NationStates Jolt Archive

My apologies for starting such a chatty thread ... except, well, this doesn't happen every day.

I was fooling around in the yard yesterday, I suppose the word for it is gardening. Sometime between when I loaded the old futon onto the wheelbarrow, and unloaded same in the next paddock, I hurt my ankle. Under some physical stress maneuvering the barrow, I didn't register just when the pain started.

The wheelbarrow unloaded, I looked down and saw a scratch on my ankle. It stung a bit, and I assumed I'd scratched it on some fallen wood or perhaps some fencing wire. Of course I should have cleaned the injury right then, in consideration of tetanus, anthrax, foot-and-mouth disease, and whatever else you can get from cow manure and rusty wire, but I don't swing that way. I ignored it.
Half-an hour later, I got a sharp headache. I took an aspirin, then another one, and basically ignored it.

Two hours later, while cooking dinner, I became aware that the 'scratch' was still stinging, so I got some alcohol and a tissue and began to wash the wound. The alcohol barely stung, and almost no blood washed off at all. The wound looked much like it does today (picture below) except the blood bruise was a brighter red. Fencing wire or splinters would never make such a deep, clean wound. As you can see from the sunlight reflecting off part of the wound, there is no rupture of the skin, as with a scratch. I'm pretty sure it's a snake-bite, and from a big snake (long and widely-spaced fangs.)

My first impulse was to get on NSG and try to bring up the subject of snakebites somehow. Almost immediately I considered that I'd get screamed at to get proper medical advice. "Ah, I'll just take it easy for a while, see if any symptoms develop" I decided, ate dinner, then went and read a few pages about Australian snakes and treatment for snakebite. My blood pressure was 125/90 (normal for me), pulse 88 (well, I was a bit scared, and the web pages had a lot of scarey medical worst-case stuff on them.) After about four hours, no other symptoms (diarrhoea, irregular blood clotting, blurry vision, swollen lymph-nodes) had manifested, so I went to bed. I felt very sleepy :eek:

This morning I felt fine. Unusually good in fact, since I'd had only one glass of wine last night (before I looked closely at the 'scratch.') Nonetheless, I went to the first available GP at my local medical centre, who examined the wound through magnifying glasses, felt my lymph nodes and asked me about symptoms. Of course I told him my own suspicions. "Jury's out on that one, it may well be a snakebite" he told me. Since it was by then twenty hours since the injury, he told me the symptoms to look out for (late effects are rare with Aussie snakes, it's neurotoxin tending to death by paralysis rather than necrosis) and sent me home.

Now about this snake I didn't see bite me. The very shed where I'd stored the futon contains a compost heap, and about four weeks ago I saw the tail of a large snake in that heap. I only saw the tail, but it seemed in proportion to a 1.2 - 1.5 metre snake, and it was thick. The tail isn't the most useful part to observe in identifying a snake, and nor is the colour. But I saw a quickly tapering tail, not quite 'stubby' like a death-adder, and extremely glossy black scales. The snake was leaving quickly, but not in such a hurry as to expose it's belly, so I really can't be sure if it was black there too. The only snakes which seem to be that dark are the red-bellied black snake and the Australian copperhead. Both are venomous, though black snake bite is rarely lethal. The snake was very dark if not black as a juvenile too -- I saw it or one of it's siblings when it was barely 50cm long, about three years ago. It didn't seem to have a lighter-coloured head.

I really wish I could post a picture of the snake, but that would mean waiting a few days for the snake man. The snake man is going to come around and try to catch the snake, and he'll be able to tell me exactly what kind of snake it is, and relocate it if it's too deadly.

I'm posting a picture of the wound, but it will be seperate from this OP because a lot of people quote the OP, so it's easier on the server to not quote the pic over and over. The marks are 10 mm apart at the achilles-tendon end, 12 mm towards the front, and each 10 mm long. It is my contention that the snake only just made contact with my ankle (which may have been moving forward) and either did not inject venom, or injected venom which did not reach my bloodstream because the fangs went right through the two subcutaneous passages and back out of my skin.

Two things: have I really been bitten by a snake? And, how lucky am I the snake didn't get much venom into me?

OK, to make it a discussion topic: has anyone else ever been bitten by a snake?

picture?

Here's a picture of what I believe to be a snake-bite, taken the next day (23 hours after the injury):

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/2434/ankle1vj2.jpg

Could be. Don't go dying on us, now. :)

Yep that looks like a snakebite to me. I was unlucky enough to get bit by a diamondback rattler years ago. From what you've described you got off very easy and were quite lucky! I was deathly sick for a couple of days, and we were easily a hundred miles from any doctor (camping in the desert).

Keep that wound cleaned. Secondary infection from snakebite is quite common.

That's a snakebite. I see two possible outcomes:

Either you will develop super powers and go on to lead a life of crime... or...

The snake didn't kill you because it likes your compost. Keep it happy or you're doomed. *nod*

The good news is, if you arn't dead yet, you're not going to die.
You were bit by a poisonous snake in Australia and it only has some pansy effects? I vote superpowers. You can probably shed your skin or something.

Yep that looks like a snakebite to me. I was unlucky enough to get bit by a diamondback rattler years ago. From what you've described you got off very easy and were quite lucky! I was deathly sick for a couple of days, and we were easily a hundred miles from any doctor (camping in the desert).

Keep that wound cleaned. Secondary infection from snakebite is quite common.

Yep. The doc said to watch out for local inflammation, swelling, distended viens and swollen glands (lympatic nodes). If I get that, he said to come back for antibiotics. He knows I don't like a/b's.

The good news is, if you arn't dead yet, you're not going to die.
You were bit by a poisonous snake in Australia and it only has some pansy effects? I vote superpowers. You can probably shed your skin or something.

Skin shedding doesn't sound all that sexy.
Do you think I could eat live mice? Without spewing or getting bitten on the tongue? Now THAT would be cool.
Aw, I'd settle for being able to catch live mice at all. Swallowing them live would be bonus!

I haven't ever been bitten by a snake. I was hiking with a friend once when he got bit, and I had to do the first aid thing, luckily it wasn't poisonous so he only had a really sore leg and otherwise I just had to do the "puncture wound" stuff (clean it, put pressure on it, etc) so I was happy, because if it were poisonous he was too heavy to carry and we were 5 miles into the middle of nowhere.

it looked somewhat like yours....

Definitely super powers.

Unless it was a rouge staple remover.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/SCEhardt_Staple_Remover.jpg

That's a snake bite, but very few snakes are poisonous, and frankly if this one was, you'd of known it by now. You'll be fine.

[QUOTE=Dinaverg;12553137]Unless it was a rogue staple remover.

*image of staple remover*

Hey, I used to have a staple remover. Haven't seen it in years ... ?

what if it was a vampire snake :eek:

Unless it was a rouge staple remover.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/SCEhardt_Staple_Remover.jpg
That's black and metallic, not rouge. ;)

This (https://www.speranzaonline.com/ProdImages/4002942090015.JPG) is a rouge staple remover. :p

Here's a picture of what I believe to be a snake-bite, taken the next day (23 hours after the injury):

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/2434/ankle1vj2.jpg

That's a dropbear bite.

That's a dropbear bite.

Nonsense, clearly a hoop snake.

Nonsense, clearly a hoop snake.

I tried to use a hula hoop (I would have been ... ten?) but I was hopeless. It couldn't be that. ?

I tried to use a hula hoop (I would have been ... ten?) but I was hopeless. It couldn't be that. ?

Ah, textbook mistake. You should never try to hula a hoopsnake. Stands to reason you couldn't do it, then.

Wiki'd Hoop Snake. I've been pranked!

Drop bear didn't work at all. But I just fell for the Hoop Snake! Aww :)

Wiki'd Hoop Snake. I've been pranked!

Drop bear didn't work at all. But I just fell for the Hoop Snake! Aww :)

:) Shame you didn't go for the Dropbear answer. They're wicked little buggers.

http://images.wikia.com/uncyclopedia/images/c/c4/Dropbear1.jpg

Sorry to be a fascist OP bastard, but could I just ask once more:

Has anyone here been bitten by a snake?

OK if you keep snakes for pets, or if you're a professional snake handler. Do tell.

I'm just weirded-out by how it didn't seem to hurt really much at all. Like stubbing a toe or banging your head on a low ceiling. Am I just really insensitive?

That's a snake bite, but very few snakes are poisonous, and frankly if this one was, you'd of known it by now. You'll be fine.

This snake was in Australia! :eek:

Here's a picture of what I believe to be a snake-bite, taken the next day (23 hours after the injury):

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/2434/ankle1vj2.jpg

Hmm when was your last plane trip?

That's black and metallic, not rouge. ;)

This (https://www.speranzaonline.com/ProdImages/4002942090015.JPG) is a rouge staple remover. :p

:P

Definitely looks like a snakebite to me. If you haven't had any symptoms by now, chances are it didn't inject any venom.

That's not at all uncommon. Herpetologists call those 'warning bites'. The snake's saying "Hey great big thing, don't try and hurt me or you'll regret it".

This snake was in Australia! :eek:

Not all Aussie snakes are poisonous. Still, if it makes a classic two-puncture wound like that, chances are that it was.

Sorry to be a fascist OP bastard, but could I just ask once more:

Has anyone here been bitten by a snake?

OK if you keep snakes for pets, or if you're a professional snake handler. Do tell.

I'm just weirded-out by how it didn't seem to hurt really much at all. Like stubbing a toe or banging your head on a low ceiling. Am I just really insensitive?

Well I've never been bitten by a venomous snake, but I've worked in pet shops and kept 45 of my own (not all at once)! 30 of them were pets and 15 baby Corn Snakes I bred. I've had many bites from a few of the meaner species I've kept. Some hurt, some don't.

A non-venomous snake wouldn't leave 2 puncture wounds as only the venomous species possess fangs. The constrictors and others just have rows of small teeth. Most species have fairly small fangs so the actual bite wouldn't hurt that much. As snakes use their venom to kill the prey and as it takes a small amount of time to get the yield up, they don't always use it when they bite. Non-venomous bite from a venomous snake is called a "dry-bite" and this is basically a warning shot. Not all species do this though. Not all venomous snakes are deadly, but quite a few of the Australian ones potentially are.

If you do ever get bitten again try to remember what it looked like or kill it if you can as the wrong anti-venin (antidote) can either just not work or can kill you also.

Basically if there was anything to worry about you'd've been dead a long time ago!

Could it be a spider bite perhaps?

Well I've never been bitten by a venomous snake, but I've worked in pet shops and kept 45 of my own (not all at once)! 30 of them were pets and 15 baby Corn Snakes I bred. I've had many bites from a few of the meaner species I've kept. Some hurt, some don't.

A non-venomous snake wouldn't leave 2 puncture wounds as only the venomous species possess fangs. The constrictors and others just have rows of small teeth. Most species have fairly small fangs so the actual bite wouldn't hurt that much. As snakes use their venom to kill the prey and as it takes a small amount of time to get the yield up, they don't always use it when they bite. Non-venomous bite from a venomous snake is called a "dry-bite" and this is basically a warning shot. Not all species do this though. Not all venomous snakes are deadly, but quite a few of the Australian ones potentially are.

If you do ever get bitten again try to remember what it looked like or kill it if you can as the wrong anti-venin (antidote) can either just not work or can kill you also.

Basically if there was anything to worry about you'd've been dead a long time ago!

Could it be a spider bite perhaps?

Bite's too big. The picture shows a couple centimeters between the punctures - only spider in Aus that'll do that's a Sydney Funnel Web.

If it was that, A) he'd have to be in Sydney, B) he'd be dead.

Bite's too big. The picture shows a couple centimeters between the punctures - only spider in Aus that'll do that's a Sydney Funnel Web.

If it was that, A) he'd have to be in Sydney, B) he'd be dead.

That's fair enough. I was just thinking of some of the larger tarantulas is all. I'm not from Aus so I don't know what spiders you have there.

That's fair enough. I was just thinking of some of the larger tarantulas is all. I'm not from Aus so I don't know what spiders you have there.

Oddly enough, most of our spiders are pretty small. Some can be quite nasty, but they don't tend to be large.

Though...just a thought, but that's about big enough for the sting of a Giant Centipede. Have you seen any of those around, Nobel Hobos?

Oddly enough, most of our spiders are pretty small. Some can be quite nasty, but they don't tend to be large.

Though...just a thought, but that's about big enough for the sting of a Giant Centipede. Have you seen any of those around, Nobel Hobos?

Giant Centipede is supposed to have the most painful bite of any animal from what I've read. A bite from that would cause the leg to swell up and can cause temporary paralysis! I don't think there's any way he wouldn't notice that! A woman I heard of (customer of a shop I go to) got bitten by her pet one, she passed out through the pain and when she woke up it'd eaten a small bit around the bite on her leg!

Giant Centipede is supposed to have the most painful bite of any animal from what I've read. A bite from that would cause the leg to swell up and can cause temporary paralysis! I don't think there's any way he wouldn't notice that! A woman I heard of (customer of a shop I go to) got bitten by her pet one, she passed out through the pain and when she woke up it'd eaten a small bit around the bite on her leg!

Yes, you're right, of course. Sorry; brain must be out to lunch.

I have heard that the South American Bullet Ant is even worse than the Giant Centipede, though. Hate to be the guy who made the comparison...

Yes, you're right, of course. Sorry; brain must be out to lunch.

I have heard that the South American Bullet Ant is even worse than the Giant Centipede, though. Hate to be the guy who made the comparison...

I'm lucky enough to be in the group of people that haven't been bitten by either. Sometimes it's good to be in England (Giant Centipede's creep me out) though I would like to go looking for more interesting snakes in the wild than the 3 we have over here (Adder, Smooth Snake and Grass Snake).

I'm lucky enough to be in the group of people that haven't been bitten by either. Sometimes it's good to be in England (Giant Centipede's creep me out) though I would like to go looking for more interesting snakes in the wild than the 3 we have over here (Adder, Smooth Snake and Grass Snake).

Well, on the bright side, you have some very interesting Scorpions (not very dangerous, but they have some odd adaptations for the cold).

Well, on the bright side, you have some very interesting Scorpions (not very dangerous, but they have some odd adaptations for the cold).

Yeah mainly around the ports. I'm not sure if there are any which was native to the UK or if they're all stow-aways. I don't know about the adaptations....please enlighten!:)

I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes.

*passes out*

Yeah mainly around the ports. I'm not sure if there are any which was native to the UK or if they're all stow-aways. I don't know about the adaptations....please enlighten!:)

Apparently some of the British Scorpion species have been found to be able to re-route their blood supplies to keep the inner body warmer than the ambient in extreme cold conditions. It's not a hugely unusual mod in animals, but it's never been seen in Arthropods before.

I'll try and find the article, I was just reading it last week. I'll post it once I find it.

Not all Aussie snakes are poisonous. Still, if it makes a classic two-puncture wound like that, chances are that it was.

I thought everything was poisonous in Australia. That's what Steve Irwin told me. :p

Apparently some of the British Scorpion species have been found to be able to re-route their blood supplies to keep the inner body warmer than the ambient in extreme cold conditions. It's not a hugely unusual mod in animals, but it's never been seen in Arthropods before.

I'll try and find the article, I was just reading it last week. I'll post it once I find it.

Thankyou :cool: , I did have a bit of a dig but couldn't find much.

Unless it was a rouge staple remover.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/SCEhardt_Staple_Remover.jpg:p

bitten no but look down an see a big black snake slid between my legs yes

Oddly enough, most of our spiders are pretty small. Some can be quite nasty, but they don't tend to be large.

Though...just a thought, but that's about big enough for the sting of a Giant Centipede. Have you seen any of those around, Nobel Hobos?

*slaps own face, drinks cold coffee*

You're teasing me, right? I'm simply not going to entertain the thought of a spider big enough to make that bite, I went one round with the hoop snake and that's enough, drop bears need a tree to do their evil thing, so you just make something up to see if I freak out? Giant Centipedes indeed!

I thought everything was poisonous in Australia. That's what Steve Irwin told me. :p

Yep, you'd never see Steve messing with a Meat Pie. :D

*slaps own face, drinks cold coffee*

You're teasing me, right? I'm simply not going to entertain the thought of a spider big enough to make that bite, I went one round with the hoop snake and that's enough, drop bears need a tree to do their evil thing, so you just make something up to see if I freak out? Giant Centipedes indeed!

Giant Centipede's are quite venomous and are very real! Aggressive with it too!

*slaps own face, drinks cold coffee*

You're teasing me, right? I'm simply not going to entertain the thought of a spider big enough to make that bite, I went one round with the hoop snake and that's enough, drop bears need a tree to do their evil thing, so you just make something up to see if I freak out? Giant Centipedes indeed!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scolopendra_gigantea

:p

:D

Scout camp in California:
Staff member holding garder snake: you will run across these snakes often in the lake, just give them their space and they'll ignore you. these snakes rarely bite. [the snake immediatly latches on to his forearm]... very hard. and most times the bite is usually as hard as a pinch then they let go. [the snake looks like it's gnawing on the forearm] ... but sometimes you have to convince them... [staff member grabs behind the jaws and convinces the snake to let go.]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scolopendra_gigantea

The Aussie variety isn't as big as the caribbean one, but it is quite large.

The Aussie variety isn't as big as the caribbean one, but it is quite large.

they don't need to be the snakes cover that part

Unless it was a rouge staple remover.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/SCEhardt_Staple_Remover.jpg

I loled. :p

That'd be a dry bite. The locale and fang marks would make it an elapid, and all elapids are venomous.

I loled. :p

They look surprisingly vicious too.

I loled. :p

You wouldn't if one bit you! That's a Castella Faberi, and though rarely lethal, the bite is always painful!

It's staple diet is metal, but it will take human flesh ...

I thought everything was poisonous in Australia. That's what Steve Irwin told me. :p
Redback, Funnel-Web, Blue-ringed octopus
Taipan, Tigersnake and a Box jellyfish
Stonefish and the poison thing that lives in a shell
That spikes you when you pick it up

Come to Australia
You might accidentally get killed

Your life's constantly under threat
Have you been bitten yet?
You've only got three minutes left
Before a massive coronary breakdown

Redback, Funnel-Web, Blue-ringed octopus
Tiapan, Tigersnake and a Box jellyfish
Big shark just waiting for you to go swimming
At Bondi Beach

Come to Australia
You might accidentally get killed
Your blood is bound to be spilled
With fear your pants will be filled
Because you might accidentally get killed

That'd be a dry bite. The locale and fang marks would make it an elapid, and all elapids are venomous.

Thankyou.

Now that we've established that I was in fact bitten by a snake, that it was probably quite dangerous, and that I'm a lucky bugger not to be envenomated, I have a confession.

I knew there was a big snake around, yet I was walking in long grass and dry garden rubbish in ... a pair of sandals and short pants. That was stupid of me, even out of snake season. Don't do that folks.

Another thing I've learnt is that it's wrong to wash the wound. Traces of the venom on the skin are unlikely to do any harm, and are invaluable for identifying the type of snake so you get the right anti-venom. Anti-venom can make you very sick, and you want to avoid needing the multi-valent one because it's basically several doses put together.

Constriction bandage on the entire limb, slow down the lymphatic system until you can get to medical help. No torniquet. Take it as easy as possible, keep the bitten part low and still, enjoy the neurotoxin but for kurt's sake get to a hospital.

I did the constriction bandage and the resting, but I broke every other rule. Got bitten, couldn't identify the snake, washed the wound, went to the internet instead of a doctor, and went to bed early. At least I didn't get drunk, that's a big no-no too.

EDIT: Hamilay's lolsome tune is Deadly Animals by the Scared Little Weird Guys. Think I'll go get it :)