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bajabuddha
Banned
Posts: 4024
Registered: 4-12-2013
Location: Baja New Mexico
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Mood: Always cranky unless medicated
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Hemotoxic snakebite is extremely painful (Ged, was that surgery to alleviate toxins and debridement?), causes swelling, deep bruising, and all kinds
of Mysery. Yes, most people survive rattlesnake bites; rarely fatal, although you might wish it was. Depends on placement of bite, victim situation
(infant, elderly, heart-disease present). Some species of buzz-worm are more potent than others too. One of my patients wasn't given the anti-venin
because the effects from it (if not a lot of venom present in the victim) can be almost as bad as the bite, so said our ER doc. Also, his bite was on
the back-side of his 2nd finger-bone, so didn't penetrate deeply into muscular tissue. Needless to say, he still was not a happy camper.
This is what I told my river guests: they are more afraid of you than you of them. They aren't 'hunting' you for food, and unlike other poisonous
snakes, they have a VERY definite warning system that sez, "LEAVE ME ALONE!". So if you hear it and haven't been struck, you have an excellent chance
of taking it up on its' warning. Snakes have fascinated (and scared the hell outa) people since time immemorial. Just remember they are nice enough
to tell you when YOU should maybe leave their house (as I said, MY HOUSE, MY RULES).
I don't have a BUCKET LIST, but I do have a F***- IT LIST a mile long!
86 - 45*
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motoged
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6481
Registered: 7-31-2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
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Mood: Gettin' Better
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BB,
Those pics are off the net so not sure about the medical procedure.
What I have seen are some pics that show a guy whose hand was bitten and his arm and shoulder swelled up so bad, his shoulder swelling was pushing
his head sideways....massive swelling seems to sometimes occur and the skin splits (you can see that in the surgery pic around his thumb)
The toxins apparently spread through the lymphatic system....instead of the arteries/veins....unless on is punctured w/ venom.
Apparently those with respiratory ailments are more prone to negative results.
A story I heard from a fellow in BC was that there was a guy in Okanagan Falls who caught rattlers and provided them to someone who milked their
venom for making anti-venom.
As it went, the rattler catcher liked to have a drink or two. One night he was into his cups with a friend and decided to show off his day's catch to
his drinking buddy. Stumbling around a pailful of snakes is not my idea of fun, but the guy got one out and was promptly bitten.
The guy was not happy with the situation and proceeded to beat the snot out of the rattler by whipping it on top of his truck hood for some time.
Figuring he had it all under control, he reportedly returned to drinking and then fell asleep after a while.
Poor guy died....apparently being intoxicated was also a risk factor 
Don't believe everything you think....
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micah202
Super Nomad
Posts: 1615
Registered: 1-19-2011
Location: vancouver,BC
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| Quote: | Originally posted by motoged
The guy was not happy with the situation and proceeded to beat the snot out of the rattler by whipping it on top of his truck hood for some time.
Figuring he had it all under control, he reportedly returned to drinking and then fell asleep after a while.
Poor guy died....apparently being intoxicated was also a risk factor
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...stupid is as stupid does...I'll bet the snakes had a good 'laugh' over that one 
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bajaspuds
Junior Nomad
Posts: 57
Registered: 10-8-2014
Location: Isla Pan Dulce
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Mood: dum spiro, spero
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... glad y'all can laugh it off ... I'd still be, er, "rattled"
... dripping w/ chubasco sauce
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64752
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Don't the rancheros of Baja use cardón to treat sankebite? I saw it done to Damien in 'Bajo California: The Limit of Time' ! 
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Bajaboy
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4375
Registered: 10-9-2003
Location: Bahia Asuncion, BCS, Mexico
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Don't the rancheros of Baja use cardón to treat sankebite? I saw it done to Damien in 'Bajo California: The Limit of Time' ! |
David, you really should not believe everything you watch
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15939
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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Mood: Everchangin'
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someone here has a signature:
don't believe everything you think! I remind myself of that often.....
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motoged
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6481
Registered: 7-31-2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
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Mood: Gettin' Better
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Woody,
That's my line...public domain 
Don't believe everything you think....
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Fernweh
Nomad
Posts: 444
Registered: 2-24-2011
Location: Centenario, BCS
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When I stayed at my friends little cattle rancho, below the Tres Virgenes volcano, I found an old braided rope in one of the supply boxes.
It looked all frayed, like the fibers would come apart, chose not to use it.....
Later on, my friend explained: this rope was made from cow hair (tails), and the vaqueros would lay it around their sleeping blankets, when staying
overnight on the range, to keep the snakes away.
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CaboSur
Nomad
Posts: 108
Registered: 9-10-2014
Location: San Jose del Cabo
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Yes my dad always used an old rope we went camping. Don't know if its true but seems to have worked for him
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64752
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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I have heard the rope method as well... the snakes do not go over the rough rope. Another Baja method we learned at the Percebu fish camp in 1966 or
so... The fishermen kept cloves of garlic in a jar and every night they placed the garlic around their cots claiming that kept away the vipers!
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azucena
Nomad
Posts: 193
Registered: 8-25-2012
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Most of the species of Rattlesnakes in Baja have hemotoxic venom. There are perhaps several ( I know there is at least one )species which have
neurotoxic venom, which can be more dangerous and difficult to treat. There is an excellent book with pictures by Ron Mc Peak on the reptiles and
amphimbs of Baja. He describes their habitat, range and whether their venom is hemo or neurotoxic. if you are bitten it is very helpful to know what
snake has bitten you and it's type of venom. I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes to go off the beaten path in Baja, and it is really
interesting.
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BajaBlanca
Select Nomad
Posts: 13195
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
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and the largest snake antivenom producer is the INSTITUTO BUTANTAN in the Amazon forest.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64752
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by azucena
Most of the species of Rattlesnakes in Baja have hemotoxic venom. There are perhaps several ( I know there is at least one )species which have
neurotoxic venom, which can be more dangerous and difficult to treat. There is an excellent book with pictures by Ron Mc Peak on the reptiles and
amphimbs of Baja. He describes their habitat, range and whether their venom is hemo or neurotoxic. if you are bitten it is very helpful to know what
snake has bitten you and it's type of venom. I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes to go off the beaten path in Baja, and it is really
interesting. |
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bajalearner
Senior Nomad
Posts: 670
Registered: 8-24-2010
Location: Tijuana
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Mood: in search of more
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Way back when I was in the Army training at Ft. Hunter Ligget in Central CA, A solder found a 4 foot rattler laying at the bottom of a huge boulder
near the mess tent. The boulder I sat on, with my feet dangling near the ground while eating breakfast. The solder carried the snake around in a
cardboard box the size of beach ball to show everyone. When he came around my tent, I told the country boy, (Luckily, who I out ranked), to get rid
of it and my preference is to kill that some B. He and the snake went away.
A little later, a young female Spec 4 working as a battalion aid medic came around asking if we needed sun tan lotion. I told her about the pet in
the box and asked if a bite would be a bad thing. She said yes they are very harmful and should not be played with (No surprise there). I told her
the country boy told me he always caught them and had one in an aquarium as a kid.
The medic said; "wow, I would think it would drown".
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bajalearner
Senior Nomad
Posts: 670
Registered: 8-24-2010
Location: Tijuana
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Why am I so terrified of poisonous snakes? Is it a learned or natural fear? I grew up in a city and maybe saw one in the San Francisco zoo as a
kid. I've encountered 2 rattlers in nature as an adult and both times I was terrified, maybe the most terror I have felt.
Is that learned or natural response? I see big animals like horses react with terror too.
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Bajaboy
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4375
Registered: 10-9-2003
Location: Bahia Asuncion, BCS, Mexico
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajalearner
Why am I so terrified of poisonous snakes? Is it a learned or natural fear? I grew up in a city and maybe saw one in the San Francisco zoo as a
kid. I've encountered 2 rattlers in nature as an adult and both times I was terrified, maybe the most terror I have felt.
Is that learned or natural response? I see big animals like horses react with terror too. |
It might be part of our DNA: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320132646.ht...
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Terry28
Senior Nomad
Posts: 824
Registered: 8-25-2007
Location: S.Calif mtns.
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Mood: Thirsty
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I always return any snake I find around our property back "to the wild" I just do it one piece at a time!!
Mexico!! Where two can live as cheaply as one.....but it costs twice as much.....
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Cypress
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7641
Registered: 3-12-2006
Location: on the bayou
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Some of the ranchers bury the head of a dead rattlesnake. They think that when yellow jackets eat the head they will absorb the rattlesnake venom and
become venomous.
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bajalearner
Senior Nomad
Posts: 670
Registered: 8-24-2010
Location: Tijuana
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Mood: in search of more
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Cypress
Some of the ranchers bury the head of a dead rattlesnake. They think that when yellow jackets eat the head they will absorb the rattlesnake venom and
become venomous. |
There may be something to that. After years of eating bacon, my belly is looking like a pigs' belly. 
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