[pct-l] Snake bites

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good afternoon, Rod,

Thanks for the link to the article about “Ol Sneaky-Snake”.  I’m somewhat
familiar with a couple of members of that tribe.  It seems every So. Cal.
hiker with a journal wants to have the obligatory photo of a rattlesnake,
and I was no different in ’07.  The photo at:
http://www.trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=217197 is of a good-sized Western
Diamondback (Crotalus atrox) that was across the trail on the south rim of
Hauser Canyon just before the trail dropped down to the creek.  I had gotten
a before-dawn start from the monument and the sun was just well up when I
saw this character stretched out, apparently absorbing some early sun.  It’s
not common to see one that size – or larger – unless you go snake-hunting in
Texas with an expert.



In ’09I shared a shady afternoon near Mission Creek with another member of
the clan.  In early afternoon the trail got oppressively hot so I approached
one of the few patches of shade in the wide, alluvial creek bottom looking
for a place to rest for a few hours.  Unfortunately, the only spot available
was already occupied by another good-sized shade-seeker which can be seen
at:  http://www.trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=446530 I didn’t want to
chase him out into the sun because as hot as it was, and as far as it was to
other possible shade, it would have been a near-certain death sentence.  I
spent the afternoon updating my trail notes with him about 5’ away coiled up
and regarding me suspiciously.



I initially thought this one might be a Mojave Rattler (C. scutulatus) but
at Kennedy Meadows I showed the posted image to another hiker – a
biologist/herpetologist – who said it was a nice specimen of a Speckled or
Mitchell’s Rattlesnake ( C. mitchellii).



Most of the PCT’s rattlesnakes are much smaller than these, and they don’t
really like to hang around the trail because the foot traffic scares away
potential meals.  Because of my poor hearing I don’t usually hear them but
if I’m hiking with someone else I can tell there’s a “buzz-worm” around when
I hear them shriek or see them levitate a foot or so.



Steel-Eye

Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye

http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09


On Sat, Oct 9, 2010 at 1:55 PM, Rod Belshee <rbelshee at hotmail.com> wrote:

> Informative article:
>  Large Snake Size Suggests Increased Snakebite Severity in Patients Bitten
> by Rattlesnakes in Southern California
>  WILDERNESS & ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE, 21, 120-126 (2010)
>
>   Full article:
> http://download.journals.elsevierhealth.com/pdfs/journals/1080-6032/PIIS1080603210000645.pdf
>
>  Key findings:  most snake bites are provoked (especially by young males
> and alcohol is often a factor); dry bites without envenomation are rare;
> death or long-term disability is extremely rare; the popular belief that
> small snakes inject more venom is a myth; where you get bit is not a big
> deal (e.g. arm vs. ankle), and the variation between rattlesnake species is
> not correlated to severity.  Basic conclusions for PCT hikers: don't provoke
> snakes, give them their space; but if bit anyway do not panic, just get to
> medical care and you will be okay.
> Article Abstract
>  Objective.-To correlate rattlesnake size and other characteristics of
> envenomation with the severity
>  of envenomation.
>
>  Methods.-We retrospectively reviewed 145 charts of patients bitten by
> rattlesnakes in Southern
>  California between 1995 and 2004, measuring Snakebite Severity Scores
> (SSS) and characteristics of
>  envenomation that might be correlated with snakebite severity, including
> rattlesnake size, rattlesnake
>  species, patient size, and anatomic location of the bite. Outcomes
> measured included SSS, complications
>  of envenomation, number of vials of antivenom used, and length of hospital
> stay.
>
>  Results.-Of the patients bitten by rattlesnakes, 81% were men, and 79% of
> bites were on the upper
>  extremities. Fifty-five percent of bites were provoked by the patient, and
> 44% were unprovoked.
>  Neither location of snakebite nor provocation of snakebite affected the
> SSS. Only 1 patient had a
>  snakebite without envenomation, and only 1 patient died from envenomation.
> Rattlesnake size was
>  positively correlated with SSS, and SSS was positively correlated with the
> number of vials of
>  antivenom used and with the length of hospital stay. Rattlesnake species
> and patient mass did not affect
>  SSS.
>
>  Conclusions.-Larger rattlesnakes cause more severe envenomations, which
> contradicts popular
>  belief.
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