Getting into hots

[Oliverian]

You might have been right about them injecting more venom as babies because I've heard adults can and often do control the amount of venom they inject. (Hence, dry bites) I don't know much about it, but if a baby injected all the venom it could and an adult limited the amount, I can see how a baby bite could be worse.

-TammyR

[Crotalus75]

I have heard that neonates lack the control that an adult has over its venom glands, but an adult specimen will still generally yield a much larger quantity of venom (assuming that it is not a dry bite). A neonate vipers venom glands are tiny. They don't have the capability to inject the quantities of venom that an adult does.

[psilocybe]

Originally posted by Oliverian
You might have been right about them injecting more venom as babies because I've heard adults can and often do control the amount of venom they inject. (Hence, dry bites) I don't know much about it, but if a baby injected all the venom it could and an adult limited the amount, I can see how a baby bite could be worse.

-TammyR

Crotalus75


I have heard that neonates lack the control that an adult has over its venom glands, but an adult specimen will still generally yield a much larger quantity of venom (assuming that it is not a dry bite). A neonate vipers venom glands are tiny. They don't have the capability to inject the quantities of venom that an adult does.

I have heard this also. An adult rattlesnake has learned through experience to save and conserve it's venom. A baby has no experience and is willing to give it's all to you. Personally, I don't know what to neccesarily believe. I have heard a counter argument to this that simply states that babies are less toxic because of the tiny quantity of venom they are capable of delivering in comparison to an adult. I would just say, baby, adult, doesn't matter, I don't wanna get tagged by either

AP

[BWSmith]

It is called "Metering Venom". Adults often have the capability to control the amount of venom injected. Newborns often lack this ability, so a neonate may empty as much venom possible. The perfect example of metering venom is PK. She will not inject venom into prey items. One the couple occasions when i was forced to offer live food, she would grab the rat and throw it across the cage or beat it into the side of the cage. This would go on for often over an hour untilt he rat died of pysical trauma (shove sharp things through a rat enough times and you will pierce a vital organ). On the other hand, she is very aggressive to humans. Cleaning enom off the glass is a constant chore. She will even bite the hook and squirt venom in great volume. She seems to control when and how the venom is used (unfortunately, it seems to be all aimed for use on humans).

[Matt]

thats interesting, i wonder why she wouldnt use her venom on a prey item, especially when she expends so much energy into killing it other ways?

[BWSmith]

Maybe she would if i were not in the room. Perhaps since I am there she wants to "have her guns loaded". But i am not going to leave alive rat unattended in her cage