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Russ Johnson, president of the Phoenix
Herpetological Society, holds a Western
Diamondback Rattlesnake (AP).
Herpetological Society, holds a Western
Diamondback Rattlesnake (AP).
Are Snakes Becoming More Poisonous?
A surge of deadly symptoms resulting from rattlesnake bites in Arizona has researchers wondering what’s going on.
30-Second Summary
The numbers remain small, but are undoubtedly growing. Five people have died from rattlesnake bites in Arizona since 2002, which is approximately the same number of such deaths during the previous two decades, according to the Banner Poison Control Center in Phoenix.
In addition, rattlesnake bite victims are showing life-threatening symptoms more quickly. Some scientists theorize that the snakes’ venom is actually becoming more poisonous.
Others wonder if there’s a simpler explanation: humans are getting more adventurous.
Jeff Landry, a researcher at Utah’s Hogle Zoo, says people may be encroaching upon areas where a sub-type of potentially more dangerous rattlesnakes reside: “they’re moving out, hiking more, a lot more outdoor activity. Maybe they’re encountering this separate population, if that's what it is.”
Russ Johnson, president of the Phoenix Herpetological Society, dismisses the idea outright that the snakes’ poison is “evolving” as some researchers have put it, into deadlier venom.
“I talked to four experts, and none of them has given any credibility to this issue at all,” he said in a recent interview with NPR. He believes, instead, that many bite victims are older retirees who are unfamiliar with rattlesnake safety, and therefore, more at risk, when they are hiking and gardening.
Also, because they are older, and more frail, “They're at a higher risk [of dying] than other demographics,” he said.
In addition, rattlesnake bite victims are showing life-threatening symptoms more quickly. Some scientists theorize that the snakes’ venom is actually becoming more poisonous.
Others wonder if there’s a simpler explanation: humans are getting more adventurous.
Jeff Landry, a researcher at Utah’s Hogle Zoo, says people may be encroaching upon areas where a sub-type of potentially more dangerous rattlesnakes reside: “they’re moving out, hiking more, a lot more outdoor activity. Maybe they’re encountering this separate population, if that's what it is.”
Russ Johnson, president of the Phoenix Herpetological Society, dismisses the idea outright that the snakes’ poison is “evolving” as some researchers have put it, into deadlier venom.
“I talked to four experts, and none of them has given any credibility to this issue at all,” he said in a recent interview with NPR. He believes, instead, that many bite victims are older retirees who are unfamiliar with rattlesnake safety, and therefore, more at risk, when they are hiking and gardening.
Also, because they are older, and more frail, “They're at a higher risk [of dying] than other demographics,” he said.
Headline Links: Snakes more venomous or humans more adventurous?
Russ Johnson, an expert rattlesnake handler, who has been bitten twice himself, says changing state demographics in Arizona—particularly an influx of retirees—is to blame for the increase in rattlesnake bite deaths. The story clip is available on the NPR Web site.
Source: NPR
“This is a brand new phenomenon,” Jeffrey Brent, clinical professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, was quoted as saying in The Arizona Republic. “It should spur a considerable amount of research in the area.” He said he hadn’t seen the new, extreme symptoms in rattlesnake-bite patients until last year, when he saw five cases.
Source: The Arizona Republic
Video: ‘Rattlesnake Bites Seem To Be More Toxic’
Salt Lake City-based NBC television affiliate KSL reported that toxicologists and snake experts in Colorado, Arizona and California are concerned about rattlesnake venom that appears to be more dangerous to humans. Watch the story on the KSL Web site.
Source: KSL
Related Link: Warmer months mean more snake encounters
As temperatures rise and more people venture out for hikes and jogs, several newspapers, including The Coloradoan, are dedicating stories to how to avoid, but also protect, local rattlesnakes. According to a story in the newspaper, “Rattlesnakes, as aggressive as they can be, are not out to bite you or our pets out of meanness. Rattlesnakes generally only bite when they feel threatened or think something is small enough to be a potential meal.”
Source: The Coloradoan
Reference: How to treat a snakebite and the importance of snakes
The Banner Poison Control Center in Phoenix, provides information about and photos of rattlesnakes on its Web site. The center urges people to use caution and common sense when enjoying the outdoors: “Most bites happen when the victim chooses to disturb or handle the snake. It's far better to walk around or avoid it.”
Source: Banner Poison Control Center
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site provides a fact sheet on how to prevent or respond to a snakebite. Information includes what to do, and specifically what not to do if bitten, as well as signs and symptoms of a bite which may include redness and swelling around the site, nausea and vomiting and disturbed vision.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The American International Rattlesnake Museum, located in Albuquerque, N.M., celebrates rattlesnakes on its Web site, which includes pictures of many varieties of rattlesnakes and information on the most poisonous snakes in the world. But the site emphasizes the fact that “the rattlesnake’s role as an important link in the food web far outweighs its potential danger to our well-being.”
Source: The American International Rattlesnake Museum
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