Originally Posted by
Devilwin
Their venom is slightly less toxic than the cottonmouth, and can be fatal if untreated, causing great pain, nausea, and swelling in the extremities. Tissue loss can be bad around the area of the bite. Many have died from copperhead bites. Crofab antivenin is usually administered to the victim.
Ranking our venomous snakes for toxicity, number one is the coral snake, which is in the same family as cobras, then the eastern diamondback rattler, timber rattler, pygmy rattler, cottonmouth, copperhead. Get treatment for all bites!
Fair enough. No one wants a copperhead bite. I found one in the yard at my new house when I was 10 and still remember the scary experience. But you are not dealing with the evidence presented -- which is that one Texas medical center treated 88 patients with copperhead bites over 15 years -- and never once used antivenom serum. The study recommends only "observation."
Sage Grouse
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