Spamiam Posted January 11, 2005 Share Posted January 11, 2005 Someone posted this link in the regional forum(impressive, huh?) I figured that folks in the habit of walking the open country will probably run across a snake from time to time. In 2002 I was bitten on the toes by a copperhead. I had a bit of time on my hands (vs my feet) during the 8 week recovery, and put together a snakes and snakebite guide. I thought someone here might benefit from it. Spam's Snakes and Snakebite Guide Be sure to read about field treatment, and what to keep in your first aid kit! Happy Hunting, Spam Quote Link to comment
+AuntieWeasel Posted January 11, 2005 Share Posted January 11, 2005 That was interesting. Though anyone who regards black snakes as "good" clearly doesn't keep chickens Any lingering ill effects? Quote Link to comment
coolclay Posted January 11, 2005 Share Posted January 11, 2005 Very nice page spam, I like it. If you don't know already know I was bit by a timber rattler on my finger this past summer, right before graduation. Just be glad you didn't sit in the hospital for 10 days. I felt fine the whole time, they couldn't let me out because my blood platelet level was at 5,000 a normal persons is 250,000-500,000. You can see some of my pictures on my website at http://www.worldzone.net/nature/coolclay/mepicts.htm. Luckily I have insurance, antivenon, is not cheap. Quote Link to comment
Spamiam Posted January 11, 2005 Author Share Posted January 11, 2005 Oh MY! You tried to pick it up? ACK! Bet ya don't do *that* again! When I was bitten, 2 things were prominent in my thoughts: "At least it was on my toes" and "Thank God it wasn't a rattlesnake!" Relatively speaking, I was *LUCKY*! Compared to some of the rattlesnake bite photos I've seen, you did OK yerself. For us luckier ones (again, relatively speaking), it's an, um, interesting experience, isn't it? I was among the rare few that just walked into the wrong place at the wrong time, and didn't see it. Most people who are bitten are trying to kill, harass, or get a closer look at the snake. Snakes don't take kindly to that kinda thing. Quote Link to comment
coolclay Posted January 11, 2005 Share Posted January 11, 2005 Yea, will I am just a herp (reptiles/amphibians) freak I guess. I just can't resist the urge to grab a snake, especially a rattler. It's alright you can call me stupid, I don't mind. Quote Link to comment
+2qwerqE Posted January 11, 2005 Share Posted January 11, 2005 Here's one I came across at this cache in Indiana.Wayside Repose Pretty, isn't he? Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted January 11, 2005 Share Posted January 11, 2005 (edited) One of my favorites is they always say to "stay calm" after a rattlesnake bite. I know I should but I guarantee my heart rate goes through the roof if I'm on the receiving end. I'd probably go into shock within 2 minutes. Here's an interesting snake thread in the northeast forum, with plenty of cool photos. You wouldn't think someplace like New Jersey would have poisionous snakes, but we have a pretty healthy copperhead population and rattlesnakes seem to be making a comeback. I had to put rattlesnake warnings on a few of my cache pages when finders reported rattlesnakes hanging out nearby on a number of ocassions. Here's one we encountered while walking back to the car from a cache: Edited January 11, 2005 by briansnat Quote Link to comment
+2qwerqE Posted January 11, 2005 Share Posted January 11, 2005 and this one, a harmless eastern bullnose snake, at this cache (now archived.)Degrees Quote Link to comment
Spamiam Posted January 11, 2005 Author Share Posted January 11, 2005 One of my favorites is they always say to "stay calm" after a rattlesnake bite. I know I should but I guarantee my heart rate goes through the roof of I'm on the receiving end. I'd probably go into shock within 2 minutes. I'm sure I've said the same thing before. You might just surprise yourself. Once I realized why my toes were stinging (aka the snake hit me again, at which time I noticed it), I had that big surge of adrenaline where the "fight or flight" instinct kicked in. Left the heart pounding pretty good for a few minutes there. But I told myself, "Face it, you're bit. There's nothing you can do about that but calm down and get help". It worked. The ambulance guys commented on my surprisingly great attitude (we told a few snake jokes, and I asked about the possibility of stopping by McDonalds, and if they offered in-route pedicures). It really helped the mood for all of us. I was the first snakebite victim they'd ever had. No matter what happens, it's happened. Gotta go from there. Those are some GREAT photos up there! And that thread in the other regional forum is SUPER! Thanks!! See, I'm such a noob. But I did figure geo-folks rans across these things from time to time. What scares me more than snakes are black widows and brown recluse spiders. Hate to have that experience! *shudder* Quote Link to comment
Spamiam Posted January 11, 2005 Author Share Posted January 11, 2005 (edited) Hey Coolclay... You DO carry EpiPens, right? (Spam doubts he does - Will some wealthy cacher please leave EpiPens in Clay's caches...) (edited to add EpiPen link) Edited January 11, 2005 by Spamiam Quote Link to comment
+NickL Posted January 11, 2005 Share Posted January 11, 2005 A couple/few (hopefully not several) important points. First off EpiPens (or other similar items) are by prescription only. They have not inexpensive and they have a very limited shelf life (18 months if I remember correctly). Doctors in my experience only prescribe them to people that are at risk due to medical history (i.e. have had sever reaction to insect bites or stings, strong food allergies to common food items (i.e. peanuts). It is generally bad to kill any snake. They are part of the ecosystem, and they do not attach humans without cause and they do prey on small animals, which are a larger nuisance than snakes. There are some areas were snakes are a larger nuisance. Even in Texas were they are know for their Rattlesnake Roundups, most of the snakes are released back into nature after they are milked. By the way there is one thing that Indiana Jones and myself share and that is we both hate snakes, you will not see me having them as a pet or going out of my way to handle or touch one. It is never a good idea to reach into a hole or hollow thing while out in the woods (AKA great outdoors). Those same spots were we hide caches assorted small animals use as homes. Being attached by a small fuzzy creature can be just as bad as being bitten by a venomous snake. So even if you see the cache container it is not a bad idea to poke it with a stick or shine a light around it, depending on your area. While bush waking to the cache it is good idea to not just look out but down as well. I tend to follow game trails as much as I can. This in addition to making it a little easier to move through the woods lets me move through those same woods a little bit quieter. In addition to the many deer that I have spooked up I have seen snakes, lizards, mink, beavers, and way too many bunnies. If it is about the hunt and the trip learn to move a little slower and quieter and you may be surprised what you may have missed in the past. Quote Link to comment
+Doc-Dean Posted January 11, 2005 Share Posted January 11, 2005 Good article on this topic -> Today's Cacher - How to Survive Snakebites Quote Link to comment
+Papa Bill Posted January 11, 2005 Share Posted January 11, 2005 We eat them critters around here... Like Spamiam said, watch for the spiders, they are smaller, and easier to over look and will cause a lot of misery... I find brown recluse's all over... Quote Link to comment
coolclay Posted January 11, 2005 Share Posted January 11, 2005 Hey Coolclay... You DO carry EpiPens, right? (Spam doubts he does - Will some wealthy cacher please leave EpiPens in Clay's caches...) laugh.gif Spam you're great, I think you and I would get along great. Quote Link to comment
Spamiam Posted January 12, 2005 Author Share Posted January 12, 2005 First off EpiPens (or other similar items) are by prescription only. They have not inexpensive and they have a very limited shelf life (18 months if I remember correctly). Doctors in my experience only prescribe them to people that are at risk due to medical history (i.e. have had sever reaction to insect bites or stings, strong food allergies to common food items (i.e. peanuts). Anyone who has been bitten by a venomous snake should have gotten an EpiPen prescription, and if they didn't then they should. (The main reason it's prescription only is that one should undergo a heart check before using it, lest they risk a heart attack.) It is common for one bitten by a venomous snake to react sensitively to a subsequent bite. Anaphylactic shock has been seen in victims of second bites when no abnormal reactions were experienced with the initial bite. It's in my snakebite guide in the "Special Advisory" section. It is generally bad to kill any snake. Can't say that enough! I totally agree! you will not see me having them as a pet or going out of my way to handle or touch one. I'll pick up a greensnake every time. They're my favorites. I think they're fun to handle, and they seem to like it, too - especially if there's a chill in the air. They think you're a Godsent heater. It is never a good idea to reach into a hole or hollow thing while out in the woods (AKA great outdoors). Those same spots were we hide caches assorted small animals use as homes. Can't say that enough, either! Kids get especially excited and will go feeling under rocks and inside hollow trees in a heartbeat! The ones with me did - and they're Scouts! I get excited myself and catch myself about to do dumb things like that. This is a great reminder, and I thank you for it. I can't hear this advice enough. When I read here about using a mirror to look inside possible cache spots, I had not thought of that! What excellent advice! It's on my checklist now... See how great y'all are? And see how easy it is for we noobies to overlook the obvious? Even when I'm an old veteran with 10,000 caches logged , I'll never tire of seeing such great messages repeated. It'll always be new to somebody, and it may just save a life here and there. Thanks for this great board, and all of the great advice. I take something from here every time I visit. I just hope I can occasionally leave something in return. Quote Link to comment
Spamiam Posted January 12, 2005 Author Share Posted January 12, 2005 I give. Why didn't the quotes work? Oh well. Y'all can follow it, I'm sure. Quote Link to comment
Spamiam Posted January 12, 2005 Author Share Posted January 12, 2005 We eat them critters around here... Like Spamiam said, watch for the spiders, they are smaller, and easier to over look and will cause a lot of misery... I find brown recluse's all over... *shudder* And finding brown recluses would be creepy, too! Quote Link to comment
Spamiam Posted January 12, 2005 Author Share Posted January 12, 2005 Good article on this topic -> Today's Cacher - How to Survive Snakebites Great article, Doc Dean - Thanks for the link! It is duly bookmarked and will be Spammed. Quote Link to comment
Spamiam Posted January 12, 2005 Author Share Posted January 12, 2005 Hey Coolclay... You DO carry EpiPens, right? (Spam doubts he does - Will some wealthy cacher please leave EpiPens in Clay's caches...) laugh.gif Spam you're great, I think you and I would get along great. You're pretty rockin' yourself, Clay...and we already do, don't we? After all, we have an arm and a leg in common! Out of curiosity, were you a Scout? If so, are you still involved? If you're not involved, and if you ever find the time, you could really make a difference in some kid's lives by looking up your local Scout troop. Quote Link to comment
Kybra Posted January 12, 2005 Share Posted January 12, 2005 One thing to remember, different snake venoms react differently and the treatment of a bite will differ from species type to type. All Australian snakes are of very simular species hence their venoms work in a very simular way. The correct first aid here is to totally imobilise the limb with a splint, start with an elastic bandage at the wound and tightly bandage down to the extremity, ie if bitten on the leg bandage down to the toes, then bandage the entire limb, by placing a coin over the wound as you start to bandage you can identify to medics the exact location of the bite, they then can cut the bandages away from this area and leave the rest of the bandages in place. when bandaging imobilise the joints, movement at joints and fingers and toes works like a pump to move the venom further around the body. Reassure the patient and keep their movement to a minimum and of course get medical help as soon as possible. this is the most recent first aid advice for Australian snake bites but my best advice to everyone is to check with medical advisers in your country as different species venom need different first aid treatment. The main thing to remember is venomous snakes do not actively hunt man and snake bites result from a provoked attack, you may not actually be aware that you are provoking an attack, so keep an eye on where you are putting your feet and hands. Quote Link to comment
+ebengreene Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 (edited) I just wanted to point out that for those of us with PDAs, Spamiam's Snakes and Snakebite Guide converts FLAWLESSLY to Plucker. So, you can have the info with you in the field, in the same folder as Cachemate if you want. Thanks Spamiam - the conversion to Plucker was so perfect it must have been intentional. Ben (I don't use iSilo, but I'm sure it would work well in it and other PDA readers as well.) Edited January 13, 2005 by ebengreene Quote Link to comment
+JohnnyVegas Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 (edited) We saw a large rattle snake on the way back from our 100th find. Julie got a little freaked by it, I told who to just let him have the right of way as he crossed the trail a few feet in fron of us. At the time I did not own a dig. camera, now I do and always taked caching. Thanks for including the link to the Sawyer Extractor Pump, that is a very good item it carry. I just wish they would take those little rubber suction cups kits (That do not work)off the market. Edited January 13, 2005 by JohnnyVegas Quote Link to comment
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