Quote:
Originally Posted by g.spencer
Is it the most dangerous though throughout the USA? Very hard to determine that answer, but Lucille said it best in regards to the most dangerous venomous snake is the one that bit you. The fact is venom is very, very complex and differs from locale to locale within a sub species, and differs from individual to individual within a locale too.
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Species aside, the danger of most venom can be increased by circumstances surrounding the bite: where the bite is located, was the person drinking, was the snake fresh out of hibernation and ripe with venom or had it just expended a large amount of venom prior to the bite, the list goes on.
Under "normal" circumstances a copperhead bite may be considered less dangerous than some rattlesnake bites, but add a couple beers to the victim and you have a very serious situation. Then you have snakes like the coral snake: neurotoxic venom that painlessly "sneaks up" on the victim and requires an antivenom that is now discontinued (last I heard).
Mr. Spencer's statement about the complexity of venom hits on what I was thinking about last night: My thought was; like the locality phenotypes of say rosy boas, where the difference is visual, the chemistry of the venom seems to be what differentiates some localities of venomous snakes (if that makes sense).
Also, Just to be clear, I not saying that a copperhead is is not a dangerous snake; like Lucille said, the dangerous one is the one that bit you.