Snakes on the plains

[Nyati]

For those of you interested in these lovely creatures, the African Snakebite Institute has a web with a lot of info on them.

It even has an app which you can load on your phone

 

[gillettehunter]

I have had a lot of interaction with snakes over the years. I was probably 6-7 yrs old and we had a flat tire out in the desert of Id. While dad changed the tire I found a rattlesnake which dad dispatched with a knife.
In my late teens I came close to stepping on one on then East Fk of the Salmon river. Seemed to be a lot of them there. My cousin was taking a dump and found one way too close. Scared the crap out of him.
In my 20's I was going to goldsmithing school in Paris Tx. One of my Sat activities was to go collect freshwater clams and look for pearls. Yes I found quite a few pearls. We would regularly find cottonmouths. They could be aggressive and we spent a bit of time dissuading them from bothering us when they tried to chase us off. . Found one that was perhaps 4 ft long. Left him alone as much as we could.
Here in Wy I've found rattlesnakes in my way when packing out elk. Most interesting is that I've found several rattlesnakes in the water. I've had at least 2 try to board my boat. Not sure if they were tired or what. I have a NO SNAKE rule in place for my boat so we dissuade them from boarding. Bet I've seen at least 5 rattlers in the water over the last 20 yrs. Couple of them have been over 4 ft long which Is big for our area.
Last trip to Africa I killed a 6 ft Cape Cobra. Pretty skinny for its length. 6 or 8 yrs ago in RSA we had a snake go into our lodging. We caught a glimpse and it was thought to be a cobra. The tracks could be seen in the sand going to the lodging. Grass roof to hide in I guess. We never saw him again which was fine with me.
Bruce

 

[Randy F]

Is it true what I’ve heard that poisonous snakes all have the evil looking snake eye pupils and non-poisonous have round pupils? Or do some poisonous snakes have round pupils? Not a mistake I want to make. I don’t really need to add to my list of stupid shit accomplished.

 

[Trogon]

In general, in the US, venomous snakes will have vertical pupils.

 

[Rimbaud]

I came upon a big copperhead last January hunting pigs in the lowlands of South Carolina. He was stretched across the path in a pine plantation, with his head and tail buried under pine straw. The snake was as thick as a man's wrist. I'm lucky I was stalking, and moving very slowly. I got the hell out of there. When we were boys, and often did not think anything through, my friend's father told us a story we have never forgotten about how quickly a little fun can go bad. When my friend's Dad was a young boy in Arkansas, he and his friends would shoot water moccasins with shotguns on the lakes and rivers. One day, they were chasing a snake in a canoe. The snake swam into an old log in the water. His friend stood up to shoot, and lost his balance and fell into the log, which was teeming with water moccasins. The boy died. My Dad, when training for a different kind of hunting, got popped in the leg by a rattler at Camp Lejeune. He killed the snake and waited to be treated.

 

[Randy F]

I came upon a big copperhead last January hunting pigs in the lowlands of South Carolina. He was stretched across the path in a pine plantation, with his head and tail buried under pine straw. The snake was as thick as a man's wrist. I'm lucky I was stalking, and moving very slowly. I got the hell out of there. When we were boys, and often did not think anything through, my friend's father told us a story we have never forgotten about how quickly a little fun can go bad. When my friend's Dad was a young boy in Arkansas, he and his friends would shoot water moccasins with shotguns on the lakes and rivers. One day, they were chasing a snake in a canoe. The snake swam into an old log in the water. His friend stood up to shoot, and lost his balance and fell into the log, which was teeming with water moccasins. The boy died. My Dad, when training for a different kind of hunting, got popped in the leg by a rattler at Camp Lejeune. He killed the snake and waited to be treated.

That’s sad and horrifying. I heard of a similar incident where a water skier fell into a “nest” of them and did not survive either.

 

[Rimbaud]

That’s sad and horrifying. I heard of a similar incident where a water skier fell into a “nest” of them and did not survive either.

It scared the hell out of us, and made us a lot more thoughtful about running through the woods, and exploring around the Chattahooche River in Atlanta.

 

[PARA45]

Spent 3 days in hospital after a copperhead nailed me. 4 courses of anti venom. I hate the bastards.

Is it true what I’ve heard that poisonous snakes all have the evil looking snake eye pupils and non-poisonous have round pupils? Or do some poisonous snakes have round pupils? Not a mistake I want to make. I don’t really need to add to my list of stupid shit accomplished.

Coral snakes come to mind, they have round eyes. But they are not aggressive at all.

 

[Randy F]

Lol. I think the term “aggressive” is pretty subjective...at least for me.

It’s a snake, for me the name is aggressive.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Left index finger. Two fellows I know lost that finger to snakes, one to a Mozambique spitting cobra, the other to a puff adder. What is it with those bastards and the left index finger?

Hand and arm swelled up like a balloon and a black line ran from the bite up to my armpit, obviously a major blood vessel, not sure what turns it black?

And yes, Mr. S&W and I had the last word in the dispute.

@WAB
I had an uncle out bush that got bitten on the finger by an Australian death adder. He fixed the problem by grabbing his axe and cutting his finger off, stuck his finger in the hot coals of the fire to stop the bleeding and drove himself to hospital.
Drastic but he lived to be in his mid 70s.
Bob

 

[PARA45]

"What do they have for "Spiders"??? "


I'm nor sure if there is an anti venom serum for spiders. We have Black Widows and Brown Recluse here. About 6 years ago I got bitten by a Green Lynx Spider, when I was mowing around a peach tree. I pushed some branches out of the way when the spider bit me, and I felt like a lightning bolt had hit my hand and it ran down my forearm. My hand hurt for about 4 hours, and the skin where I got bitten died and left a small hole. I caught the spider and told my wife about it, just in case I developed an allergic reaction. My wife google it, and found the name of the spider. Now I know what to look for and know they like to live in fruit trees. Actually they are good, they like to eat bad insect, but are extremely aggressive when they have eggs.

This is what the Green Lynx Spider looks like:

 

[Randy F]

"What do they have for "Spiders"??? "


I'm nor sure if there is an anti venom serum for spiders. We have Black Widows and Brown Recluse here. About 6 years ago I got bitten by a Green Lynx Spider, when I was mowing around a peach tree. I pushed some branches out of the way when the spider bit me, and I felt like a lightning bolt had hit my hand and it ran down my forearm. My hand hurt for about 4 hours, and the skin where I got bitten died and left a small hole. I caught the spider and told my wife about it, just in case I developed an allergic reaction. My wife google it, and found the name of the spider. Now I know what to look for and know they like to live in fruit trees. Actually they are good, they like to eat bad insect, but are extremely aggressive when they have eggs.

This is what the Green Lynx Spider looks like:

View attachment 366735

Ok wait a second! “Felt like a lightning bolt”...”hurt for 4 hours”...”skin died”...”left a hole”..............”they are good”.

Oh HELL no!! You did not just say that! Lol.
I don’t care what the context is, I would have snipered Noah right in the ass if I had been there when he was letting those two on the boat!!!

 

[Randy F]

What do they have for "Spiders"???

Grenades. I’m going with Grenades.

 

[Ryan]

My first hunt in Namibia we were all relaxing one evening when the dog started barking at the rocks below the deck. My host, Tim, hit the rocks with a flash light and there was a spitting cobra working its way on by. He dropped the light and headed indoors for the shotgun. By the time he came back out it had vacated. He didn't take to spitting cobras around the houses. A couple days later a rock python got the dogs attention. We looked it over and let it be. And on the final day, when we were all packed up in the truck leaving there was another spitting cobra in the drive. I said "cobra" as we drove right over it in between the wheels. Tim said "where?" And I replied we ran over it and it was already in the rear view mirror in it's classic pissed off pose. He slammed on the breaks, got out and started chasing the thing with a big stick. Didn't get it, but that was an interesting moment. Saw a couple different vipers on the roads in Etosha Nat'l Park on that trip. Took a picture or two, let them be. Next trip to Namibia, same place but hunting with the other owner of the farm, Wilferd. He was telling me about the hollow in a leadwood tree we weren't but a yard from often had lizard, which attracted boomslangs. Then I looked down at the base of the tree and there in that hollow was a puff adder coiled up waiting for an unsuspecting rodent to walk by. We backed up and let it be. Definitely keeps you wary.

Last trip, in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, I ran into a rock monitor. Ornery thing, all hissing at us, but pretty cool.

 

[Paul Raley]

I would like to know more about the Black Mambas.

I went to a talk about Big Game hunting in Africa and the PH giving the talk said that those were the one thing that really worried him in Africa.

He said that they could rise up to waist height. And if bitten, not much that could be done. (He was really selling the appeal of safaris to us!!!) I think he was referring to Mozambique.

The Black Mamba is definitely a dangerous snake but a lot of the stories about them are often exaggerated , they are often described as aggressive , but many experts describe as being more “nervous” than aggressive . At one stage if one got bitten by a Black Mamba is a 100% mortality rate , but at some stage doctors realized if bite victims were given anti-venom and put onto life support and treated symptomatically that most victims would survive . The venom is a fast acting neurotoxin and if not treated quickly the bite victim can very easily die . Obviously there are variables such as how much venom is injected , size and physical condition of the bite victim . There are cases where some people that have been bitten are in dire straits within minutes of the bite , others have survived an hour or more without treatment . A friend of mine here in SA was bitten by a Black Mamba while on a hunting trip , his family rushed him to the nearest town ( Hoedspruit) for treatment . If memory serves me correct he only got treatment about 40 mins after he was bitten by that time he was already having difficulty breathing and the effects of the venom were having obvious impact on his central nervous system . He is a big guy at 6ft5” and with treatment survived (including life support ) he was able to leave the hospital a couple of days later .
As a rule I do not kill snakes especially if I am out in the bush as that is their place more than mine , but I do have a healthy respect for the venomous ones and leave them alone as long as they are not a threat to me , if they are then I will move them to a safer place for all involved .
I suppose I am a bit different to most as I love snakes and have been catching and keeping snakes since a young age , today I no longer keep snakes but am part of a group of persons that remove / rescue snakes in our community . In the area where I live which is the Highveld in Gauteng SA we have quite a few venomous snakes the most common one is the Rinkhals , although venomous it is not as dangerous as the Black Mamba . In my opinion snakes are wonderful creatures and where possible they should be left alone , people such as hunters that love being in the bush / outdoors should educate themselves about snakes , this way fewer snakes will get killed ( especially the harmless ones ) and fewer people will get bitten , but I can obviously understand that there are times when venomous snakes are killed due to being a threat to persons / other animals .
Whilst hunting it is always a highlight for me if I see a snake , especially if it is something unusual like a big Mamba or big Rock Python .

 

[Bearbait1]

prarie rattlers are fairly docile. Black tail rattlers are very aggressive. if you miss with the catch stick the first time they will come after you. pretty easy to outrun but definately gets the adrenaline going. Green Mojave rattlers are the noisiest buzztails i’ve been around. Ive found many while driving desert roads and heard them buzzing up to 30’ off the road. I assume the vibrations of the vehicle get them going.

 

[GeoffB]

I have been wandering around the Australian bush a lot over the last 35+ years I have had my fair share of encounters with snakes. I had an unfortunate ancounter with a Red Bellied Black snake about 30 years ago.
Red Bellied Black snake are a medium grade venomous snake in Australia. They look mean and have a gloss black topside with red trimmings. See image below.

I received the bite when I sat on a large old log for a drink of water while out hunting with a friend one morning. The snake was laying behind the log in the grass (I did not see him) and he raised up and belted me on the back of my right elbow. It felt like someone had kicked me with a boot on from behind it hit with such force. My hunting buddy was able to shoot the snake (bag it up for identification - required back then) then help me put a pressure bandage on. We were close to the 4 X 4 Toyota at the time so he raced back to the vehicle and picked me and the the dead snake up. He then raced me to the local medical center in the nearest town about an hours drive from where we were hunting. I remember the pain was excruciating with the venom feeling like it was burning lava running up my arm and across my chest. On the drive into town I suffered nausea, headache and excessive sweating. The medical staff administered antivenom at the time (this was a common snake in the area) and I stayed overnight for observation. My buddy picked me up the following day.
I had massive bruising about 3 to 4 inches each side of the bit site area for months later with a numb tingling sensation in the area for almost a year. Overall something I do not want to experience again.

Roll forward to about a year ago when my local hunting club invited a medical educator to deliver a talk on snake bit treatment. He then passed on a summary of his talk via our club newsletter. Here it is below. It helped me get a better understanding of snake bite treatment.

How To Treat Snake Bites
This article was written by Rob Timmings a medical educator from ECT4HEALTH Pty Ltd, Toowoomba, QLD, Australia.

‘With the summer heat come snakes. There have been 3000 bites reported annually, with 300 –500 hospitalisations and 2 –3 deaths annually. The average time to death is 12 h. While not new, the management of snake bite should be refreshed regularly. There are five genera of snakes that will harm us; Brown, Blacks, Adders, Tigers and Taipan. All snake venom is made of huge proteins (like egg white). When a snake bites, it injects some venom into the meat of your limb (Not into your blood). This venom cannot be absorbed into your blood stream from the bite site. Instead, it travels in a fluid transport system in your body called the Lymphatic System. This fluid (Lymph) is moved differently to blood. Your heart pumps blood around the body, so even if you are lying still your blood still circulates the body. Lymph fluid is different. It moves around with physical muscle movement, like bending your arm, knees, wriggling fingers, toes or walking around. The Lymphatic System eventually connects to your blood. This happens where the lymph vessels converge to form one of two large vessels (Lymphatic Trunks) which are connected to veins at the base of the neck. The only way that the venom can get into your blood stream is for it to be moved from the bite site in the Lymphatic vessels. The only way to do this is to physically move the limbs that were bitten. So, stay still !!. Venom cannot move if the victim does not move. In the 1980’s a technique called Pressure Immobilisation bandaging was developed to further retard venom movement. It completely stops venom-lymph transport towards the blood stream. A firm roll bandage is applied directly over the bite site (DO NOT Wash the area.).The technique has three steps: keep the victim still. Step 1. Apply a bandage over the bite site, to an area about 10cm above and below the bite.

Using another elastic roller bandage apply a firm wrap from fingers/toes all the way to the armpit/groin. The bandage needs to be firm, but not so tight that it causes fingers or toes to turn purple or white -about the tension of a sprain bandage. Step 3. Splint the limb so the patient cannot walk or bend the limb. Do NOT cut, incise or suck the venom. Do NOT use a tourniquet. Do NOT remove clothes, just bandage over the top of the clothing. Do NOT try to catch or kill the snake. Hospitals NO LONGER NEED to know the type of snake that bit the patient; it does not change the treatment. Now there is a new type of anti-venom which neutralises the venom of all the different snake genera. So it does not matter what snake species bit the victim. One anti-venom for all snakes –Polyvalent -is the one shot wonder stocked in all hospitals. Australian snakes tend to have 3 main effects in differing degrees. Bleeding -internally and bruising; Muscles paralysed causing difficulty talking, breathing and moving; Pain. Not all bitten people are envenomated and only those showing symptoms are given the anti-venom.

 

[Zambezi]

Is it true what I’ve heard that poisonous snakes all have the evil looking snake eye pupils and non-poisonous have round pupils? Or do some poisonous snakes have round pupils? Not a mistake I want to make. I don’t really need to add to my list of stupid shit accomplished.

I have heard that this is GENERALLY correct for North American snakes but it does NOT apply to snakes of Africa. There is no hard and fast rule for African snakes to ascertain which are venomous and which are not.

As example the Boomslang is drop for drop Africa's most potent venom and that snake has a huge round eye. And they are usually not aggressive.

 

[PARA45]

@Randy F, yeah all creatures have a purpose in life, and it was my fault for smashing her nest. I know where they like to hang out now, and now I can spot them easily. Sometimes I'll catch them, and relocate them somewhere else in the yards.

@Paul Raley, we have the same feeling towards snakes. I do not kill snakes either, something my wife doesn't quite understand. For her, a good snake is a dead snake, preferably a head less snake.

I was wondering when our friends from Australia where going to jump in. You guys have more venomous snakes than any other country in the world. LOL!!!!!

 

[PARA45]

Look at this big Banana Spider, she lives on the back 40 of my yard. I've seen some big bugs in her web. This thing is huge, one of the biggest one I've ever seen. LOL.