snake bite statistics

[Average Joe]

Interesting snake bite statistic...



Quote:


Myth - All Snake bites are fatal.

Fact - You are more likely to be struck by lightning than to die from a venomous snake bite. Pit Vipers are responsible for about 8,000 bites each year in the United States. Roughy 44% of venomous snake bites occurred through accidents, such as stepping on the snakes. Over 55% resulted from the victim grabbing or handling the snakes, and 28% of those did so while intoxicated. Deaths resulting from these bites are almost non-existent. About one-tenth of 1% of all snake bite victims die each year, and most of them received no medical treatment or first-aid. All snakes have teeth, but only venomous snakes have fangs.



<span class="ev_code_RED">Hold my beer, and watch this...

anybody ever had a snake bite them?</span>

[Dodgergirl]

No, but I came nose to nose with a rattler once. The story is here somewhere under the topic 'rattlesnakes' or something like that.

[MadScot]

When I lived in Del Rio Texas everybody carried a snake bite kit. I think the rattlers had people outnumbered 50-1. In Phoenix one guy I worked with got bit, after that we always carried a snake stick to rattle around before we reaching into a blind spot. The rattlers loved to curl up on top of the transmissions on the loaders. YLP is pretty bad I had one cat get bit several times. I hear the early construction crews called it Yosemite Snake Park.

[Michelle]

Great We were thinking about moving to Texas.... http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/shocked.gif

[Chem101]

In more years of hiking around the lake then I'd care to mention, I've only come across three rattlers..... all on the Falls Creek trail. In each case, I took their picture, apologized for disturbing them, and left them to do what ever it is they do.
I've also come across several Mountain King snakes on the same trail. Now them's some pretty snakes!

[Kahlua Kid]

, apologized for disturbing them, and left them to do what ever it is they do.
I've also come across several Mountain King snakes on the same trail. Now them's


Have found 1 baby Rattler on our property last year. (They are we are told the worst because they don't know when to let go and pump more venom that an adult into their victim).

Our neighbor had a 6-foot long adult Rattler - they killed it...Poor thing. It was just trying to "do its thing".

1 Garter snake on our property - the feral cats had gotten it.

and...

1 large king snake! Cool! Our feral was in the bushes and I couldn't figure out what it was after - so went over. The king snake was hiding down a gopher hole - I shushed the cat away and it "did its thing".

We like King snakes -they eat Rattlers!

The one other Rattler I've seen in the 2 1/2 years we've lived here was riding on 1,000 acres in Coarsegold near a large pond. My horse, Grace, almost stepped right on it. Thank God Grace's trainer riding in front of me quickly told me to stop (for no apparent reason) - I just did, looked down and thought if she had stepped on it, all Hell would have broke loose.

It quietly slithered by, after a ground squirrel and down the Ground Squirrel's hole...

[BGW]

Have yet to a rattler actually on my property. However, I have king snakes of varying sizes....which means there are rattlers here somewhere. I just haven't seen them. The dogs 'treed' a gopher snake this past summer. Now, that was funny.

Also, I had to make my mom stop buying garden hoses that look like garter snakes http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/lol.gif I could just see her reaching down to pick up the hose and have a snake in her hand!! http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/rofl5.gif