Ventura County woman dies after rattlesnake
bite during hike

The Southern Pacific rattlesnake, one of seventy-seven species of rattlesnake in the Americas, is the most likely culprit for fatal snakebites in Southern California. That particular rattler, not especially large at about three to four feet length, possesses, in various parts of its range, hemotoxic venom. In other places, the venom is neurotoxic, or it might be a blend of both venoms, making antivenin like Crofab less effective. Some years ago, I remember a medical show from Southern California with Dr. Sean Bush, an expert on venomous snakes. After a brave fight for his life, and in spite of excellent care in that Loma Linda hospital, one particular patient died from a Southern Pacific rattlesnake bite. That's one snake you want to avoid. Here in Florida, we have the largest, longest rattlesnake of all rattlesnakes in the world (Americas), the Eastern Diamondback (or Florida Diamondback), which can live past twenty years, grow to 8' 6", and weigh twenty pounds with a head that can be as much as four inches wide. Very long fangs. The worst thing about our big rattler is that is has also evolved neurotoxic venom in some populations to go with its massive hemotoxic capabilities. A bite from a big Eastern Diamondback would be a medical emergency beyond most. Real trouble. If you don't try to kill or capture them, they don't want to bite you. Leave 'em alone. They're bad news.

Deaths from snakebite in the USA are exceedingly rare, as the article mentioned. A friend was bitten by a small rattler in Florida. His hand swelled up terribly, and the biggest problem was that the swelling was crushing the blood vessels making circulation difficult. His fingers were swollen to the size of large bratwurst. I would guess that those who die have a particular allergy to the complex mixture of proteins that make up rattlesnake venom. Years ago I was hiking with a friend in a delightfull hanging valley up near Mt. Polamar, NE of San Diego. I was leading down a trail which narrowed along a rocky ledge...and while reaching for a handhold and stepping forward, I saw that my desired handhold was occupied by a nicely coiled rattlesnake, enjoying the sun. I was able to twist in mid step, pull back my hand and somehow turn and run back a few steps. My friend said "OK, what was that all about?" I had him move around to where he could see the snake...and we went a different way. It's a shame that this was fatal, they so very rarely are.

Regarding Post 1, I recall the “Venom ER” program with Dr. Sean Bush very well. In the show, he’d ask snakebite victims to describe the snake that delivered the bite. Dr. Bush was concerned about the Mojave rattlesnake which apparently has a potent venom.

The Mojave green rattlesnake is another Southern California-Arizona serpent with a neurotoxic venom that has a particularly bad effect on people, as Dr. Bush was well aware. Here in Florida, there are six native species of venomous snakes: the southern copperhead and the large timber (canebreak) rattlesnake, growing past six feet long, in the northern part of the state. The cottonmouth and pygmy rattlesnake are common throughout the state. The Eastern Diamondback is becoming uncommon. And finally, the secretive coral snake is a true elapid, like a cobra, a mamba, or a taipan. There is no antivenin for coral snake bite; a ventilator saves the patient when his respiration ceases. Ever since I was young, venomous snakes fascinated me ... from afar. (I would never deliberately bother one in the wild. But they're fascinating.)

Re coral snakes. They are generally slow and non-agressive. The do not have a pressure injection system or folding fangs. Short, fixed teeth and venom piddles out at the base of the teeth. They have to knaw on you for a bit to transfer any venom, and due to small mouth size they can only bite fingers and edges of hands. I have on a couple of occasions moved coral snakes away from a farm building by holding the head down gently with a stick, then grabbing with fingertips by the tail and picking them up. As they slowly try to lift their heads, quite difficult for them, a quick shake down and up has gravity stretch them out straight again. 20 seconds of walking and deliver them to the woods. A Fla Fish and Game officer friend said that if a coral snake bites you, if you grab it and pull it off and toss it quickly the odds of envenomation are very low. The pit vipers like cottonmouth, copperhead, all rattlers have long folding hollow fangs which deliver pressurized venom below the surface quickly like a hypodermic needle. VERY different than a coral snake. A rattler bite may only be in contact with the victim for 1 or 2 seconds and the venom is injected....if the snake intends it. My Fish and Game officer friend said that a significant percentage of snake bites are 'dry bites' where the snake injects no venom, apparently only wanting to warn you off and saving the venom for actual prey.

“Record breaking heat”? Oh bullkwanky. Does every heat, cold, rain, snow and other weather event have to be “record breaking”? Why yes, it does.

What I said in reply #4--that I would never bother a venomous snake in the wild--isn't quite accurate. No, I wouldn't agitate one, but I would save one from being killed by a person. In 1996, while playing in a foursome with my church's chief pastor at Silver Dollar Golf and Trap Club, Gator Nine (one of three nines), I was at the wheel of our golf cart, going from the third green to the fourth tee, some 200 yards under some shade trees next to a water hazard with long grass at its edges. I saw what looked like a fairly chunky snake on the macadam, and braked to a stop. Looking closer, I realized that it was a full grown pygmy rattlesnake, quite alive, two feet and a couple of inches long, with a tiny thin rattle, just minding its own business. That species doesn't grow much larger than 26 inches. A bite from that particular snake wouldn't kill me, but could be gnarly, and would require hospitalization. A painful medical mess. A homeowner, in his backyard adjacent to the cart path, said, "Kill that damn snake!" My pastor said, "Kill it!" I said, "People who get bitten are usually trying to kill the snake. It won't strike at you if you don't try to kill it, or capture it." Then I took out my late '70s vintage Arnold Palmer Original putter (similar to a Wilson 8802 or the George Low Wizard 600 with which Nicklaus won 15 majors), carefully, gently, placed the putter head beneath the snake's middle, and lifted him a foot off the pavement. Knowing the snake would balance if I didn't make any threatening movements, I took him thirty feet to the creek's heavily grassed bank, and gently let him off the clubhead. The homeowner was furious. My pastor, who was smiling, understood. There was no reason for me to kill that snake. It was a beautiful specimen. As for coral snake bites, one practically has to squeeze the snake before it would bite with intent and a full load of venom. This snake is disinclined to bite people. You've almost got to insult the snake for it to bite you. But if it does ... it's an elapid with deadly neurotoxic venom.

Re #7, that is exactly why I was moving coral snakes before some fool found it and killed it. I ask people to want to kill all snakes....."Do you like rats??" When they invariably say, "Of course not." I say, "then leave the snakes alone unless there are children around. If there are, try to move the snake to somewhere the children won't be at risk." I've killed rattlers and such near the house, but I avoid it when I can just move away.

There are stories of coral snakes being found in large beautiful potted plants sent from Florida for we northerners to buy but I have never heard of anyone being bitten.

A 46 year old, evidently vigorous, woman gets bitten, and despite all our medical hardware and tech, including access to every know antivenom on earth within reach inside of 12 to 24 hours, dies. It takes it 5 days, but the snake wins. Victims seem to clear the initial crises and then their body shuts down. She's the second this year and we're not yet out of March. This seems a little different, and a little worrisome. Be very careful out there--a cottonmouth is one thing, but a rattlesnake is altogether on a different level.

"They have an important place is nature"... bull pucky. Where I live, rodents are a problem both as carriers of hanta virus and plague - but the number of rodents which the cold-blooded serpents metabolize here is a drop in the bucket compared to what the owls, hawks, foxes and coyotes consume. Yet their bites and venom are so destructive to people and dogs. 99% of all species that have lived in Earth's history are extinct. And somehow, I think we could limp along just fine sans rattlers. I kill the ones that cross paths with me.

If you like venomous snakes, India is the place to live. They have tens of thousands of deaths by venomous snakes every year. A smaller snake called a Krait is especially deadly.

When I was hunting in South Africa my guide saw a track in the sand, and we stopped, he went to kill a black mamba, I volunteered to assist. He told me that they can outrun a man, will chase you and their bite is invariably deadly. That will focus the mind on the businessat hand! We follwed the track a couple hundred yards in the sandy soil until it went down a hole in a termite mound. Everything in Africa is bigger, meaner, more vicious and harder to kill than here. We were warned to avoid the snakes in the wildlife park in India where we went to see wild tigers. We saw many tigers, and discovered that a female and her two very large youngsters killed a local woman the next night when she slipped illegally into the park to steal some firewood. We were very close to them many times, but in an open minijeep, the tigers don't recognize you as seperate from the vehicle. Lots of places in this world where the wildlife can hurt you.

Leave them alone and they'll return the favor.

Re #1 - not sure how long you have lived in Florida, but if a few decades. You might remember the Miami Serpetarium on US Hwy 1. Founded by Bill Haast. It closed in 1984. Fascinating place with his daily sows of filing his snakes, lizards, etc for their venom for research. https://www.pinecrest-fl.gov/Government/About-Us/History/Area-History/Miami-Serpentarium

I visited the Miami Serpentarium in 1979, and still have Bill Haast's autographed book. He was one of my heroes, one of the true pioneers of scientific snake venom collection and its use by medical science. In 1948, at age 38, he began injecting himself with snake venom, trying for as much immunity as he could develop. Other herpetologists said he wouldn't live to 40. He outlived them all, reaching age 100 in 2010. He continued with the venom boosters for the rest of his life. In his career, he was bitten some 165 times, and his hands looked gnarly after all those venomous bites. #12 mentioned kraits in southeast Asia; all species of krait are deadly. A blue krait is the snake that came closest to killing Mr. Haast, who wound up in an iron lung. After his retirement, he moved to Punta Gorda in southwest Florida. There were many Eastern Diamondback rattlesnakes in his back yard. He wanted them around. No one knew more about venomous snakes than he. Mr. Haast was an intrepid and indispensable human being. We all loved him.