Snake Bite FAQ

Kyoto: Hiking from Kibune to Kurama

advertisement

Venomous snakes in the U.S. all belong to one of two families:

Crotalids (pit vipers):

• copperhead
• cottonmouth or water moccasin
• the numerous species of rattlesnakes

Elapids

• coral snake (eastern and Arizona species)

Crotalids have the most efficient injection mechanism of any snake. They are equipped with long hollow fangs and a system to inject venom through those fangs. They have the ability to inject large volumes of venom quickly. Crotalid fangs can fold back into the mouth; lack of visible fangs does not necessarily mean an unarmed snake. Most crotalids have venom that is less toxic than that of coral snakes. Crotalids, however, are the more dangerous group because (a) they are more likely to bite a human, (b) they can inject venom much more efficiently, and (c) they are usually larger and have more venom to use.

Elapids on the other hand have grooved fangs. This is a much less efficient injection mechanism. They chew to get the venom into the victim. The size of coral snakes limits them to biting fingers or loose folds of skin. The elapidae include some of the world's nastiest critters: the black mamba, the death adder, and the cobra.

The two species of coral snakes in North America are about as mild as poisonous snakes can be. They are not aggressive. Children have reportedly played with coral snakes for hours without being bitten, but no record exists of how many parental heart attacks this has caused! The venom is potent, however, and treatment should be given for bites which do occur. Coral snake bites make up less than 2 perecent of all U.S. snakebites. In fact, Gold and Wingert report that fewer than 25 of all reported venomous snakebites per year are from coral snakes. There have been no known fatalities from coral snake bites since the development of the "Micrurusfulvius" antivenin (Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories).

The Arizona coral snake (Micruroides euryxsanthus) is less dangerous than the eastern coral snake (Micrurus fulvius). It is smaller and would have a hard time biting a person even if inclined to do so. The rare bites which do occur should be treated the same as bites from the eastern coral snake.