Colubrid Bites

[froot]

I would say if in doubt, post it anyway. They'll decide weather it's what they want or not.

[WW]

Green Tree Diva - sorry, I obviously wasn't clear:

We are interested in hearing all bite reports, whether envenomed or not. For those species for which we get decent sample sizes, it will allow us to say something about the frequency of envenoming and of more severe symptoms. Clearly, it matters whether 5% of bites by a particular species end up with serious unpleasantness, or whether it's 50%

However, the MAIN focus will be on identifying potentially dangerous species, so we won't worry too much about distinguishing whether mild swelling of a finger from e.g., a Lamprophisbite is solely due to mechanical trauma or whether there is any evidence of very mild envenoming, which can be hard to tell apart. The idea is certainly not to demonise snakes that present little or no danger. This was in response to BushSnake's Q on that point - we can't tell in all cases, but we know that, and will endeavour not to overinterpret the data!

We use both negative controls (snakes known not to have any venom glands, and bites in which the victim denied any effect of venom) and positive controls (bites by viperids generally regarded as posing relatively little danger) to define the envelopes of possible symptoms and to provide a framework for interpreting the various colubrid bites. Most of those bites with minimum symptoms that were nevertheless felt to be due to venom action barely exceed the envelope of unpleasantness associated with the negative controls, whereas a minority of severe bites rival or even exceed most of our sample of viperid bites in terms of unpleasantness.

So, in a nutshell: all bite reports are valuable, so please keep contributing!

And also in response to BushSnake: we do follow up reports that appear difficult to reconcile with what we think we know about the snakes or that appear internally inconsistent. A number were due to errors in data entry, and we do throw out reports that are obviously absurd (let's face it, with a questionnaire like this, you are asking for fringe elements to start messing with you....). Generally, spotting them was not too difficult.

Cheers,

WW

[QtCreaCha]

Rolanslf you must be used to it as you make it sound so.....like "Oops, ok chap you keep on hanging on there while Daddy just finishes cleaning your cage and when Im done here, I just want to take a photie or two, a kodak moment, before we gently detach you from me!!" YOU BRAVE SIR! I'd be in Tara!

[BushSnake]

Thanks WW. I can only imagine that it must have been fun filtering out the absurb ones

[WW]

Yup. The best one was a "lady" claiming to have been bitten by a sea snake in the most embarrassing place possible while filming a porn flick - WTF???

[BushSnake]

LOL!!!!

[Contortrix]

Medical Importance of Venomous Colubrids: Comparative Study of Colubrid and Viperid Bite Experiences

(Apologies for the delay in posting these conclusions)

Principal Conclusions:
• Most people underestimate the bite of colubrids, and many were caught unawares by medically important bites.
• The average colubrid bite is fairly insignificant in comparison to that of the average viperid bite (based on bites from Agkistrodon contortrix, Vipera ammodytes, V. aspis and V. berus).

The following genera and their medical importance are based on evidence shown within this study:

• Genera reported to have inflicted medically important bites are: Boiga, Chrysopelea, Dispholidus, Heterodon, Macropisthodon, Nerodia (potentially at least from some populations), Psammophis and Rhabdophis.
Bites were received from these genera that surpassed the average viperid bite severity.
Herpetologists/herpetoculturists would do well to use caution when dealing with species of the aforementioned genera. Suitable precautions could consist of as little as covering exposed skin, e.g. long sleeves and gardening gloves (t-shirts, shorts and sandals do not offer the best protection).

• Genera that also stand out as being of potential medical importance, but from which bites were NOT received that surpassed the average viperid bite severity, are: Crotaphopeltis, Hydrodynastes, Ialtris, Oxybelis, Philodryas and Thamnodynastes.
Bites were received from these genera that clearly caused significant symptoms but did not surpass the average viperid bite severity.

• Genera reported to have inflicted mild envenoming of mostly trivial medical importance, but stood out from the bulk of trivial colubrid genera, are: Ahaetulla, Coluber, Coronella, Leioheterodon, Leptophis, Liophis, Malpolon, Orthriophis, Rhadinophis and Thamnophis.
Bites were received from these genera that did not cause major symptoms, but stood out from the bulk of trivial colubrid genera, being of slight medical importance.

• Genera reported to inflict mild envenoming of no real medical importance are: Amphiesma, Coniophanes, Elaphe, Gonyosoma, Helicops, Hemorrhois, Hypsiglena, Lamprophis, Leptodeira, Masticophis, Orthriophis, Philothamnus, Platyceps, Psammophylax, Spilotes, Telescopus, Trimorphodon and Zamenis.
Bites that were received from these genera showed only trivial symptoms (very mild swelling, redness, itching, etc). It seems likely that many of these genera lack the venom quantity, venom delivery and/or venom potency to cause medically significant bites. Despite this, significant caution would be well advised, particularly around aggressive, large snakes of these genera. Covering exposed skin would likely be adequate protection.

• Genera from which bites, but no envenomations, were received are: Cerberus, Chironius, Coelognathus, Conophis, Diadophis, Dipsadoboa, Dolichophis, Drymarchon, Enhydris, Hierophis, Liochlorophis, Lycodon, Mastigodryas, Natrix, Pseudaspis, Pseustes, Spalerosophis, Stegonotus, Storeria, Thrasops, Tomodon, Waglerophis and Xenochrophis.
Bites from these genera did not show any reliable signs of envenomation.

These findings are from direct analysis of the responses received to the survey only.

Special thanks go to everyone who took part and in the survey and answered any questions I had.

Several months are still left on the survey subscription. In the interest of collecting as much data as possible I would urge anyone who has not filled in the survey, or has received further bites since filling it in, to enter their data into the survey. Further data will allow a full analysis of the results to be conducted again on a larger scale. Any extra results will not be included in my dissertation (which has already been completed and handed in). Extra results would still be beneficial as they would enable us to understand as much about the medical importance of venomous colubrids as possible. As with the last lot of results, principal conclusions of any new information will be posted online for all to have access to.

Link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=G ... WFaQ_3d_3d

Thank you very much for your input and support throughout the project. I hope you find the results of this study informative and useful.

Please direct any questions or communication to: leopardgeckosarecool@hotmail.com

Happy Herping,

Laurence

Well, i myself got tagged by a small specimen of Enhydris chinensis some years ago and my finger got swollen and had a "tingly" feeling for a few hours. This was just a small juvenile specimen, i guess a large one at least can couse a whole alot of pain.