Have you ever been bitten?

Question

Anyone ever been bitten by a gaboon viper and survived?

Anyone ever been bitten by any venomous snake?

Tell me about it.

Answer 1

I was watching 7 deadly strikes on Animal Planet - I think the host Austin Stevens said he was infact bitten by a Gaboon (though not in that episode he did however got nabbed by a sidewinder and a cobra in it)

I was bitten by a copperhead once. It was mostly a dry bite. The little guy was curled up in my garden and I spooked him while weeding. My hand swelled up a bit and I had a nasty bruise, the pain wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I didn't go to the ER - but I did see my GP a few days later to get a note for missing work  LOL

Answer 2

thank goodness i haven't yet

Answer 3

the gaboon is a nicer snake and the reason it is so bad to get bite by isnt the venom which is a hemo type i believe but is because it has the longest fangs in the world nearly 2 inches and has som insane muscle strenth that push it very very fast so yes people do survive austin stevens got bite by 1 and lot of others but it would be very painful i hope i answered your question

Answer 4

When dustin v is saying Gaboon vipers are a "nicer snake", I really hope he means nicer in appearance and not nicer in attitude. I owned one for a few years, and there is nothing nice or docile about them. They can give people the idea they are docile because they never move, but don't be fooled. Gaboon vipers are an ambush predator to the most extreme meaning of the word. In the wild, they are known to sit completely motionless on the side of a trail for days or even weeks waiting for something to walk by. They will do the same in captivity. But when they get an opportunity, they don't hesitate to strike...and for a big, lazy snake, they have an incredibly fast strike, one of the fastest in Africa, probably second only to the puff adder. Their venom is extremely toxic.They inject enough venom with one bite to kill 30 grown men. They actually inject more venom than any other snake in the world, and they have the longest fangs of any snake in the world, up to 2 inches. When they bite a prey item, they don't let go, unlike other vipers such as rattlers, which strike and release. Their venom kills the prey item very quickly, and the gaboon uses its huge fangs as fingers to pull the food item into its mouth. You re right inthat they are one snake you dn't want to get bitten by. I would probably rather get bitten by a cobra than by a Gaboon viper. And they have a hiss that will raise the hair on the back of your neck! It is a very loud and deep hiss, different from other snakes. Very intimidating!

In the U.S., very few people die from venomous snake bites thanks to our medical facilities, but I'll share one true story with you. We have a venomous reptile expo in San Antonio, Texas a few times a year. A couple years ago a woman from California (venomous snakes are illegal in California, by the way) drove to San Antonio because she wanted a Gaboon viper. She bought one and took it back to her apartment in Cali. Apparently, she was overly trusting of all animals, and believed that animals don't bite the hand that feeds it. She saw how her Gaboon viper just sat there looking calm and never moving. She assumed it was used to her and she could handle it. Well, they found her in her apartment, deceased and with multiple bite marks.

I have owned and handled many venomous snakes in the past. I have also bred copperheads. Fortunately, I've never been bitten. But alot of it is just using common sense and careful handling practices. You never handle a venomous snake if you've been drinking. And you don't take them out to impress your buddies. I've had my share of close calls though. I've been sprayed in the face once with venom, and I got hit on the hand by a baby copperhead once but it didn't get the fangs in. And I had a really close call with a western cottonmouth two weeks ago. The funny thing is, harmless water snakes are always being mistaken for cottonmouths (aka water moccasins), well I did the opposite. It was dark and I saw what I though was a blotched water snake, completely harmless. I picked it up and let go just as it struck at me. A 17 inch male western cottonmouth! I have a friend who's a biologist and legally has about 60 venomous snakes, including many pit vipers, large rattlers, and cobras, including a couple of spitting cobras. We spend alot of time photographing copperheads, cottonmouths, and rattlers out in the field. And he's never been bitten either. Common sense goes a long way!

Answer 5

No I haven't to both questions.  'Had a few close calls with some copperheads trying to climb in a boat, and one with a moccasin which was asleep on the lawn.  We stepped over it a few times in the course of a couple hours thinking it was a stick before it moved and scared my Dad to death.  lol

Sorry, no bites.

Interesting question.  Is this curiosity, or a homework study?

Where's Madsnakeman when you need him?  lol  'Bet you'd enjoy his answer a lot whole more.  lol  (I sure did about the rattlesnake venom through the screen.)

Good luck, and I hope you get some interesting responses.

Answer 6

i havnt been bit by a gaboon viper (wich i heard is like the worst turture ever ) but i have been bitten by a copperhead it got me right on my ankel and the supid thing was i knew he was in stike position i new i was in range and i dropped a rock on him it didnt even hit him but it cought my ankel and what is did whas i just walked up my hill slowly and said mom take me to the hospital and the whole care ride it felt like someone was stiking pins into every single inch of me lower leg (below my knee) well thats my story