armenius, what is the difference between a Cane Brake rattler and an Eastern Diamondback? (No, it's not the set-up for a joke, I really wanna know.) Acebow
The Cane Brake/Canebrake is a subspecies of the Timber Rattlesnake,
Crotalus horridus. It differs mainly in that where the Timber version is tan and brown, the Canebrake is more gray and reddish brown. They do, as far as I know, have no difference in potential sizes. The Timber rattler was the one depicted on the Revolutionary War flag, Don't Tread On Me.
The Eastern Diamondback, (
C. adamanteus, if memory serves) is a different, larger species. It is the largest rattlesnake. Generally accepted as reaching at least eight feet, one old photo shows some men holding one said to be eleven feet long. That would be remarkable today, if valid.
There are two genera of rattlesnakes,
Crotalus and
Sistrurus (sp?). There are additional species south of the US border, but I think they're all
Crotalus, like
Crotalus durissus, the main Tropical Rattler. Like our Mojave rattler and certain others, it has largely neurotoxic venom, of a very lethal order. The largest of this basic species is the Brazilian version,
C.d. terrificus. The neck stripes help to distinguish these Tropical rattlers, but there are additional forms in Mexico and probably further south. There are additional pit vipers, some of the worst being of the genus
Bothrops. Several are mistakenly called Fer-de-Lance, after one unique to Martinique, but they are very similar.
B. atrox and
B. aspis are examples.
Then, there are the nasty little arboreal forms, like the Eyelash Viper, so called because of erect scales that protect the eyes as they move through bushes. The main one, I think is
Bothrops schlegeli, but I think the genus name may have changed since I memorized it. A Wiki Search should find them and photos. Bear Bio may know if the genus name was revised for those arboreal types.
The longest pit viper, although it lacks rattles, is the Bushmaster,
Lachesis mutus. It is named for Lachesis, the mythical Greek Fate who snipped the threads of life for mortal humans. The species name reflects the lack of rattles, making the tail "mute". But it can vibrate the tail in dry leaves to create a menacing sound.
If you spend any time outdoors, I implore you to get a good snake guide and read it. My current favorite is, "U.S. Guide to Venomous Snakes and Their Mimics" by Scott Shoup.
For a more global approach, the US Govt. Printing Office may still have editions of,
Poisonous Snakes of the World by Sherman A. Minton, Jr., MD, and others. Dr. Findlay Russell and other famed researchers contributed. Mine dates from about 1970. I hope it's still in print and has been updated, although it's quite thorough. It has color plates in the back and B&W ill. of many species. It is/was the US Naval medical manual for ID'ing snakes.
If you can find a copy of,
Venomous Serpents of the World by Sherman A. and Madge R. Minton, you will have a chart in the back that gives the relative toxicity of many species. You will learn that the Cape or Yellow cobra needs just 15 mg. of venom to kill most 150 lb. adult male humans in good condition. The Black Mamba and the Egyptian Cobra need 20 MG. But the Beaked Sea Snake needs just 1.5mg, if memory serves, and the Boomslang is also exceedingly toxic. One killed US herpetologist Karl Schmidt in 1957.
Other bad actors include the Gaboon viper, although the Puff Adder is more numerous and likely to lie along paths much traveled, so it bites more people than the Gaboon or Rhino species do.
If you want to look these up, the common names will probably do, or ask me for scientific names. If I don't know, I can probably dig out a book and check.
As an aside, I was talking years ago to the Curator of Reptiles at a major US zoo. He told me that they'd traded off a Black & White Forest Cobra (
Naja melanoleuca) because it was intelligent and tried to feint and when the handler countered with his snake stick, the cobra changed direction and tried to tag him. It was apparent that it was only a matter of time until someone was bitten.
I realize that this is a lot more than the member asked about, but it is my hope that it'll interest some here.
Venomous snakes are fascinating. One author described the European viper (
Vipera berus) as "a running brook of horror." But many others are worse.
BTW, treatment at a US hospital involving antivenin can easily exceed $100,000. I have seen figures as high as $250,000. Be careful where you walk and avoid reaching into brush where you can't see well.
