But my boas are a lot more cuddly

but i would like better be bitten than strangle

Boas and pythons will bite you. I wrote a story for the student newspaper while I was in college, about a man who owned a pet store.

He had recently been bitten by a medium sized (maybe five- seven feet) Emerald Tree Boa or a Green Tree Python. I forget which. They closely resemble one another, although they live half the world apart. That's called Parallel Development. Each occupies similar haibitat.

Anyway, that hand looked positively mangled when he took off the dressing to show me. The teeth curve backward, to better hold prey, and getting the snake unstuck was quite a job! I trust that he got a tetanus shot as well as other medical attention.

This guy also owned a coyote that he sold several times to a nearby club owner who gave it to his dancers. They all brought it back, complaining that it trashed their dressing rooms and chewed up the interior of their cars.

Wild animals do not often make good pets. And the sight of that bitten hand was very sobering.

As for constriction, I don't think anyone should ever be alone in a room with the larger constrictors. It just isn't safe. And some, like the Reticulated Python and the African Rock Python, have a rep for aggression. The famous tiger hunter, Jim Corbett, was very wary of Indian pythons in the montane streams where he hunted. He was very knowledgeable about jungle lore. I suspect that his caution was warranted

Tree boas and pythons have lots of LONG curved teeth.I bet it was ugly.I have a 6' colombian,who would draw blood pretty well,a dwarf Nicaraguan at 5' but a lot less girth(both female),and a little baby boy tha just got through eating and is looking at me like ...next.Captive bred boas,even if snappy and defensive when young tend to be calm and gentle natured as adults.However my three havent been defensive,but they get spoiled.Just dont handle food before putting your hand in a cage cuz they are pretty aggressive eaters.Kinda like a 15 yr old after football practice.Now if you were a rat or a mouse you need to worry

I remember when I was in grad school and I told our Herp professor that I had been bitten by a rosy boa (Lichanura trivirgata.

He came as close to calling me a liar as he could without offending me. (It was in a pet shop,was getting ready to shed, was hungry and had been mishandled.) I don't think he really believed me until I told him the look on that snake's face told the story-I think she was more surprised than I was.

My daughter had a 2' rosy when she was 16-18 months old. Used to walk around the house with it (well, stumble, actually).
(Graduated with a BS in biology @ Univ of AZ=shot her first elk a@ 12)

Please don't take offense, but I could never, ever, ever, ever do that. I know it was a little snake, I'm just paranoid when it comes to my kids..

I remember hearing about that 2 year old that was killed in FL by a "pet" constrictor of some breed about a year or so ago... That's the stuff of nightmares for me..

A remember watching a snake show and the snake expert basically saying that reptiles really can't be tamed/domesticated. Snakes are reactive animals and react to certain stimulants and situations in certain ways. Yes, proper/timely feeding and proper handling goes a long way in having a incident free pet.. But I guess it's something to do with the level of development of a reptiles' brains, as compared to the brains of warm-blooded creatures.. They are more like a machine in a way of saying..

What say you resident snake enthusiasts??

I think you are essentially correct, in a very basic and simple way. But some snakes may do better than others at recognizing people and in how they deal with issues. It's not all just jerk-action instinctual. They have some mental ability, as with that Forest Cobra that I mentioned in the Dallas zoo. And I think they can feel anger and fear and aggression.

As a quick example of the latter, both mambas and King Cobras are known to be likely to attack people if disturbed while mating. I believe that Jim Corbett threw a rock at a King Cobra (hamadryad) and it charged him. They do make conscious decisions. On the other hand, I have never met a snake who could do his own tax return, even on Form 1040-EZ.

In RSA we watched a 6-7 foot long black mamba drop off a low branch from a tree along the dirt road we were on. It then proceeded to CHASE the truck. We accelerated to 35 mph to lose it.

THAT snake right there is MY most dangerous; a black mamba with attitude.

THAT is a sobering story, and refutes the yarn that snakes won't attack anything that they can't swallow!

It's a danged fine thing that the snake didn't get into your truck!

They have also been known to chase oxen and bite several inspanned oxen on the old Boer trek wagons, killing all. You can guess from this just how deadly that snake is to a human.

Why they'd bite the poor beasts is a mystery. Maybe they were just in a bad mood!

Well, i believe you, but it is rather an exception than a rule...i am in touch with others SA reptiles' keepers and believe me (or not ) black mambas (as other fast and dangerous snakes) prefer fly away than confrontation. That is why they are rarely seen in the wild. Some of them live close to people near outskirt of Durban (SA) without any fight, kill or even been detected.The most dangerous are those which penetrate in house, and can be dangerous when cornered.In fact they do less victim than adder (echis) and naja (naja mossambica, n.annulifera and co.)
Now it's clear that under very exceptional circumstances, they can stand and even defend their ground !! ...and as it is said "if you'r close enough to kill a mamba, it is close enough to kill you."
However most bites in Africa are made during field works.
R.

I remember once we were trying to catch a sidewinder down by the Salton Sea. A semi truck was coming off in the distance, so we decided to let it go rather than watch it get smashed.

I moved the snake with my pole and it came back at me. I stepped aside and it changed directions towards me. We "danced" around all four sides of a box. My buddy (an Aussie) said "this is getting to not be fun anymore". I said the "heck" with it and we did a quick throw into the air and across the road.

Now, the trained biologist in me, with several classes and a thesis in animal behavior, says snakes aren't that smart, at least not rattlers but I can't shake the thought she was out to get me, personally!

Another buddy kept a sidewinder for a while and we both swore that snake knew who was handling it! If i was holding her, she would try everything she could to sink a fang. With him, no problem: nice and docile but you could tell she was waiting and watching!

By the way, my daughter was never left with any animal without supervision. And all of our "hot" snakes were sold to a place called Hermosa Reptile in SoCal for delivery to zoos and venom farms. While I lived with my parents, all venomous snakes were kept outside (except once=I was asked to move out when my mother came home early from visiting relatives and I had left something in my bedroom)

There is an old saying that you can tell who works in a museum and who works in a zoo by counting the fingers

the one at my feet

He's a snake in the grass. I'll tell you guys.

He may look dumb but that's just a disguise.

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Dum vivo cano

Snake threads are hard to kill.
You think they're dead, but they can still bite ya!

Maybe it's just nerve reflex?

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

The most dangerous is the Zombie Snake.

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Some men, you just can't reach

The 'smart asp'.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

In the words of Richard Pryor, "Snakes, , , , make you run into trees . . . "

(I know it's a zombie thread, but I couldn't help myself . . . )

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Deadliest venom but generally very docile and timid.

Wow, old thread back from the dead. During my few years living in Australia I had to kill a couple of Eastern Browns in our yard before they could kill/hurt any of the family or pets. Supposedly the 2nd most venomous snake in the world (not sure what scale they use for that claim). We didn't worry about the Red-Bellied Black (also poisonous) because they scared away the Browns. And when walking in the tall paddocks we kept a close watch on our little Jack Russell Terriers to make sure they didn't get snatched up by the large Carpet Pythons. Our neighbors just let the pythons live in their eaves and on the roof - not us!

I’m sure they’re not the deadliest venom wise. But Water Moc’s scare the hell out of me if I don’t have a 12 gauge in my hand, or even if I do. The frieking things COME AFTER you. I don’t like that.

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Oui Chef!

I don't know the real fancy name but did see them in Okinawa Japan, the Hubu, there were 3 kinds the small one was about a foot long and as big around as a pencil, the middle one was about 18" long about a inch around. the big one was a foot long and 2 inches around. they were aggressive, were known to come into the houses through the sewer.

there bite was more of a chewing motion, the skin would rot away, no know antivenin. the body part where the bite was normally cut off very quickly

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Carpriver.

The most dangerous snake is the one that you almost step on that causes your to vacate your bowels, empty your bladder and make you grab your chest even if it only a Chicken Snake. I speak from experience!!

In my neighborhood, it is the coral snake although they are reclusive, if you are bit, it will ruin your day; but perhaps the shortage of anti-venom is the biggest threat.

Some very poisonous snakes live where the population is low and simply don't come in contact with people so much.

There are two effects that REALLY frighten me...

Neurotoxin

Hemorrhagic

Both of those can kill before a person can get help.

The Mamba is a bad actor.

Saw scaled viper - kills most people annually. Lives in populated areas. Has a mix of differing compounds including neurotoxin and coagulants.

King cobras can get 18 feet long. They stand up when enountered in the grass. An 18 foot snake would stand up about up to my chest. I'd die right there without it even biting me

Taipan - Can kill in an hour

Around here the most likely bites are rattlesnake, copperhead or water moccasin. These have hemotoxins and necrotic action.

The coral snake is special. Neurotoxins cause respiratory failure. But they are reclusive, shy and have short fangs. Bites are so rare that it is very uneconomical to keep antivenin on hand. Remember "Red on Yeller kills a feller?" In Latin and South America the reverse is true. Red on black is the deadly combination.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

I think in countries like Brazil, corals come in several variants, so it's not possible to use a "color rule."
BTW, there are four species of mamba: Black, Jameson's, and Eastern and Western Green.

I've encountered some with different sized bands, one in the Keys with almost invisible yellow stripes but am almost certain any in this hemisphere will have a black tipped face.

This post got me looking up the number of fatal snake bites in the US and I read of 5 or 6 people dying during religious church services in Kentucky and West Virginia while handling rattlesnakes. If I'm visiting those States on Sunday and wanting to attend church I think I'll do a little research first before showing up!

List of fatal snake bites in the United States - Wikipedia

The most dangerous snake?

The one you don't see.

If anybody wants any interesting and informative read... find a copy of "cobras in his garden"ii It's a bio of a guy named Bill Haast.... He owned the Miami Serpentarium.. supplied cobra venom to the medical folks...
JIM............ AKA SNAKE803

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SWCA # L-1911

Great thread. Very informative. Glad it came back to life.

However, there's always a however isn't there,
I think the worst snake is your ex-wife's lawyer.

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CSM, U S Army(Ret) 1963-1990

It's been about 45 years since my last visit there. As a kid it was one of my favorite places to go. That guy got bit a gazillion times!

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Dum vivo cano

It's been decades, but I recall the color code on banded snakes as follows:

Red on yellow is a friendly fellow (not to me, but I'm ...cautious).

Red on black, better stand back.

Unforgettable place. I still recall the scrapes on the back of my legs when my Dad snatched by butt off the coral wall around the crocodile pit when I was three.
Did you know the inside of a croc's mouth is almost white?
Mr. Haast's research advanced the knowledge of snake venom by leaps and bounds. His left hand was shot to heck, so many bites his fingers looked like Brown 'n Serve sausages. Nice guy, met him sometime before he passed maybe 10 years ago.
The snake sculpture broke apart when it was moved to So. Miami High School. It was rebuilt, just looked out of place.

I would have to agree it's the snake you don't see that is most
dangerous. Also in US, the Copper Head and Cotton mouth. Why
because they got no rattles and when they get towards molt,
they haven't much distinction of coloration. People who play
with snakes are prone to get bitten fooling with them. I am
amazed by people who can't tell the difference in these two
snakes from non poisonous species. Most sightings are common
water snakes, rat snakes, ect. I don't think most of these
people have ever seen a poison snake. Around my area the
Copper Head is only poisonous snake and most bites are from
stepping on them or reaching into were ones at. They aren't
very aggressive compared to the other species.

In Wilmington, North Carolina, there was an outstanding private museum of snakes from all over the world, including several that have been mentioned in this thread. The owner, Dean Ripa, who had worked with and collected snakes for many years, had also been bitten a few times but had always survived.

Tragically, Dean died not long ago, and the museum now is closed.

Cause of death?

His wife shot him.

Wife held without bail in murder of Wilmington snake expert Dean Ripa - News - Wilmington Star News - Wilmington, NC

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Ukraine -- now more than ever

no rattler can be trusted.
the one that tried to kill me rattled AFTER he struck.
over 5' long, that rattler struck chest high, so forget snake boots/
forget getting to the hospital before death.
since dead is dead, that snake was as deadly as the ones you named.
i hate killing things that eat mice, but you can't allow rattlers around the house.
.

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susie

I still fondly remember our annual field trips there when I was in elementary school. Much more exciting than Parrot Jungle and Monkey Jungle. I didn’t find out that he had retired to Punta Gorda just down the road from me until shortly before his passing. It’s incredible to think of all the times he was bitten and he lived to be 100 years old! He singlehandedly deserves credit for developing anti-venins used around the world. He did all of this with no government funding and no formal education in herpetology.

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

I have been bit by a copperhead......may not be amongst the deadliest but when it bites you it sure does feel like it. I was never a kill it for the sake of killing it kind of anti-snake guy, but with the grandkids around I take no more leniency........I carry my colt scouts with .22 lr snake shot to dispatch them quickly.

I think two crocks he had were the biggest in captivity at one time. I remember they were huge. 17 or 18 feet comes mind.
It's been a long time though and my memory could be on holiday.

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Dum vivo cano

I remember looking past my dangling feet right down his gullet in '63 and I believe it!

If I remember correctly, one of them was named Cookie and (she?) had bitten her tail off. The crocs were ultimately the downfall of the Serpentarium. It (and Haast) never fully recovered from the young boy getting killed by one of the crocs in 1977. I remember the croc pits very vividly.

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

I was riding number two with a small group crossing Africa on motorcycles. The leader ( a retired Dutch Boer Colonel) ran over some kind of a green stick and I noticed he raised his feet. After a few kilometers we stopped so the Colonel could have a smoke. He told me then that the stick was a Green Mamba and he was worried he might have flipped it up at me. Ignorance is sometimes a good thing.

I’m told here in TN. You need to worry about the rattle headed copper moccasin.They are rare but very dangerous.They must be out there because those old country boys would never make up a story to a city boy.

..and in the Peoples Republic of Massachusetts, the division of fish and wildlife was recently caught spending tens of thousands of tax dollars to breed more Timber rattle snakes for reestablishment /release in the wild. ( because clearly not enough people are being bit each year) DFW finally backed down (to some unknown position) when taxpayers organized and started demanding they lose funding. Can't make this stuff up!

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Dave

I haven't done any research, but just based on my own observations, the only dangerous snakes we have here in West Virginia are Copperheads, Rattlers and Cottonmouths. I am very forgiving of most things in nature, but I have grandchildren and pets, so I confess to shooting these guys whenever I run across them. Bug that is very infrequently. Maybe they are there and I just don't see them. Mostly up around my cabin in the eastern panhandle.

I don't know how they compare to some of the big guys in India, Africa and Australia, but they still pose enough of a threat that they warrant shooting!!

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

For my money, it's the Bamboo Viper, aptly nicknamed the Two-Stepper, because that's how far you got if one nipped ya. Haven't seen one in person since I was in-country, which is fine with me.

The DF&W wanted to establish a colony of rattlers on an island in the Quabbin Res. but public outcry put a stop to that idea.

Years ago I read that the eastern diamondback rattlesnake was the most dangerous due to the sheer size that they can grow to. Something along the lines of the bigger the rattler, the more venom they have.

When I was a littlen', about 5 years old, living with my grandmother, there was a frog that stayed around the side door to the house. I was going outside one summer day when something told me to look down. There was the frog, in a copperhead's mouth. I hollered, jumped back into the house and my Nanny came to the door to see what was the matter. I told her and she went to the tool shed, got a hoe and killed the snake. We never saw the frog again. I wouldn't go outside the rest of the day.

I haven't liked snakes since then.

While I was a police advisor in Afghanistan, our regional police academy was a facility 300 meters square, with towers on the corners and the front gate. Our security was combination of Nepalese and Afghans, overseen by an American. One evening we heard AK fire from INSIDE of the compound. Two cobras had been spotted and the guards killed one and the other got away.

About 25 meters from that tower, we had buried a conex box, covered it with sandbags and it was one of our shelters in case of a mortar attack. One end was left open. The missing cobra was last seen crawling towards that bomb shelter.

About a week later, we had a drill and since I was the second in command, I felt I had to be the first to go into the shelter. I had my Beretta in one hand, hoping and praying I wouldn't find that dang cobra.
It wasn't in there; we don't know where it went, as it wasn't seen again.

Did I mention that I hate snakes?

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

I think you quoted that backwards. Should read, "Red and black, friend of Jack. Red and yellow, kill a fellow."

I thought someone else would mention this, but they haven't, so I'd better.

Keep in mind that there are two genera of corals in the USA. If memory serves, those are: Micrurus and Micruroides. I'm going by memory on spelling, but that's either right or close enough to look them up. One lives only in AZ, I believe. Most good reptile books will show both. Some states publish venomous snake and bug guides covering their boundaries.

Other countries have snakes called corals that don't closely resemble those in the USA. The South African coral is more like a cobra, although not of the genus Naja.

Susie-

This is confusing. Did or did not the rattler bite you in the chest?

What really happened?

I do understand your aversion to snakes.