[at-l] Snaka 101

[thornel at attglobal.net (W F Thorneloe)]

Red, here is Snake 101.

On the AT, there are legless reptiles known as snakes.
There are very few that attack hikers. In Snake 102,
we will discuss snakes that attack wia blunt force
trauma, such as constrictors, whip snakes and hoop
snakes. But this discussion is limited to injuries
related to bites.

There are essentially two classes of biting snakes,
venomous and non-venomous. Snakes bite because they
eat or because they defend themselves. Because you are
too big to swallow, most snakes will avoid biting you.
Even snakes with venom will avoid wasting their tool
on you.

Of the thousands of species of snakes along the AT,
only rattlers and copperheads possess venom.
Copperheads possess a particularly weak venom.
Rattlers have a pretty significant venom that must be
respected. About 50% of rattlersnake bites result in
envenomation. When it does, the site is painful and
pretty obviously a Bad Thing. You will know that today
was an unlucky day for yourself and the snake.

What to do? If you know it is a Bad Thing, engage the
things you learned in First Aid for Fractures:
immobilize the area with the bite, elevate, ice if you
have it. Immobilization is the most important. If
hiking with others, have them assist you with getting
to the next road and to an ER quickly, even if that
means leaving you trailside and seeking medical
evacuation. If alone, curse your luck and get to the
closest road and ER.

If you are unsure it is a Bad Thing? Judgement Call
Time. Probably, go to the ER as if you have a Bad
Thing. Don't go cutting and sucking on the bite. Don't
go making tournaquets and making blood clots. Don't
start drinking more Everclear. Don't pack the snake in
your backpack to show the folks in the ambulance.

But remember that only half of the bites of one pretty
uncommon snake needs to be considered hazardous. It
normally takes a lot of work to get snakebit.

Red, you have already seen the animal that scares the
bejeezus out of me far more than snakes - ferral pigs.
You handled that encounter well. You said "Look at
that," tried to take a picture, paid attention to ways
to get away, and enjoyed writing about the encounter
later. Pretty much the same behaviors that will keep
you safe with a snake.

OrangeBug

--- redhead@hack.net wrote:
> 
> Whatever percentage of people get bit - and for
> whatever reason - let's try to
> remember that at least 10%, according to some
> theories, DON'T get bitten because
> they are stupid, white, youngish, drunk and probably
> low on the IQ scale. They
> just get bit. So it might be you. If I'm with you,
> what do you want ME to know
> when it happens?
>