Snakes

[Pompey]

I was at a caravan and outdoors show today, and came across this exhibit. It was all about snakes and the different toxins they had, how to treat snake bite and what to do and what not to do. I missed the beginning, but they showed a red bellied black snake, a tiger snake, a death adder and this brown snake. I used to live next to a national park for decades, and have been camping almost as long but in that time I’ve only ever come across a baby brown. I’ve not seen a snake poised to strike and then actually strike. This is the second most venomous snake in the world. If they had the most venomous snake the Inland Taipan or Fierce snake, I must have missed it. It was a good exhibit and I found it most informative.

 

[Loshad]

Now we're talkin', mate! I take photos of rattlesnakes from less than 18", sometimes as close as 14". I know I'm barmy but I've been at it a long time and I can read them well - never been struck at. You gotta move in really slowly and watch their neck muscles for signs of tensing for the strike. The rattler is arguably one of the fastest strikers on the planet although you lot have the most venomous without question.

My favorite snake story was my Bosnian mate and two or three others were pinned down by Serbian artillery. It was dark, freezing cold, and pissing down. They made a break for a trench at the foot of the big hill the Serbs were firing from, knowing they wouldn't be able to depress their guns enough to hit them. They all made it to the trench and gleefully dived into it, little caring that it was a muddy slop hole. They laid there giggling hysterically until they realized that they were lying amongst hundreds of European adders! It was cold enough that the adders were very torpid but the 4 blokes' body heat started the snakes to stirring! The European Adder is only mildly venomous but hundreds could cause you some serious grief, indeed. They managed to slither through the mud to the far end of the trench without mishap for the rest of the night.

 

[Pompey]

The death adder can strike at up to 180kmh but I don’t know what the quickest is. I think I prefer pythons!

 

[Loshad]

Pythons - nice and cuddly, up to a point.

I'll never forget that Steve Irwin episode when he was lying in the dirt making nice with that bloody Inland Taipan! Crikey! It was only a matter of time for him, eh?

Venom is fascinating stuff. I have a friend who is a world reknowned bio-chemist. Venom isn't his cup o' tea but he can attest to the incredible complexity of venoms which is why developing anti-venins is so difficult and often highly specific. A recent discovery is showing excellent promise for making ones that will work across a wider range than previously. 400+ people die DAILY from snake bites in mainly Africa and Asia.

There are 36 species of rattler in N and S America. They all have a combination of neurotoxic and hemotoxic venom but here in California we are blessed with the presence of the Mojave rattler which has cunningly developed a venom many times more toxic than other rattlers! It is on a par with some of the more infamous elapids such as your Death Adders, Kraits, Cobras, and Mambas! Weirdly, the Mojaves have refined their venom into two quite different groups, both very nasty but the Type A being noticeably more so. When I encounter a Mojave I give it considerably more respect than other rattlers.

 

[Pompey]

Pythons - nice and cuddly, up to a point.

I'll never forget that Steve Irwin episode when he was lying in the dirt making nice with that bloody Inland Taipan! Crikey! It was only a matter of time for him, eh?

Venom is fascinating stuff. I have a friend who is a world reknowned bio-chemist. Venom isn't his cup o' tea but he can attest to the incredible complexity of venoms which is why developing anti-venins is so difficult and often highly specific. A recent discovery is showing excellent promise for making ones that will work across a wider range than previously. 400+ people die DAILY from snake bites in mainly Africa and Asia.

There are 36 species of rattler in N and S America. They all have a combination of neurotoxic and hemotoxic venom but here in California we are blessed with the presence of the Mojave rattler which has cunningly developed a venom many times more toxic than other rattlers! It is on a par with some of the more infamous elapids such as your Death Adders, Kraits, Cobras, and Mambas! Weirdly, the Mojaves have refined their venom into two quite different groups, both very nasty but the Type A being noticeably more so. When I encounter a Mojave I give it considerably more respect than other rattlers.

I was never a fan of Steve Irwin, although he was very popular.

I’m more worried about spiders than snakes. I’ve had funnel webs (I think worlds most venomous spider) in my house numerous times, even had one in my shoe. I got in the habit of checking my shoes as a kid and just as well. I remember once mum found one in her bed. The crazy thing about these spiders is that apart from their prey they are only dangerous to primates. So they could bite my dog without harming her.

As for pythons, as a kid I handled a diamond python without incident so perhaps that’s why snakes don’t bother me as much as spiders.

 

[Jrod250]

I prefer bunnies. Does anyone have any videos of bunny rabbits? Lol

 

[Pompey]

I prefer bunnies. Does anyone have any videos of bunny rabbits? Lol

Got taken out by a snake

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Copperhead and condoms...two things I don't fuck with. Rattlesnakes on the other hand taste great with a little marinade and grilled.

 

[Jrod250]

Got taken out by a snake

My dog tore a rabbit to shreds infront of my boys one day. The kids went to school and told the teacher that dog tore the Easter bunny apart and it was a blood bath. Haha.

 

[Marley]

Wife and I live amongst snakes and the only ones I kill are copperheads because of their temperament.

 

[Driftwood]

They have a 'Rattlesnake Round-Up' every year here in the Texas Capital rotunda. Very interesting to see.

 

[Needatremor]

we have snakes in NY he tried to sell me a truck for over the msrp so I went to another dealership

 

[stufarmer]

Screw all of you .. no frik'n snakes. No, no no .. don't like snakes. I'm pretty sure they feel the same about me. Last year I killed a Coral Snake in a neighbors drive. She was screaming at the top of her lungs for help .. I ran over not knowing and she had this snake trapped with a lawn rake. Gives me the creeps thinking about it.

 

[Loshad]

You would have to force your finger down the throat of a Coral Snake to get bit. Probably one of the shyest snakes out there.

 

[soulezoo]

I work in Sacramento. Snakes everywhere. Especially at the Capitol. Very deadly too.