Pit Viper Venom

[BWSmith]

OK, Cotton bites. I'll dive in and hope I actually answer your question.

Cottonmouths are pretty unique in their bites (at least in the wild). In the wild, theya re often scavangers eating dead fish, frogs, about anything. This means that in addition to venom, there is an array of bacteria as well. Cottons are well known for causing a great deal of swelling, tissue loss, and circulatory problems. Additionally, after a cotton bite, we have to watch for gangreen, tetnis, salmonilla and several other secondary infections. The time of a bite tot he time of severe necrosis or death has way too many variables to estimate. Was it an SubCu or IV enenomation, how much venom was injected, bite site, size of the snake, physical condition of the person and a thousand other things. Necrosis CAN begin within a few minutes, a few hours, or never. Whether you lose a digit is also very much up to the doctor. Some are a little "chop happy". They tried to amputate a buddy's finger after a copper bite and he refused, now he barely has a scar. So the treatment may also lead to physical dmage such as amputation and fasciotomies which are often unnessesary. Tough question without an easy answer.

BTW, Thanks Ray

[shaggybill]

Well, I certainly thank you for trying. Its nice to have a place where people dont mind answering my amateur little questions.

[BWSmith]

I am at work, what better do i have to do? LOL

[hip]

I will post a question to this thread for the hot keepers who have anwsered previously above. I have heard (or I think I have in the past) about 2 phases of nerotoxic venom's.one had "pre" as a beginning and was decribed to me as deystroying the actual chemicals that make the connection between the nerves and the synapses(sorry I can't spell at all) thust the electronic signal stops at the synaptic gap unable to continue.The second was "post" as a beginning and prevented the signal from crossing by either blocking or deystroying the recieptor site at the end of the gap.I am probably wrong it was a long time ago but those still stick out in my head for some strange reason(I never got the nick name Hippy for nuthin you know) so It could be brain damage from my youth you never know someone clear this up for me please.



Thanks a hole big bunch



Hip

[shaggybill]

I think I remember reading something like that too...

[BWSmith]

That sounds correct to me. One blocks that sygnals, one blocks the receptors. I have not delved too much intot he actual mechanisms involved in the different toxins, so i am not 100% sure. I would have to do some double checking.

[J_Riley]

Cobra venom blocks the receptors, that is all I can say. Some Hungarian (European in any event) doing his PhD at Yale studied Cobras to see why some/most seemed immune to their own venom. Anyway, it turns out they (cobras) have sugar molecules that bind to the venom molecules to prevent them from blocking the receptors.