May 31 Report

[vernon]

As much as being bitten by a snake terrifys me, it's actually dying from the heart attack (and likely stroke) that goes along with it that really scares me the most!

[Okiedog]

For what its worth at one time it was being considered to take Copperheads off the dangerous snake list, due to what was posted earlier, no one has been killed by one.

They felt that young children and the elderly "could" die from a bite so they left them on the list.

as far as Cottonmouths go, if you see a short, fat, black snake in the water, it is more than likely a Cottonmouth. If your close enough and can identify a small white patch/stripe under the eye, then it IS a Cottonmouth.

By FAR most people mistake Banded Water Snakes or "water moccassins" for Cottonmouths.

When I was a kid growing up in Oklahoma, Cottonmouths at times were as thick as flies, but even then you would see probably 10 banded water snakes for every 1 Cottonmouth.

[Okiedog]

I have a question, or a concern, for those of you that fish a lot at night,

do you have much of a problem with snakes sneaking in over the transom?

[Bill Babler]

Little more research on the copperheads. There are over 3000 bites by copperheads every year. There have only in the history of records been two deaths contributed to the bites. One was a reaction to the horse suyrum and the other was mulitple bites, by multiple snakes. No details on the person that was bit by all the different heads at the same time. For sure sounds like being in the wrong place at the wrong time. One report I read said if you die from a copperhead bite, it was probably just your time, or there was really something else wrong with you in conjunction with the bite. Copperheads, just don't kill people. Still would hate to be nipped!

Yes, I have had snakes come in the boat at night. Was retrieving a lure once in the brush, and had a watersnake shake loose and fall into the boat. Partner jumped out immediatly as it hit right at his feet. I would still be laughing at that one, except he lost is rod and reel in the lake when he jumped in.

[glennL]

guys.... now i'm thinking of selling my lakehoue and never going into the lake again. snakes alive!

[jay bird]

I work in Hand Rehab and have seen some Snake bites that have needed therapy after the fact secondary to the swelling. Never treated a copperhead bite on a adult, but have on a kid, the cottonmouth bites I have seen on the hand where pretty bad, but the worse bite I have seen was from a Pygmy Rattler. Multiple bites on both arms it was a really bad deal. 80% of the bites I have seen ( less than 10 in 13 years) have been from people/kids picking up the snake for some reason or another.

[flipper]

I work in Hand Rehab and have seen some Snake bites that have needed therapy after the fact secondary to the swelling. Never treated a copperhead bite on a adult, but have on a kid, the cottonmouth bites I have seen on the hand where pretty bad, but the worse bite I have seen was from a Pygmy Rattler. Multiple bites on both arms it was a really bad deal. 80% of the bites I have seen ( less than 10 in 13 years) have been from people/kids picking up the snake for some reason or another.

my grandad was bit on the little toe by a rattler back in the early sixtys. stepped out on the back porch at night to take a leak. He lived 20 min. from nearest hosp.The doc that treated him said if he wasn't as big a man as he was or longer getting care it would of killed him. Mom said his leg was the size and color of a stove pipe.