FACT: Most EDB bites are caused by people attempting to catch them by hand or stepping on them. A true statistic is, the majority of EDB bites are to young drunk males.

Jamie Pastika

I think hes right here lol

A friend continued to take pics of the catch but Im waiting on them.

I had to put the camera down so we could catch him, me with Big Al.

Big Al 9 months later doing great,he has gained a little length too

looks like a dino

• Veterinary care is a must because the dog must be monitored to determine if the dog even needs antivenom

• Check with Vet for availability of antivenom

In the U.S. there are many different species of venomous snakes. Among them are the Cottonmouth water moccasin (one in the same), Copperhead, Coral snakes and several species of Rattlesnakes. All but the Coral snake are pit vipers. Pit vipers have a heat sensing “pit” between the eye and nostril that aids in prey capture. All pit vipers have fangs that fold back into the mouth and extend when they bite. In most rattlesnakes the venom attacks the heart, blood, organs and tissue. Having the exception is the Mojave rattlesnake that has neurotoxin as well, and is arguably considered to have the most dangerous venom of all the rattlesnakes. However The Eastern and Western Diamondback rattlesnakes can yield huge quantities of venom. The proteolytic enzymes in their venom will start to dissolve your flesh. This can cause skeletonization if you wait more than an hour to get treatment. The Coral snake is in the cobra family (Elapidae), and has short, sharp, front fixed fangs. They are the most venomous snakes in the US. But they are also non-aggressive and bites usually occur if the snake is stepped on, picked up or a pet grabs it.

Venom
Venom is not poison, it is a toxin that is injected by means of a stinger (bee), spine (Lion fish or certain caterpillars) or fangs (snakes, spiders etc).
A poison is a toxin that is ingested or absorbed through skin, i.e. mushrooms, toads or poison dart frogs. This has always been a pet peeve of mine. Allot of “pros” say “poisonous snakes”, when in fact they are venomous. You wouldn’t say you were envenomated by a mushroom or a toad.
Venoms are highly complex and have many different enzymes and compounds. These help breakdown the body of the victim for digestion. Depending on the species venom can attack the heart muscle, blood, organs, nervous system, respiratory and muscular system. When snakes bite they can control the amount of venom they inject. They can inject nothing, a little, or a full dose of venom. Over 70% of venomous snake bites are dry bites. The thought behind this is snakes do not want to waste their venom on something they do not want to eat. Envenomations are a result of the snake being agitated for some reason, being stepped on, picked up or encroached upon.

Antivenin (Antivenom)

Antivenin is derived from venom mixed with horse and sheep blood serum. To put it in simple terms small doses of snake venom are injected into a horse. It is not enough to harm the horse. However antibodies are developed by the horses system to fight the effects of the venom. A non-lethal amount of blood is extracted from the horse and the antibodies are used to produce antivenin. Many people are allergic to the antivenin and can actually die from the antivenin injection. So other less allergenic animals were used such as sheep.
Similar antivenin can be used with most pit vipers in the U.S. That is to say if the venom is from pit vipers, it will work for most pit vipers (Crotalidae). An exception would be the Mojave rattlesnake. However coral snake antivenin is mono-specific, it can only be used with coral snake bites (Elapidae).

Snake Bite
Snakes in the U.S. only bite when they are cornered, hurt, or handled. Many animals eat snakes, so snakes have to be defensive/aggressive. Snakes do not chase people down to bite them. People are often in the path of snakes while they are attempting to escape. Many snake bites occur while gardening. The snake is either resting or not moving to avoid detection. People often grab snakes while clearing weeds or leaves from gardens by hand. It can take as little as the tip of one fang to get envenomated severely from a bite.
If you are bitten the best thing to do is get to a hospital as quickly as possible. The longer you wait the more damage to you body will occur. It is a myth that you can suck the venom out. As soon as the venom goes into the blood system you are envenomated. It is a good idea to have an “Epipen” handy if you live in an area where there are venomous snakes. It is also a good idea to correctly identify the snake if possible; this will assist the doctors at the hospital. To date there is little you can do to stop them venom from surging through your system. A tourniquet may help slow the progress of the venom but this is a last resort if you cannot get to a hospital in time. A tourniquet can cause severe complications to the body.

Snakebites and dogs
Dogs are most often bitten in the head, neck and mouth area from sniffing or grabbing the snake. This is a very dangerous area to get bitten because of swelling of the airways. Consult with your veterinarian about having an “Epipen” handy to administer to your dog. An “Epipen” is a contact intramuscular injectable of a small dose of epinephrine. This keeps one from going into anaphylactic shock common with venomous snakebites. Check with your vet about the availability of antivenin,especially if you live in an area with venomous snakes. Also, even if you do not like snakes, learn the species of snakes in your area for identification purposes. The best thing you can do if you or your pet is bitten is, get to a hospital.
If you do not have references to the venomous snake in your area and would like to know, contact me for info.

Photo by Fred Bohler

Red Rat Snake/Corn Snake (Pantherophis guttata guttata)

The Genus was formerly Elaphe