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This is why you wear gaiters

This is why I highly recommend wearing gaiters (snake protection) when hiking or exploring the Florida Everglades. Luckily this one was easy to see and up on the tram road.

flhiker's Channel - YouTube

Eastern Diamondback Rattler

Very cool the way the snake stayed coiled and its head remained fixed while the lower body moved the snake to the roadside brush where he likely made his "escape".

I lived on a dammed-up cypress swamp in Georgetown SC. (Great fishing hole - about 7 acres total. Fished there 4-5 days a week after work, surf-cast in the ocean on weekends. Ahhh. That was the life.)

Anyway, I grabbed a beer and my tackle and went down to the kudzu-covered earthen dam, and saw a "bald spot" to stand in while casting. Just as I was about to step into it, a 4" diameter cottonmouth (about 4' long) slithered away.

Had I made contact, I would probably not be typing this...

In addition to gaiters I would require exceedingly capacious under-garments... :shock:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray (Post 443331)

Had I made contact, I would probably not be typing this...

Well, Ray, had you actually stepped on the poor bugger, wouldn't have been able to blame it for biting.

Cottonmouths offer a lot of bluster, but tend to be quite reluctant to bite and envenomate. Suddenly seeing one slither off would definitely be an adrenaline moment, though. :evil:

I fear the Rattlesnake the most because their venom is so toxic. And does damage no matter how fast you get the anti venom. The cottonmouth are very arrogant and will stand their ground but the venom isn't quite a bad. either way I wouldn't want to get bit by either one. I know it's easy to forget to pay attention where you step specially when your excited to get to spot or when you spot that Ghost orchid and forget to survey the area before stepping or grabbing anything. I once reached down to pick up an interesting piece of driftwood and nearly was bitten by young moccasin, never saw him. boy did that wake me up the rest of the day.

South Carolina has the distinct "honor" of having every general type of poisonous snake that exists in the US - rattlers, copperheads, cottonmouths, even coral snakes. In the 4 years I lived there, I saw the first three, plus the occasional gator in weird places.

Quote:

Originally Posted by flhiker (Post 443365)

I fear the Rattlesnake the most because their venom is so toxic. And does damage no matter how fast you get the anti venom.

Can't honestly say I "fear" them. Respect them yes, fear no. None of these snakes will attack without provocation. In fact, the majority of the people bitten by vipers are those who are either trying to handle the animal or trying to kill it.

For the sake of clarification, the venom of a diamondback is not significantly more toxic per say. Rather the issue is the large quantity of venom they are capable of administering in a bite.

And while you are absolutely correct that a bite will result in some damage -- so does a dog bite or that from any animal. The damage from a viper's venom need not be extensive and will be far less extensive if proper measures and treatment are taken. The best method for minimize one's risk of snakebite is to leave the snake alone. If you're out hiking, as you already pointed out, pay attention to your surroundings and watch where you step.

Very few people in the US die from snakebite. More people die in the US from bee & wasp stings each year than from snakebites. Won't even go into how many more people are killed or severely injured by horses or dogs -- or how many people die in car accidents and shootings (both accidental and otherwise).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul (Post 443512)

I agree with most of your points and I should have said I fear getting bit by a rattlesnake more then the cottonmouth. I walk in areas a lot of times where you can't see the ground ahead of you or see where your feet go. The Rattlesnake venom has neurotoxin's that the Cottonmouth doesn't. Neurotoxin's cause damage to tissue and more importantly your organs where as the cotton mouth venom works more slowly. So getting bit 2,3,4 or 5 miles in can be a real problem. The reason there are more dog and horse injury's are because there are more people around dogs and horse's same goes for car accidents and bee stings. Only a hand full of moron's like me go looking in places where these snakes inhabit.:rofl: