got bit by copperhead

[softturtle]

Is that fatal?

no?

 

[gmail1621]

Looks like a Midland Watersnake, Nerodia sipedon pleuralis, to me. http://www.knology.net/~korell/nasnakes.htm

Click the link Midland watersnake to see a picture that looks like the one posted here.

 

[sandtiger]

my bad
for some reason i was thinking cotton mouth.

you are correct sir

the amount of venom a single copperhead can deliver is insufficient to kill an otherwise healthy adult human. It is capable of, however, producing intense pain, tingling, throbbing, swelling, and severe nausea. While rarely lethal, a copperhead bite can be damaging to muscle and bone tissue, especially when the bite occurs in the outer extremities such as the hands and feet, areas in which there is not a large muscle mass to absorb the venom. A bite from any venomous snake should be taken very seriously and immediate medical attention sought.

In the state of Missouri about 200 people suffer from snakebite each year, mostly from copperheads, but there are no records of deaths resulting. Although, technically the antivenom CroFab could be used to treat an envenomation from a copperhead, it is not typically administered as the risk of complications through an allergic reaction to the treatment is greater than the risk from the snakebite itself. Pain management, antibiotics, and medical supervision in the case of complications is typically the course of action.

You forgot to link your source.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agkistrodon_contortrix

I also agree that's it's not a coppermouth.

 

[RadleyMiller]

I agree, it is not a copperhead. It may be a water snake, or perhaps a fox snake.

A few people have suggested the posability of a dry bite, and suggested that young snake are mor venomous than adult snakes. These two assumptions go hand in hand, but both are false. A baby snake does not posses more potent venom then the adults, they simply lack the ability to control how much venom is injected. This means every bite from a baby snake will be a hot bite, were as not evry bite from an adult snake contains venom becuase they can control its use.

Somone else expresed the fear that you would be dead or paralized if you had been bitten by a copperhead. This also is not true. Copperheads posses hemotoxic venom, meaning it destroys blood cells and tissue but dose not cause paralasis. Also it is very rare to die from a copperhead. I do not recall the exact numbers right now, but it takes somthing like 100 mg. of venom to kill a healthy adult. However copperheads are only capable of injecting about 75 mg. of venom. Most deaths occur due to reactoins or from bite from multiple snakes.

One of the instructers were I got my degree (recreation and wildlife management) was biten by one of the copperheads he kept. He recieved the bite in a moment of stupidity (talking to a girl on the phone to schedule a date while trying to change the snakes water) He described the bite as being able to "ruin your weekend" (i.e. imense pain) but not somting that would kill you.

Lastly, the idea that copperheads must chew the venom into you was mentioned. This also is not true. They are not rear fanged, the are pit vipers and thus are front fanged. (pit vipers poses some of the most advanced fangs, the are retractable, not fixed)

I'm sorry for the long post, but I prefer to dispel reptile rumors whenever I can.

pete620 beat me to it. you aren't usually going to die from a copperhead bite. You will just be in a lot of pain for a few days and look like you got stung by a crapload of bees. Maybe at the worst you would have lost your finger. If it was a water snake you would have bled a lot because they are nasty mother @#$%ers. Also, the family Crotalidae (Copperheads, Rattlesnakes, Eyelash vipers, Massaguaes spelling?, Cottonmouths, which are the closest relatives to the Copperhead) possess fangs that are hinged and do not need to "bite" persay but they can stab at you because the fangs hinge at 180 degrees. This is unlike elapids that have really tiny fangs but IMO more potent venom.

 

[limz_777]

maybe its not poisonous
maybe it got on the nuckle where there is just skin

small snakes tend to be more lethal than big snakes
copperheads are not as good at injecting poison as say a cobra or rattlesnake
they have to chew some to get a good dose

juvenile poisonous snakes have almost the same lethal venom as a adult .

 

[limz_777]

i have to disagree, im just superman...lol. jk.

heres the pic,

from the pattern is not a copperhead , did you release it?

 

[nativelover]

yes i released it.