was able to revive him. THEY ARE SERIOUS Snakes!!

This one just emerged from it's den in the Oceola National Forest. I took the picture at the end of March this year.

-----
Save a Rattlesnake...Skin a Sweetwater Resident!

Here's a thought, wow, 10 minutes and in CA eh, that's terrible, uh, awesome.

Anyways, as a generality, would it be worthwhile to be putting in IV cathetors, fluids, and/or any other med's on the way to the hospital, assuming someone else is driving? I only say that, because I personally have veins so huge I could place an IV with my eyes closed if need be. Just thinking that if blood pressure drops, it may be more time consuming once at the hospital. Any opinions?