Non-venomous snake bite deaths in the U.S.

[SCReptiles]

Just a bit of trivia: Can anyone name a non-venomous and indigenous to the U.S snake that is responsible for an adult human death? I know of at least one case, although there may be more then one.

[BWSmith]

I know that nonvens have "caused" fatallities, but I will have to dig to find specifics. Generally, people basically scare themselves to death. Some people are so afraid of snakes that they can actually go into shock or give themselves a heart attack from a harmless bite.

[Ed_r]

Probably somthing like a watersnake bite, that someone mistook for a cotton mouth and had a heart attack at that time.

Or someone having a severe alergic reaction to a gartersnake bite.

I'm sure it's gonna be something pretty hokie though.

[LdyDrgn]

I would have to think it may be a bite from a garter snake or hog nosed... although not truly venomous, they do have toxic saliva. If anyone is allergic to it, they may die, just like someone dying from a bee sting.

I am allergic to mosquitos and fleas. The anti-coagulant in their saliva really gets me. I don't want to find out what would happen if I got bit by one of those snakes... :(

[fatboy]

Red Belly Watersnake.....fisherman believed in shock treatment for envenomation and shocked himself to death.....correct??

[SCReptiles]

Barry is the winner. I think this happened in the great state of KY. Guy was bitten by a water snake. He and his friend decided that it was a moc and they needed to administer the shock treatment for envenomation. They hooked him to a generator and electrocuted him. There are most likely cases of people be scared to death by a non-venomous bite, but I am not familiar with them.

[Snakesafe]

Easy on those Kentcuky remarks!

[Snakesafe]

Chuck...You cleaned out your PM box yet?

[Mustangrde1]

Chuck i have one more for you it will take me time to find the article as it was in the 1930's but a belley dancer was constricted to death by an Indigo.I dont recall all the information but i will see if i can find the article.If anyone else knows where it is please post it and e-mail it to me as well.I want to say it was in Time or National Geographic.This was years back when i read it.

[Regius]

Originally posted by SCReptiles
Just a bit of trivia: Can anyone name a non-venomous and indigenous to the U.S snake that is responsible for an adult human death? I know of at least one case, although there may be more then one.

It wasn't the snake taht was responsible for theat person's death but his friends who tried to give him a treatment that fried him.

I would consider a snake responsible for a person's death if the snake alone killed that person and not someone else.

[SCReptiles]

It wasn't the snake taht was responsible for theat person's death but his friends who tried to give him a treatment that fried him.

Wow? I never thought of it that way! You are right, it was the friend who killed him. I don’t know what we would do without observant people like you here. Do you really think I am that stupid? Of course I know the snake bite didn’t kill him, but his death was the end result of the snake bite.

[Regius]

it was a derived result. Ok, let's say you get a nail in your finger (the nail is almost as big as your finger and it shatters the bone and skin leaving your finger barely holding in place wasn't for the nail actually stuck in part of the bone). Your friend who wants to help you tries to pull it off and ends up tearing your finger away. You bleed to death. Does this mean the nail is responsible for your death?
I would think it was the guy who pulled your finger off.

[Snakesafe]

The friend pulling the nail has nothing to do with it, other than trying to help. Fact is, if there is a nail in someones finger they are most likely the ultimate cause of the injury and subsequent death. To answer your question, yes the nail is responsible for the death.

And I hope I never have a friend would find a need to shock me or pull a finger out of my hand. Most of my friends would dump me is a ditch and swear the never knew me...Thanks guys!

[Mustangrde1]

Just a side note Russlls vipers kill about 800 people per year. Is 7000 high in the US with a population Higher than Pakistan Maybe.I am curious to just how many bites are truly HOT and how many are people panicing and running to the ER!!

[Mustangrde1]

dam wrong thread . I need coffee

[KrokadilyanGuy3]

Good call Scot.

It wasn't the snake taht was responsible for theat person's death but his friends who tried to give him a treatment that fried him.

So would that be a murder case for electrocuting him or a suicide case for agreeing to the electrocution, instead of a snake bite case? Conspiracy? Xain

[Jeff Hathaway]

I think the best way to answer these questions would be to evaluate the probability of survival without the lethal intervention by the friend. You would probably survive having a nail through your finger (in fact, you would probably survive your finger being removed) so if your friend's actions caused your death, then it would be his or her fault.

In the snake case, undoubtably he would have survived the water snake bite. Since assisted suicide isn't legal in most jurisdictions, it would likely be considered manslaughter as the intent was not to kill him.

In my opinion, the snake didn't cause the death, the buddy did!

Jeff Hathaway
Sciensational Sssnakes!!

[AymKing]

I agree Jeff, snake is not at fault. People need to educate themselves with ven. and non ven. snakes, so they'll know :)

[BoidKeeper]

I agree too. His friends as good intentioned as they might have been are directly responsible for the man's murder.
Trevor