Snakebite

[AfterDark]

Been there done that . Not, really. I've traveled two years by foot from South Africa aaaalll the way to Egypt. After that lengthy experience, I am positively 100% sure that the most dangerous animal that we've met was other human beings (by FAR!!! especially crowded cities, or in remote areas where even kids wander around with AK47's and RPG's), followed by mosquitoes, microscopic creatures in the drinking water, wild bees & wasps and so on- lions, elephants, buffaloes, crocodiles, snakes and the such close the list, as they usually are intimidated when smelling, hearing/sensing or seeing humans- they usually go away.

Met a Great White Shark only once, but ignorance was a bliss: we (me and the bunch of friends that joined the dive) were too ignorant of what was actually circling us for a couple of minutes, so we just enjoyed the magnificent fish. Only after the dive we realized we've met a GWS...

I remember back in the 70's reading about Cousteu's 1st GW encounter. While diving off the coast of South Africa they saw an est. 25 foot GW, he said when the shark saw them it took a big dump and swam away fast.

 

[Dsix36]

I have had rattlesnakes and a copperhead bite through my heavy duty leather work boots and manage to get me. I see absolutely no reason that a cottonmouth could not do the same thing. Please remember that it does not always require a complete bite (puncture) to cause great pain, discomfort or death. Just breaking the skin with a scratch is enough to let the venom start doing its nasty work.

Many others have offered the advice that snakes are cowards and will try to run from you if given the chance. This is pretty much the case and if they are given enough time to clear the path, there should be no issues with running into any. The one exception that I am aware of is when a rattlesnake reachs the "old dog" stage. They get old, loose there rattles (no more warning noises), and tend to be very mean. These snakes do not tend to run off like they used to.

 

[kasdeva]

I live in South Africa and grew up on a farm. Rattle snakes, cobras and puff adders were everywhere. Just ignore them. Make some noise and they will go away. The ONLY time you will get bitten is if you step on a snake or corner it. To step on a snake is really hard if you make a lot of noise stumbling through the veldt in your diving gear.

 

[Randy g]

Here's what a "real" diver would do..........If you see one, grab it, stuff your reg in its mouth and fill it up like a smb. That should teach that snake and all his buddies not to mess with the guys in the black suits and air tanks on their back.

 

[SWAMPY459]

I live in South Africa and grew up on a farm. Rattle snakes, cobras and puff adders were everywhere. Just ignore them. Make some noise and they will go away. The ONLY time you will get bitten is if you step on a snake or corner it. To step on a snake is really hard if you make a lot of noise stumbling through the veldt in your diving gear.

There are no rattlesnakes in Africa.

 

[Mark Michaud SELAUSAR]

About 16 or 17 years ago I was with our local Sheriffs Office Divers and there were pulling a vehicle. When one of the guys surfaced he had a large Moccasin attached to the back of his 3mm wetsuit. It came loose and swam away. The diver, and the rest of us didn't like it one bit. The fangs didn't go through, no scratch or anything and it was pretty fat. I do prefer diving in the winter since a large amount of mine is in the local rivers which include Honey Island Swamp, Bogue Chitto and Big Branch preserves.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

I don't know much about them, but found this:

Cottonmouth, Water Moccasin

Kentucky Snake Identification Site

Agkistrodon piscivorus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The aggressiveness of these snakes has been greatly exaggerated. In tests designed to measure the various behavioral responses by wild specimens to encounters with people, 23 of 45 (51%) tried to escape, while 28 of 36 (78%) resorted to threat displays and other defensive tactics. Only when they were picked up with a mechanical hand were they likely to bite.^[17]
When sufficiently stressed or threatened, this species engages in a characteristic threat display that includes vibrating its tail and throwing its head back with its mouth open to display the startling white interior,^[11] often making a loud hiss while the neck and front part of the body are pulled into an S-shaped position.^[18] Many of its common names, including "cottonmouth" and "gapper", refer to this behavior, while its habit of snapping its jaws shut when anything touches its mouth has earned it the name "trap-jaw" in some areas.^[19] Other defensive responses can include flattening the body^[18] and emitting a strong, pungent secretion from the anal glands located at the base of the tail.^[7] This musk may be ejected in thin jets if the snake is sufficiently agitated or restrained. The smell has been likened to that of a billy goat, as well as to a genus of common flood plain weeds, Pluchea, that also have a penetrating odor.^[9]

Copperhead

Agkistrodon contortrix - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Like most North American viperids, these snakes prefer to avoid humans and, given the opportunity, will leave the area without biting. However, unlike other viperids they will often "freeze" instead of slithering away, and as a result many bites occur from people unknowingly stepping on or near them.^[11] This tendency to freeze most likely evolved because of the extreme effectiveness of their camouflage. When lying on dead leaves or red clay, they can be almost impossible to notice. They will frequently stay still even when approached closely, and will generally strike only if physical contact is made.

 

[NAM001]

i HAVE TO AGEREE WITH THE ABOVE. However comma, i have had little 6" snakes that looked like small copperheads adn cottonmouths like heads chase me from end to end in a pool. Cotton mouths have always run from me when they hear me but when it is cold out they lay in the sun to warm they dont do much when they are cold. but step on them and they will strike cause they seem too cold to run. copperheads just lay there and only seem to move only if they have to. i believe they are 2 different snakes. By that i mean one i think is a nural toxin and the other is a tissue putrifier or something like that. And as long as we are talking about such things, would one toss in gators into the mix. I hava only crossed paths with less than a dozen cotton mouths but i have bunches of copperheads on the property in bushes creeeks ect. Even some coral snakes. If ever gators show up then the wife will mow the lawn. In general i hate snakes

 

[ams511]

I am unsure of what help a buddy is going to be (unless s/he is a medical professional) if you are bit by a snake while entering or exiting the water. Your best would be to dial 911, relax, and wait for the paramedics.

 

[drrich2]

Following up a post I noticed earlier on this thread, snakes are deaf. It's believed some can perceive vibrations through the ground, so making a big disturbance as you go around might 'send a message' that way, but be aware snakes cannot hear you via sound through air.

Cottonmouth venom is hemotoxic, not neurotoxic.

Richard.