I don't know if there would be any difference between the Elapids producing toxic saliva vs. Crotalids, but I'll share my experience.

As cautious as I am to mention this, I do have a venomoid WDB that I use for educational purposes. This is primarily for liability purposes. I treat it no different than any of my other hots because I want to send the right message to the audience and myself, and I still wouldn't want to experience a bite from him. Every month or two, I will put a live mouse or young rat in the cage with him, let him bite it, and then remove and observe. I do this as an extra safety precaution because of all the stories I've heard about regeneration. These mice/rats have all lived and aside from occasional licking of their wound or limping from a hind quarter bite, there have been no signs of any sort of envenomation or long term bacterial infections. I think this goes to show that, at least in this one individual, that there is no toxic saliva present.

I don't know if rodents would have more resistance to a deep innoculation of bacteria from a fang, but I would guess that there is not alot along the lines of bacterial worries. I figure any problems would have alot to do with where they get you, how they get you, and when they last brushed their teeth. I've always considered snake mouths rather clean considering that they don't chew food or lick their own butts.

Has anyone here actually received a dry bite or bite from a venomoid (if your willing to admit it)? If so, what was done to treat it and what was the outcome?

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