I don't know what the stats are in Oz but, in the US, about 50% of
venomous snake bites are dry (no venom injected). But the stats are
different by species. The overall average for coral snakes, water
moccasins and copperheads is about 40% envenomation. The average for
rattlesnakes is about 60% envenomation. The theory is that a venomous
snake is dependent on that venom for the next meal and it takes some
time to replenish it once it's used. Since we're obviously too big to
eat, better save the venom for when you really need it if you can just
scare this giant away. Biologist Archie Carr (U. of Florida) further
theorized that rattlesnakes had a higher rate of envenomation since, if
you got close enough to be bitten, you had obviously been ignoring the
warning rattle but kept coming anyhow. You must mean that snake some
harm so you're more likely to get hit.
Since so many bites are dry the first step in "treatment" is to do
nothing but observe you for a while if you are not already exhibiting
signs of envenomation. One can have serious allergic reactions to
anti-venom serum and the treatment can sometimes be worse than the bite.
Chuck Norcutt
Andrew Fildes wrote:
> Most of ours are harmless or close to it - gorgeous pythons up north
> - but we lack the common, small non-venomous types like Garter snakes.
> I'm quite fond of the Red-bellied Black Snake and the Australian
> Copperhead. Lovely docile snakes and you'll only spend a couple of
> days in hospital if bitten. :-)
> The Taipan is big, assertive and best admired from a distance - about
> 5 kilometres - and our Brown Snake is fidgetty, twitchy and gives me
> the creeps.
> But there are very few deaths here from snakebite. A young girl was
> bitten twice by a Tiger Snake the other day and that made the news -
> she was hardly harmed by the experience.
> Andrew Fildes
> afildes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
>
> On 11/01/2009, at 3:18 AM, Chuck Norcutt wrote:
>
>> But I would not recommend that you play with most of the snakes in
>> Oz or
>> a select few in the US.
>
--
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