Snakebite Deaths from Non-Native Venomous Snakes 2013-2022

[Martin Nowak]

During the nine (9) years of 2013 - 2022 there were 19 non-native envenomations reported to the North American Snakebite Registry.
There was not a single death. The title is correct - the answer however is "zero".

"Clinical Presentations, Treatments, and Outcomes of Non‑native Snake
Envenomations in the United States Reported in the North American
Snakebite Registry". Journal of Medical Toxicology (2023) 19:16–25

https://www.acmt.net/wp-content/upl...in-the-North-American-Snakebite-Registry-.pdf

It is important to note that many states, their game and fish commissions and elected officials cite the dangers of captive ownership of venomous non-native reptiles. Many also cite dangers of captive ownership of native venomous reptiles. Bites in either category are rare - yes rare. In Alabama the
ban on captive ownership of any non native venomous reptile is often attributed to "cost of health care for such bites". Bites to reptile keepers are so uncommon as to not be material to overall healthcare costs and are classic minuscule "rounding errors" of cost.

In contrast:

Cows kill about 22 people per year in the U.S.
https://worldanimalfoundation.org/a...st 20 to 22 People Are,by Cows Each Year (CDC)

Horses kill about 20 people per year in the U.S. and equestrian hobby results in about 700 human deaths per year.
https://horsesonly.com/horse-riding...1 out of every,related deaths occur each year.

Hymenoptera including honey bees kill about 1,100 humans per year in the U.S.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6829a5.htm
(incidentally, honey bees are actually invasive Italian (western) honey bees which displace native pollinators.https://www.nature.com/articles/s41...insects, the Western,by non-social insects in )

4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year in the U.S. requiring healthcare intervention. Of these 30-50 die each year.
https://www.sneedmitchell.com/post/...dog bite statistics,killed by dogs every year.

3.5 million injuries occur in K-12 to kids playing sports. Remarkably and sadly, 3-5 kids die each year playing baseball. Other sports also have tragedy deaths.
https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=sports-injury-statistics-90-P02787

This list could continue with many more activities and species killing and injuring more humans than snakes. Reptile keepers should be aware of the absolute minor impact keeping non-native and native venomous reptiles have on cost, mortality and morbidity. Yet many (perhaps most) restrictive regulations and laws use the "harm, cost and babies will die" approach to legislating restrictions.

It must also be noted that some reptile keepers are irresponsible - lost snakes, inappropriate public displays, personal envenomations from poor handling techniques, and other antics cause harm to the hobby and industry. Such stories are of course much more sensational than cows killing people. The closest sensational animal death issue seems to be with sharks with 1-2 fatalities per year in the U.S. https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/yearly-worldwide-summary/

Reptile keepers should not tolerate false statements and false premises which drive regulatory decisions and should respond with credible facts and citations. There are many more credible publications, papers, and insurance data which can be used to refute falsehoods.

 

[Socratic Monologue]

With the possible exception of sharks, all these other risk categories have much better PR than herp keepers. Legislation of this sort doesn't follow statistics, it follows from (un)familiarity -- "why would anyone want a slimy snake?" -- and is largely underpinned by othering (which is, uh, something of a national pastime lately) -- "those weirdos with their lizards, probably all live in their parents basement and smoke dope all day".

So in addition to the reason-based approach you rightly suggest, I'd recommend going out of our ways to make our (herp-keepers, and our herps) public presence very respectable (whatever that might mean, I guess), and comforting or at least non-threatening to those around us, and to continue to emphasize the value that herps add to our lives and our economy (pay taxes on those sales, folks).

A bit tangential, but I can't wrap my head around the argument that x is bad in light of the fact that x causes people to spend money in hospitals ("cost of health care"). I mean, we're supposed to spend money in hospitals, I think -- a hospital and all its employees and outside contractors are often the largest economic piece of a town's/area's economy. If I get bitten and spend $120K in my local hospital, that's largely profit that they can use to help support less lucrative aspects of their operation (or, IDK, pay their employees more).

Like the dog that catches the car, the argument doesn't address what happens when we all get healthy enough to not really need all this health care (this is because the argument is fallacious, of course -- it is an appeal to emotion, plain and simple).

 

[Herpin Man]

I’ve always been under the impression that the reason that venomous or other “dangerous” herps are prohibited by local governments is due to the perceived danger to the general public in the event of an escape. According to this study, that threat is virtually nonexistent- which I have always suspected.

 

[Martin Nowak]

Greg - I agree with your assessment. In fact - a logical point further - very few reptile keepers of venomous herps are envenomated.

Just have to note that over 1 million people get sick in the U.S. each year from raw chicken. However, chicken caused illness is not sensational. Mostly salmonella caused. https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/chicken.html

Not solely from chickens - but salmonella infections from food :
"CDC estimates Salmonella bacteria cause about 1.35 million infections, 26,500 hospitalizations, and 420 deaths in the United States every year. Food is the source for most of these illnesses." https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/index.html

In Alabama about 25 years ago a black spitting cobra escaped from an LEO and it continues to be cited to the present time as reason to not allow any captive non-native venomous in the state. That snake was never seen again. Alabama G&F will indicate they have a permitting system for all non-allowed reptiles including venomous - but the permit applications are ignored and never issued to reptile keepers. No science and no factual data drives the issue - only sensationalism and the G&F telling the public how safe they are keeping the public.