Rattlesnake clinic

I had a fun and interesting experience on Sunday: i worked at a Rattlesnake clinic to teach dogs to avoid rattlesnakes. I worked getting each dog "suited up" for his or her session. They train using electronic collars, which I despise, but for this, where a mistake means death, I think it's worth it. The snakes are muzzled so they're not dangerous.
Unfortunately, they wouldn't let us take photos, so no pictures of the snakes. One was such a gorgeous monster, at least 5 feet long. It's a rather odd feeling, standing next to an animal that could kill you with no effort, and knowing that he was, and fellows just like him are, not far away in the brush.

But i felt sorry for the one fellow who had just been caught that morning and was well and truly pissed off. I don't think he stopped rattling the entire time i was there. I bet they waited until it was nice and chilly and he was very sluggish before they took off his muzzle and let him go!

:) :)

Great story ..
Many people are afraid of snakes.

But the truth is they are beautiful and you must be careful not to step on them

because they can kill you.

Dog vs snake:

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That must be a very strange experience !
I hate those electrical collars also, - I think they are forbidden in Denmark - but you are right, in this one case they could be justified.
Perhaps some high noice or such could have the same effect. But there won`t be a second chance, of course

It is my impression that most dogs are naturally scared of snakes.
The only dangerous snake we have here, is the viper, and it isn`t really very, very dangerous.
I rmember sometimes when walking the dogs, and I stepped on a long branch , so it lashed up a little from us, - the dogs JUMPED away !

But last year Fidda wasn`t so clever, and she was bitten in the nose !
First there were just two little marks, but soon it swelled up and the skin burst
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A visit to the vet cured her, fortunately !
I am sure she learned her lesson, too.

First let me say what a great experience you had, I'm not sure why they didn't want photos taken but it must have been a fantastic day!!! I have collected rattle snakes for classes like this in the past and I think they do so much good for the pets and their owners.

NOW FOR THE REST OF MY THOUGHTS...PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T TAKE THIS RESPONSE AS MINIMIZING THE POSSIBILITY OR RESULTS OF A SNAKE BITE, but rattle snake bites are rarely fatal to humans. To a dog or child it is much more dangerous then an adult but in most cases the snake bite causes local damage and this can be severe to the point of tissue removal or even amputation but usually does not cause death.

First off, snakes are not poisonous, you can eat every species of snake in the world, but some of them are venomous. There are 2 different types of venom, hemo-toxic and neuro-toxic. Most snakes have either one or the other although there are a few that have both but this is rare. Neuro-toxic venom is much worse for other animals then hemo-toxic. A bite from a snake like a cobra or any of it's relatives, which are all neuro-toxic, is a hard thing to survive without lots of immediate care, which is tough where most bites occur. Neuro toxins work by shutting down the body, causing heart failure, it stops your breathing, and causes lots of organ damage. Rattle snakes and their relatives are hemo-toxic, this type of venom causes tissue damage, which can be extensive, but in a normal bite is not usually fatal. You can lose lots of tissue and even have amputations of the bitten limb so I am not saying it isn't dangerous, just not normally fatal.

As I mentioned, I am not trying to minimize or say rattle snakes are not dangerous, just that a bite from one is not normally fatal to a healthy adult. Your dog or children is an entirely different matter and it is great that they give avoidance training to dogs, it can save them! Landrover, I hope that isn't your dog, the good news is that most snakes are not venomous and the ones that are almost always try to avoid a confrontation if possible. Still unless you know what you are doing or the species of snakes you have near your home, it is better to leave them alone, not all rattle snakes will rattle before striking and most other venomous snakes give no warning when you approach, most bites are because you (or your pet) step on the snake.

Phil, I think what you write is VERY relevant !

Like you can see in the picture, my Fidda got some bad damage on her nose, and it might have damaged the tissue of her head seriously if she hadn`t been given the right medical care.

But even if very painfull, it is a fact a bite from the vipers here are not much more lethal than a sting from a wasp...some people can actually die of the sting of a wasp, too !

But the firm belief that vipers kill people almost did that vipers ( and any thing alive that looks faintly like them) almost became extinct here !!!!!
People even ploughed up their habitats to get rid of them !

Only a lot of education in schools and on TV has saved them...a couple of years ago I witnessed the traffic being stopped by a flock of children, because a viper was crossing the road

Philter4 wrote:

First let me say what a great experience you had, I'm not sure why they didn't want photos taken but it must have been a fantastic day!!! I have collected rattle snakes for classes like this in the past and I think they do so much good for the pets and their owners.

It also benefits snakes, because the more people know about snakes, the more appropriate their (the person's) response. Most of the people attending these clinics encounter rattlesnakes fairly often, so if they know their dog is safe, they don't have the immediate urge to kill it.
One man said that now he knows his dogs will avoid them, he doesn't feel compelled to kill rattlers that crawl into his yard; he got training in how to capture and release, so now he relocates them to more appropriate areas.


I understand what you're saying about rattlers' rarely being fatal, but still, if I must, I'd much rather be biten by a 2-foot rattler than a 5-feet+plus fellow.
The big guy was just such an awesome reminder to never underestimate Mother Nature. He was really beautiful.


My guess re the no-photography rule is that knowing how idiotic some people can be when they're holding a camera, the dogs and snakes are already in a very stressful situation and don't need any more. Too bad. I saw the sign and regretfully left my camera in the car. I had hoped to be able to post photos of the snakes.
Goofiest part of my day was scooping poop next to a rattlesnake. Talk about the ridiculous and the sublime!

SUSANNE wrote:

Only a lot of education in schools and on TV has saved them...a couple of years ago I witnessed the traffic being stopped by a flock of children, because a viper was crossing the road

At least you were doing a good thing for the dogs!
BTW: Susanne Your saluki is beautiful love the name too! I have always wanted one. Luckily there is no rattles here but we have copperheads which luckily none of our dogs or any of our family has come across.

I read that Carolynn wasn't allowed to take photos at the rattlesnake clinic, so I thought I'd post this photo. This Northern Pacific rattlesnake had just crossed the hiking trail in front of me, near Mirror Lake at Yosemite National Park in California. We're used to venomous snakes in Australia, so it didn't worry me. It was one of the highlights of my trip to Yosemite!

Ian

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Wow ! What a beautyful creature

I would have been scared stiff, though
Your hand was not shaking at all when you took the picture

Is it right that you have a loy of some of the most dangerous snakes in the world in Australia ?

Good to see you are still on the forum, Ian

SUSANNE wrote:

Wow ! What a beautyful creature

I would have been scared stiff, though
Your hand was not shaking at all when you took the picture

Is it right that you have a loy of some of the most dangerous snakes in the world in Australia ?

Good to see you are still on the forum, Ian

Hi Susanne

No, my hand wasn't shaking - I just wanted to take a photo before the rattlesnake got away!

Yes, we have a lot of some of the most dangerous snake species. However, all snakes are protected in most states of Australia - it's illegal to kill them unless they threaten life. Around Canberra there are five species dangerous to humans, especially the eastern brown snake and the tiger snake. The eastern brown snake is considered the second most venomous land snake in the world, after the inland taipan (another Australian species).

I've been reading a lot of posts on the STS Forum. There are so many interesting messages and pictures, from people like me who like animals. It's taken a while to organise my photos but I'm ready to send more posts. I've even obtained JPEG files from old negatives and from an old printed photo! I've also been checking facts so that my posts are accurate - I'm a bit of a details person! I think I should have been Swiss...

Cheers

Ian

Very beautiful snake and pic Ian, I'm sure you had a great moment !

Ian wrote:

I'm been reading a lot of posts on the STS Forum. There are so many interesting messages and pictures, from people like me who like animals. It's taken a while to organise my photos but I'm ready to send more posts. I've even obtained JPEG files from old negatives and from an old printed photo! I've also been checking facts so that my posts are accurate - I'm a bit of a details person! I think I should have been Swiss...

Cheers

Ian

Swiss ? Don't tell it to Susanne, she is a dangerous chocolate addict

Kikimalou wrote:

Swiss ? Don't tell it to Susanne, she is a dangerous chocolate addict

Chocolate ? Chocolate ? Who said Chocolate ???
Hmmm, for some strange reason it reminds me that I must buy new and better jeans, - the old ones keep shrinking

Ian wrote:

Hi Susanne

No, my hand wasn't shaking - I just wanted to take a photo before the rattlesnake got away!

Yes, we have a lot of some of the most dangerous snake species. However, all snakes are protected in most states of Australia - it's illegal to kill them unless they threaten life. Around Canberra there are five species dangerous to humans, especially the eastern brown snake and the tiger snake. The eastern brown snake is considered the second most venomous land snake in the world, after the inland taipan (another Australian species).

I'm been reading a lot of posts on the STS Forum. There are so many interesting messages and pictures, from people like me who like animals. It's taken a while to organise my photos but I'm ready to send more posts. I've even obtained JPEG files from old negatives and from an old printed photo! I've also been checking facts so that my posts are accurate - I'm a bit of a details person! I think I should have been Swiss...

Cheers

Ian

Ian, I can`t wait to see your pictures

Uhhh, I think I would wear waders if I took a walk in Australia

wow! fasinating news! we only have small rare snakes in britain

Susanne, My dog ​​also, a snake bit him.
In spain have a lot