About Rear-Fanged/opisthoglyph snakes
In recent years, the level of fear, tall tales, and sometimes paranoia about snakes in this category has risen to unthinkable levels. Some people have blamed a handful of researchers for this, but if you look at their actual comments, they are usually downplaying the dangers, encouraging safe handling techniques, and trying to drag the discussion back to the center. As such, I do not think such blame is accurate. For example, let's take a look at what one of the best known venom researchers (Dr. Bryan Fry) actually stated on the subject, ""Something we have gone to great pains to stress at every opportunity is that venomous and dangerous are not interchangeable. The vast majority of ‘rear-fanged’ snakes are totally harmless from a human medical perspective due to very small amounts of venom that is often very specific to a particular prey type (eg being 100 times more potent towards birds/reptiles than mammals). Similarly, the varanid lizards are not of consequence in this regard (but the big teeth can do a real number on tendons and arteries as I discovered two surgeries ago!). An appropriate analogy is that all spiders are venomous but only a very small handful are dangerous"(1).
Now to provide some balance, there are a few rear fanged snakes that are well known to be capable of causing fatalities. That doesn't mean that every bite is going to be fatal or even the majority, but it does mean that we know it is a possibility. As such, one must understand that those species must be handled with extreme care and are not something that average reptile keeper would want to take the risk of keeping. At this time species in Dispholidus, Rhabdophis, and Thelatornis have caused fatalities and should only be kept by experienced keepers with the proper training in handling dangerously venomous reptiles. The antivenin, where available, is difficult and expensive to obtain. However, it should be noted that when famous herpetologists have died from one or more of those species, it is not true that they were unaware that those were dangerous species. There is an excellent write up of this of which I will quote a brief snippet but I suggest you see the footnotes and read through it all, "This is where the logic of the Schmidt Analogy fails. Karl Schmidt was not dealing with an unknown snake of unknown toxicity. The venom of the boomslang and it's effects had been documented at least 17 years prior to his death." (2)
The vast majority of species either present no symptoms in humans at all or burning sensations and swelling. The longer one allows a species to stay attached after biting, the more pronounced those symptoms are likely to be but they can occur even after a brief strike. Suffice to say, you want to quickly remove a snake if it has bitten you. Having hand sanitizer nearby to pump into the snakes mouth will often get an animal with a strong feeding response to let go. Even long sleeves or gardening gloves will greatly reduce the amount of venom from this group of snakes entering your blood stream. In short, avoid those species known to cause fatalities. With species known to cause swelling, headaches, or other undesirable effects, wear long sleeves and gardening gloves, and use tools when feeding or handling, If you observe these simple rules, you are unlikely to have any serious complications. The final discussion you will often hear is allergic reactions. Although anything is possible, in my efforts to track down some of these stories, it usually ended up being a friend of a friend of a friend who told his friend. As such, I think this fear is likely based largely on old wives tales, but if you're concerned, work with your medical doctor to have a plan in place should you experience this. In such tales told, asking for the name of the actual person it happened to so you can contact him or her and review a copy of their medical report, it will usually result in backpedaling and it will soon become obvious the credibility of the story is not very good.
Finally, for further information on the subject and case reports of specific species, you may want to refer to an excellent book on the subject:
1. http://www.fieldherpforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15823
2.https://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?221322-Putting-a-Failed-Analogy-to-Rest-Karl-Schmidt-and-Dispholidus-Typus
In recent years, the level of fear, tall tales, and sometimes paranoia about snakes in this category has risen to unthinkable levels. Some people have blamed a handful of researchers for this, but if you look at their actual comments, they are usually downplaying the dangers, encouraging safe handling techniques, and trying to drag the discussion back to the center. As such, I do not think such blame is accurate. For example, let's take a look at what one of the best known venom researchers (Dr. Bryan Fry) actually stated on the subject, ""Something we have gone to great pains to stress at every opportunity is that venomous and dangerous are not interchangeable. The vast majority of ‘rear-fanged’ snakes are totally harmless from a human medical perspective due to very small amounts of venom that is often very specific to a particular prey type (eg being 100 times more potent towards birds/reptiles than mammals). Similarly, the varanid lizards are not of consequence in this regard (but the big teeth can do a real number on tendons and arteries as I discovered two surgeries ago!). An appropriate analogy is that all spiders are venomous but only a very small handful are dangerous"(1).
Now to provide some balance, there are a few rear fanged snakes that are well known to be capable of causing fatalities. That doesn't mean that every bite is going to be fatal or even the majority, but it does mean that we know it is a possibility. As such, one must understand that those species must be handled with extreme care and are not something that average reptile keeper would want to take the risk of keeping. At this time species in Dispholidus, Rhabdophis, and Thelatornis have caused fatalities and should only be kept by experienced keepers with the proper training in handling dangerously venomous reptiles. The antivenin, where available, is difficult and expensive to obtain. However, it should be noted that when famous herpetologists have died from one or more of those species, it is not true that they were unaware that those were dangerous species. There is an excellent write up of this of which I will quote a brief snippet but I suggest you see the footnotes and read through it all, "This is where the logic of the Schmidt Analogy fails. Karl Schmidt was not dealing with an unknown snake of unknown toxicity. The venom of the boomslang and it's effects had been documented at least 17 years prior to his death." (2)
The vast majority of species either present no symptoms in humans at all or burning sensations and swelling. The longer one allows a species to stay attached after biting, the more pronounced those symptoms are likely to be but they can occur even after a brief strike. Suffice to say, you want to quickly remove a snake if it has bitten you. Having hand sanitizer nearby to pump into the snakes mouth will often get an animal with a strong feeding response to let go. Even long sleeves or gardening gloves will greatly reduce the amount of venom from this group of snakes entering your blood stream. In short, avoid those species known to cause fatalities. With species known to cause swelling, headaches, or other undesirable effects, wear long sleeves and gardening gloves, and use tools when feeding or handling, If you observe these simple rules, you are unlikely to have any serious complications. The final discussion you will often hear is allergic reactions. Although anything is possible, in my efforts to track down some of these stories, it usually ended up being a friend of a friend of a friend who told his friend. As such, I think this fear is likely based largely on old wives tales, but if you're concerned, work with your medical doctor to have a plan in place should you experience this. In such tales told, asking for the name of the actual person it happened to so you can contact him or her and review a copy of their medical report, it will usually result in backpedaling and it will soon become obvious the credibility of the story is not very good.
Finally, for further information on the subject and case reports of specific species, you may want to refer to an excellent book on the subject:
1. http://www.fieldherpforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15823
2.https://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?221322-Putting-a-Failed-Analogy-to-Rest-Karl-Schmidt-and-Dispholidus-Typus
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