Snakebite!

[jIMOh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronstar After about 10 encounters in Arizona, I have yet to have one rattle at me. All encounters were 5-10' away from the snake. I read somewhere that they are changing their habits by not rattling.

The one in the photo rattled at me. I was within 6 inches of it, it could have struck me. Photo taken in Garden of the Gods in Colorado.

[Dawg52]

I was walking my dog the other day when we stumbled upon a snakeskin. My lab jumped straight up like he had been shot. No snake around just the skin. He takes after his dad.....I'm not a fan of snakes either.

[38Chevy454]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zinger1457 My understanding is that the bites from the young rattlesnakes are often much worse than the adults, they have a higher concentration of the toxin that affects the nervous system. Also, adult rattlesnakes will often give a dry (no venom) bite, young rattlesnakes rarely do.

Same as I was going to say. My dog got bit outside my yard, and likely form a young snake. Fortunately we were right at home and took her to vet immediately. Basically three IV fluids: water to flush her system, antibiotic and steroid. Her face and neck swelled up like double normal size. Best I can describe was kind of like the elephant man. Amazing how the toxin caused such a reaction. Overnight stay at vet and then several low-key days at home, could tell dog did not feel good at all. She is fine now, but still has two spots on side of her cheek where the bite was that left scar with no hair growing.

All of my dogs now get the rattlesnake vaccine, although you still need to take them to vet if bitten. My understanding is that it helps minimize the reaction, but does not eliminate need for medical care.

[Calgary_Girl]

So glad we moved back to Canada....too cold up here for nasty reptiles and bugs (most of them anyway)!


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[rodi]

I got a close in photo of a baby rattler several years ago. Fortunately, it was on the other side of a window. Unfortunately, it was on the INSIDE of my workplace. (I was outside the building.)

[dvalley]

We've run into several rattlers while offroading or hiking in the desert. The last one was at the Mojave desert we were walking along a established path on the trail and saw a baby rattler go from the right hand side of the trail to the left at a brisk pace and then coiled up literally 4 feet from us and probably closer to our dog (who was startled and curious and unsure all at the same time). That was the closest I've come to one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stargazer08 My horse got bit by a rattlesnake while I was riding him in 2012. He spent a week at the vet clinic. It was a very scary situation. My friend rode at breakneck speed back to the trailer while I had to lead my horse out of the woods. I didn't have enough cell signal to make a phone call but was able to text my husband who in turn called my vet. Hubby relayed instructions to me which saved much time and possibly my horse. Took the horse a good year to fully recover. He experienced cardiac issues right after the bite and wasn't quite right for at least a year. My friend is a photo journalist who documented the treatment at the vet clinic. She also wrote an article that appeared in Arabian Horse World magazine.

That's interesting because I thought anti-venom is created by injecting horses with the venom (but I'm sure in smaller quantities) to create the anti-bodies and then harvesting them since supposedly horses are immune to most snake bites.

[dvalley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avalon I've seen various versions of this story going back to 4/17. Same photo involved. From a south Tx farmer on Ag forum: He was with his wife, daughter, and dog posing for family pictures on their ranch. They were standing close to a large prickly pear cactus. A rattlesnake came out and was about to strike the woman, and so the dog lunged to protect her. The dog was then bitten. In the process of the man grabbing his dog to pull it back, the snake struck him as well. The dog died over night. Right now the man is in the ICU unit at a San Antonio hospital. He's facing the possibility of losing a leg.

I was wondering about this too but then I saw 'friend of a friend' so I dismissed that thought

I guess similar to the pictures where a mule supposedly killed a mountain lion.

[Ronstar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodi I got a close in photo of a baby rattler several years ago. Fortunately, it was on the other side of a window. Unfortunately, it was on the INSIDE of my workplace. (I was outside the building.)

Supposedly, the baby rattlers are the worst. I heard that they let all of their venom go in a single bite rather than save some like the older rattlers.

[Janet H]

Horrible (shudders and looks over shoulder).


My vet keeps pushing rattlesnake immunizations for the dogs... anyone know much about these?

[irishgal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harley Not even close! Take a parasitology class and you'll start seeing snakes as sweet, cuddly critters.

Lol I vividly remember parasitology!




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[REWahoo]

Those immunizations are very popular down here in my neck of the woods. I've been thinking about getting one myself...

[irishgal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janet H Horrible (shudders and looks over shoulder). My vet keeps pushing rattlesnake immunizations for the dogs... anyone know much about these?

I was wondering the same thing. I've read that the shot works for copperheads as well. I'm going to write Dr Jean Dodds who is considered to be one of the worlds experts on vaccines and immunizations for dogs.
Will let you know what she says.


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[CyclingInvestor]

I have come across 2 rattlers while hiking in the San Gabriels - both had the courtesy to warn me in time.

[MRG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodi I got a close in photo of a baby rattler several years ago. Fortunately, it was on the other side of a window. Unfortunately, it was on the INSIDE of my workplace. (I was outside the building.)

Wow! So who brought the pet rattlesnake to w*rk?

[Cedar]

A friend of mine sent me this video of a drone filming a den of rattlesnakes. Interesting video and wanted to share.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avtZJKydB-E

[rodi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRG Wow! So who brought the pet rattlesnake to w*rk?

At the time we joked that it was a reduced budget way of reducing headcount... We'd been in a cycle of layoffs for a while.

In reality - our campus was directly on an open space canyon. There were signs posted on our campus - and on the trails - to watch for rattle snakes.

[scrinch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avalon ... The dog was then bitten. In the process of the man grabbing his dog to pull it back, the snake struck him as well. ... Right now the man is in the ICU unit at a San Antonio hospital. He's facing the possibility of losing a leg.

I learned a number of years ago that there are two different types of rattlesnake venom, one that attacks tissue near the bite (causing necrosis), and one that attacks the nervous system (causing paralysis). If this guy is or was in danger of losing his leg, this was likely the more common tissue-attacking venom.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRG They do taste great.

Like rubbery, mild chicken meat with lots and lots of little rib bones!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronstar I never provoke them - the tv news said that most rattlesnake bites happen to 16-25 year old males. Probably due to provocation.

Right! That's the demographic group I was in when I found out what they taste like!

[NW-Bound]

I am not afraid of snakes, but hate venomous snakes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelover How did they train the snake to bite on command?

A receiver is implanted in the snake, allowing it to receive a signal sent by the same remote control which then triggers the camera.

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Originally Posted by DFW_M5 Here is a pic of a big Texas rattler:

One can get enough from that snake to feed a big family, and in Africa, an entire village.

[harley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cedar A friend of mine sent me this video of a drone filming a den of rattlesnakes. Interesting video and wanted to share. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avtZJKydB-E

Like I said, I like snakes. Having said that, that video gave me the screaming heebie jeebies.

[Cedar]

A good friend of mine grew up in Montana on a large ranch. She was not allowed to go outside or ride her horse without her father. He always carried a 357 magnum and 44 magnum with him at all times. She said they had about a hundred hogs on the ranch and if she or her sister fell off their horse the hogs would attack them. Her father would then shoot the hogs before they could do any damage. I asked her why would her father have these dangerous hogs on the ranch, especially with small children?

Her reply, "We had to have the hogs to kill the rattlesnakes". True story.