# Snake Bite



## Whisper (Aug 22, 2013)

I'm looking for specific (not general) information on Snake Bites. Ideally, if someone here has been bitten I'd like to pick your brain. 

What i'm looking for is how it affects a person step by step.

My goal is to try and describe one of my characters getting bitten and what happens to him up to the moment of death.

:mask:


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## BreakingMyself (Aug 22, 2013)

My brother in law has been bitten multiple times, but it was all pain and blood. No necrosis, fevers or death I'm afraid!


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## Whisper (Aug 22, 2013)

Do you know what type of snakes bit him?


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## John_O (Aug 22, 2013)

I rescue snakes. I've only been bitten once by a Black Rat Snake, on my hand. No big deal.Felt like a bee sting, trickle of blood and a couple puncture marks.
 Never been tagged by a venomous snake yet. Sorry :mrgreen:


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## Whisper (Aug 23, 2013)

I called up the North Carolina zoo and spoke to a snake guy. He gave me a lot of good info.


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## BreakingMyself (Aug 23, 2013)

Whisper said:


> Do you know what type of snakes bit him?



I shall ask him and get back to you with info.

The only two I've witnessed him get was a nip from my Garter snake, it barely whitened the skin. They're like shoelaces so not much damage, even if they really go for you. The other was a venomous Hognose, luckily they're rear-fanged and it just drew blood, he didn't recieve a 'hot' bite.


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## Terry D (Aug 23, 2013)

It very much depends on the type of snake, or more accurately, the type of venom. There are two basic sorts, neurotoxic venom, and hemotoxic venom. Their effects are quite different.


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## Whisper (Aug 23, 2013)

Terry D said:


> It very much depends on the type of snake, or more accurately, the type of venom. There are two basic sorts, neurotoxic venom, and hemotoxic venom. Their effects are quite different.



Yeah. I studied snakes when I was younger. Wanted to be that zoo snake guy.
In my story the person is going to get bit by a rattlesnake. Since it's an Apoc story there is no snake venom available, so the kid is going to die. But, I wanted to accurately describe what he goes through before dying. 

According to the snake keeper there are a standard list of symptoms, but not everyone gets them all and they happen at various speeds. So I have some room to play with.

I did find reference to an antivenom called Confab. It's made in the lab and I'm trying to figure out if it needs to be refrigerated as there are references to power form.


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## Terry D (Aug 23, 2013)

Most rattlesnake bites are non-fatal events.  Not just because of the availability of antivenin, but because most snake bites don't inject enough venom to be fatal to humans, or because not enough venom makes it into the blood stream. The bites themselves are very painful usually with tissue discoloration (you can probably find some graphic photos by Googling 'rattlesnake bite images') and severe swelling. Sometimes, but not always, the tissue around the bite will begin to break-down and eventually become necrotic. The swelling and pain will spread as the venom spreads--more quickly if the venom makes it into the blood stream in sufficient quantity. As the blood breaks down it will start to clot and it is those clots which will cause death. That can happen from a pulmonary embolism if the clot hits the lungs, a coronary thrombosis if it happens in the heart, or a thrombotic stroke if it happens in the brain. If you want the best chance for your character to die by rattlesnake bite it should be a western diamondback which bites him. They are the biggest and pack the largest doses of venom. Or he could take multiple bites from multiple snakes.


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## John_O (Aug 23, 2013)

BreakingMyself said:


> The other was a venomous Hognose, luckily they're rear-fanged and it just drew blood, he didn't recieve a 'hot' bite.



Technically Hognose snakes are not listed as venomous. Their saliva is considered toxic to prey, but not to humans.


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## BreakingMyself (Aug 23, 2013)

John_O said:


> Technically Hognose snakes are not listed as venomous. Their saliva is considered toxic to prey, but not to humans.



 Technically it's still venom, hence, venomous. But, yes, it's very weak. 

EDIT: Not their saliva, yes that is toxic but they do have venom too. Shh, no one needs to know I posted without thinking.


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## Whisper (Aug 23, 2013)

Terry D said:


> Most rattlesnake bites are non-fatal events. Not just because of the availability of antivenin, but because most snake bites don't inject enough venom to be fatal to humans, or because not enough venom makes it into the blood stream. The bites themselves are very painful usually with tissue discoloration (you can probably find some graphic photos by Googling 'rattlesnake bite images') and severe swelling. Sometimes, but not always, the tissue around the bite will begin to break-down and eventually become necrotic. The swelling and pain will spread as the venom spreads--more quickly if the venom makes it into the blood stream in sufficient quantity. As the blood breaks down it will start to clot and it is those clots which will cause death. That can happen from a pulmonary embolism if the clot hits the lungs, a coronary thrombosis if it happens in the heart, or a thrombotic stroke if it happens in the brain. If you want the best chance for your character to die by rattlesnake bite it should be a western diamondback which bites him. They are the biggest and pack the largest doses of venom. Or he could take multiple bites from multiple snakes.



Based on where they are currently it's going to have to be a Timber Rattlesnake and probably a young one as my research indicates they have less control over thier venom output. 

I found a reall good site for this.
Snakebite Toxicity

There's a pretty nice video as well on the site.


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## Whisper (Aug 23, 2013)

This is interesting:
What I'm finding out about the Timber Rattlesnake is that in the North Timber Rattlesake venom is a hemotoxian, but in the South it's a neurotoxin. In the south the Timber Rattlesnake is also called the Canebreak.


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