WCN archive, August 1999
In a controlled setting at a private residence in southern Bexar County, snake handler Joe Martin lets loose two of his Western Diamondback rattlesnakes for filming by Wilson County News reporter Marty Kufus.
One snake was 2-1/2 to 3 feet long; the other was at least 3-1/2 feet long.
Without harming the snakes, Martin agitates them into striking for the camera.
A founding member of the "South Texas Snakehandlers" demonstration group (phone: 210-649-1460) Martin wears tough, knee-high cowboy boots under his blue jeans. He specifies that his boots be made of "bull hide" leather to stop the vipers fangs. (Martin personally prefers these to specially made snakebite boots, although the latter also work.)
Kufus is wearing camouflaged "snake chaps" made of thick, specially treated Cordura nylon. (Cost: $40 to $50 a set.)
There are two limiations to the chaps, however: 1) While the odds are that a rattlesnake, copperhead, or cottonmouth water moccasin will strike a human — who happens to walk by at the wrong time — between the ankle and knee, there is the chance of a low strike to the foot. Here, Kufus makes sure his chap is pulled down as far as possible over his heavy-leather hiking boot. 2) The chaps do not "breath": The coated nylon holds in body heat and moisture, which could cause discomfort during a long, summer hike through snake country.
As this film shows, a rattlesnake's striking range is up to two-thirds of its body length. As the film also shows, sometimes the rattlesnake misses.
Martin says the rattlesnake's strike has been timed at 1/4-second. In the film, a "tap" clearly can be heard as one rattlesnake strikes the reporter's nylon legging.
Click here to download the film of reporter Marty Kufus' encounter with the rattlesnakes. Note that the download of this file my take in excess of ten minutes depending on connection speeds.
Note as well that some older browsers may not be equipped with the "Quicktime" plugin required to see this movie, or may not have it installed on their system. A copy of the "Quicktime" plugin can be downloaded from Apple.com.
By Marty Kufus
In the Old West, if Hollywood's portrayals are any measure, a snakebite victim received rough first aid - after the rattler was dispatched with a Colt .45 revolver, of course.
The "first aid" might have been worse than the bite.
The wound and a cowboy's scabbard knife were "disinfected" with rot-gut whiskey. The victim might have taken a swig or two for "medicinal purposes," too. A small X was cut at each fang mark. Grimacing, another person sucked venom from the wound and spat it out.
A sweaty bandana became a tourniquet wrapped snugly around the victim's injured limb to halt the spread of poison.
So what's wrong with that picture? Everything.
According to information provided by Wilson Memorial Hospital and other medical sources, when dealing with a snakebite:
oNever drink alcohol. It does no good and only weakens the victim.
oDon't cut. Unless it's done by a medical professional who knows what he or she is doing, cutting only causes more injury.
oDon't use oral suction. Its effectiveness is doubtful. (There's even disagreement on the use of snakebite suction kits, too.) Does a would-be rescuer really want venom in his mouth? And does the victim also want germ-filled saliva in the wound?
oDon't use a tourniquet. It only increases the chance that a wounded arm or leg will suffer severe necrosis (tissue death) from the restriction of the blood's circulation. At worst, this can make amputation necessary. Among medical professionals, there is disagreement about the safety of using even low-pressure wraps to slow the spread of venom.
oDon't waste time killing the snake, unless it continues to pose an immediate threat. Make a mental note for description later to the doctor.
But if the snake is killed, remember that the fangs of rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouths Ñ the broad-headed "pit vipers" of Texas - remain dangerous for up to an hour afterward.
The fourth venomous snake in South Texas is the coral snake, which is not a viper. Seldom seen, it is colored by bands of black and red separated by yellow. It injects neurotoxin rather than hemotoxin like vipers.
It lacks fangs, has a small mouth, and typically is not aggressive. The conventional wisdom is that anybody who is bitten by a coral snake probably had picked it up and was playing with it.
What to do
The best thing to do after the bite of any venomous snakes, according to medical professionals, is to get to a hospital as soon as possible.
If the bite is on a limb, immobilize it with a cloth wrap- much as one would a broken bone.
"If possible, try to keep the bitten extremity at heart level or in a gravity-neutral position," according to a Wilson Memorial flyer. "Raising it above heart level can cause venom to travel into the body. Holding it down below heart level can increase swelling."
Perhaps the victim has to travel some distance on foot in order to get help. In that case, the victim must stay calm and walk - not run. Running only increases heart rate and circulates the venom faster.
At the hospital, anti-venom can be injected if a doctor judges it to be necessary and unlikely to cause an allergic reaction. Anti-venom not always is used.
The fact is, very few people in the United States die of snakebites, even though an estimated 9,000 are bitten every year.
Further, snake experts have estimated that one out of every four bites is "dry": without venom.
Live exhibit
At the Wilson County Sportsman's Showcase July 24 in the show barn, Wilson Memorial representatives teamed up with the "South Texas Snakehandlers" for a fact-filled exhibit.
Veteran snake handler Joe Martin displayed glass containers with three Western Diamondback rattlesnakes, one cottonmouth, two copperheads, two coral snakes, and a few non-venomous lookalikes including a large bullsnake.
Seated nearby was registered nurse Yvonne Moseley, director of Wilson Memorial's health and wellness department.
She had researched the subject of snakebite treatment by reading available literature, attending San Antonio medical lectures, and researching Wilson Memorial's experiences.
But she's never been bit. Martin has Ñ four times.
He described it as an "immediate, fiery sting" that is far worse than any hornet's. Swelling quickly begins.
Despite the obvious risks, Martin has been handling venomous snakes since 1985. It is an unusual hobby. (He recently retired as a machinist at Kelly Air Force Base.)
The last time he was snakebit was in April. He was working at home with the group's 80 or so rattlesnakes, trying to identify any "high strikers."
Exiting his snake corral made of lumber and metal screen, he momentarily looked away. Just then, a 4-foot-long diamondback struck. It hit right above Martin's bull-hide-leather cowboy boot. Only one fang, however, injected poison.
Martin got rid of that high-striker. He also switched to knee-high boots.
"A big snake, just 'cause he's 5 to 6 feet [long], doesn't mean he's going to strike high," Martin said. On the other hand, a smaller one might.
The horizontal range of a viper's strike is one-half to two-thirds of the snake's length, Martin said.
At the sportsman's showcase, he and Moseley compared notes. They disagreed somewhat on some points, including the use of venom pumps.
These devices are sold widely in kits called "The Extractor" (price: $11 to $12).
Martin and the South Texas Snake-handlers always have them handy, ready for immediate use before the trip to the hospital. Each kit contains a plastic pump that looks like a big syringe without a needle; four suction tips of different sizes; and, a disposable razor with which to shave hair for a better seal. (There is no cutting.)
"If the burning stops, then you know you're getting the venom out," Martin said of the suction device.
The device has to be used within three minutes of the bite, Martin emphasized.
Moseley, on the other hand, questioned whether these pumps remove enough venom to make them worth the time expended.
Martin also keeps chemical "cold packs" handy to chill the bite and slow the swelling. Moseley, from a medical-professional viewpoint, maintained that a "layman" snakebite victim is better off simply getting to a hospital quickly.
The use of chemical cold packs or ice, she added, is discouraged by many medical professionals "due to the fact that they can further damage already-injured tissue."
Prevention
Tips for the avoidance of snakebites are commonsensical, but worth repeating.
oWhen gathering firewood or moving deadfall, look carefully before you reach in.
Rattlesnakes noisily can warn if alarmed by the vibration of footsteps on the ground or the sight of a large, moving object. Fully agitated, the snake's "rattle" is an unmistakable sound: a loud, angry buzz. But don't count on a warning. "Sometimes they strike first and rattle second," Martin said.
oIf walking through tall grass or weeds, slow down and look carefully ahead. On a very hot, sunlit day, the snake likely will be looking for shade.
A sturdy hiking stick, 4 to 6 feet long, is useful for "sweeping" the vegetation ahead and to the sides of the path. This might scare away a rattlesnake or mild-mannered (and less venomous) copperhead that simply is hunting for a small rodent and desires no contact with humans anyway.
oCottonmouths love water, even stagnant ponds. They have a reputation for being the most belligerent of North America's poisonous snakes. Don't assume that a favorite water hole doesn't have any. Fishermen: Be careful when reaching for a stringer of fish or retrieving a lure snagged in brush or on a low-hanging tree limb.
oAs mentioned above, snake handler Martin wears knee-high boots made of bull hide, a thick leather that will stop snakebites. (His boots are stained with dried - now harmless - venom.)
Specially made snakebite boots are available at good hunting stores and through some outdoor-products catalogs. But they are not cheap.
oFull-length "snake chaps" of heavy, specially treated Cordura nylon ($40 to $50 a set) and knee-high bite guards made of a hard material offer effective protection. Cowboys' leather chaps, sturdy enough to ward off barbed wire or the needles of prickly pear and jumpin' jacks, are a traditional form of snakebite protection.
But these shields only protect what they cover. Although most leg strikes occur between the ankle and knee, there always is the chance of a low bite. And a viper's fangs will penetrate thin footwear.
oCampers who sleep on the ground, and who might get up during the night, should shake out their sleeping bags before crawling back in. Snakes are cold-blooded and in cool temperatures might enjoy the warmth generated by human bodies - but they are not good bedfellows.
oThey can turn up in the darndest places: a garage, barn, shed, or trash pile that is home to mice or rats.
A few days after last October's flood, a woman in Canada Verde was cleaning out a building that had been flooded. As she reached for an object, a hidden copperhead struck, sending her to Wilson Memorial for anti-venom treatment. High water can bring venomous snakes to areas that normally don't have them, requiring heightened caution during cleanup.
As Martin laconically put it, "The object is not to get bit."
[For a fee, the South Texas Snakehandlers will perform public demonstrations with their reptiles. For more information, phone 210-649-1460.]
