Part 3

Young—A record of one brood is the only known published information concerning the young of this snake. Carl F. Kauffeld of the Staten Island Zoo mentioned a litter of four and wrote:

All were irritable from the first, promptly broke through the membranous sacs in which they were enclosed and struck violently at any passing object. All were marked and colored much like the adults except that the delicate pink along the venter of the latter was not in evidence; and the tails, which in the adults are salmon or terra cotta red (including the basal segment of the rattle) were brilliantly sulphur yellow for at least their distal half....

The newborn snakes measured about eight inches in length.

Distribution—This subspecies is found in much the same type of country as the banded rock rattlesnake, being partial to rock slides high in the mountains. The two counties in the state in which it is known, El Paso and Culberson, are both in extreme western Texas. In disposition it is said to be quite timid; however, at times, it becomes irritable without much provocation.

BLACKTAILED RATTLESNAKE _Crotalus molossus molossus_

Description—There are about 32 dark rhomboid markings along the back. These light edged blotches are centered with one or two irregular light areas, while the outer edges form bars which extend down each side to the belly. Body color varies from gray to olive green, while the blotches are dark brown or black. The tail is uniformly black, as its name implies.

Size—The blacktailed rattlesnake is one of our largest poisonous snakes. Texas specimens average three and a half feet but may grow somewhat longer. One, nearly 50 inches long, was collected at Persimmon Gap in Brewster County.

Young—About five young comprise the average brood.

Distribution—Records are available from the following counties: Bandera, Bexar, Brewster, Burnet, Comal, Culberson, Edwards, El Paso, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Medina, Pecos, Presidio, Real, San Saba, Terrell, Travis, Upton, and Val Verde.

Hilly areas with steep canyons are the preferred habitat of this snake. In the Big Bend region of Texas, where apparently it is the most common rattlesnake, specimens have been taken from as high as 7,400 feet elevation. It shows an inclination to coil in bushes or on tree limbs near the ground, although by far the majority of specimens encountered are found on rocky ledges. Its disposition has been reported by some to be very irritable, while others claim it is quiet and docile.

MOJAVE RATTLESNAKE _Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus_

Description—This moderately slender snake is very similar in color and markings to the western diamondback rattlesnake. Its body is olive green with a pattern of darker diamond shaped markings down the middle of the back. These blotches are well defined by a border of light scales. It differs from the western diamondback in having narrower black tail rings and wider white spaces between these rings. A narrow light line extends from the eye to above the angle of the mouth.

Size—Average length is three feet, or shorter than the diamondback rattlesnake. Because of its more slender form, it does not appear as large as a western diamondback of equal length.

Young—The average litter contains eight, the young being similar to the adults in color and marking.

Distribution—The Mojave rattlesnake is known in Brewster, Hudspeth and Presidio Counties.

Unlike most other rattlers, this species is reported to be most active during daylight hours. It is rather quiet by nature and does well in captivity.

PRAIRIE RATTLESNAKE _Crotalus viridis viridis_

Description—Color of the back is greenish or grayish. A series of dark, rounded blotches extends down the middle of the back. These markings, with narrow white borders, become wider and shorter near the tail to form bands. In front of the eye is a narrow light line which extends backward and downward to the mouth.

Size—Rather slender in form, this snake reaches a maximum size of five and a half feet. Average length is three feet.

Young—Broods average 12 but vary from four to 21.

Distribution—Texas records of this snake are widely scattered. Counties in which it is know include: Andrews, Armstrong, Baylor, Brewster, Briscoe, Callahan, Carson, Castro, Childress, Crane, Crosby, Dallam, Dawson, Deaf Smith, Dickens, Ector, El Paso, Garza, Gray, Hansford, Hartley, Haskell, Hemphill, Hockley, Hutchinson, Kent, Lamb, Lipscomb, Lubbock, Lynn, Midland, Moore, Ochiltree, Oldham, Pecos, Potter, Presidio, Randall, Reeves, Roberts, Sherman, Taylor, Tom Green, Ward, Wheeler, Wilbarger, Winkler, and Yoakum.

When aroused, this snake becomes a vicious adversary but, like most snakes, is satisfied to go its way if given half a chance.

THE ELAPID SNAKES

The single representative of this family (_Elapidae_) in Texas is small, slender, and brightly colored with rings of red, yellow and black. The head is small and rounded and eye pupils are circular. Its venom-conducting fangs, in the front of the upper jaw, are small and permanently erect; consequently, some chewing is required before the snake can inject its poison with certainty. As if to make up for its poor biting equipment, the coral snake possesses a venom of high toxicity, a venom much more potent than that of the pit vipers which are so well adapted for injecting their poison quickly and deeply. Because this poison produces scarcely any severe local symptoms, the danger from a bite may be overlooked and treatment delayed. Although pain is present, the usual dramatic symptoms of snake poisoning, such as extensive discoloration and great swelling at the site of bite, are scarcely noticeable. This absence of conclusive symptoms may lead the victim to believe he has been bitten by a harmless snake. In all coral snake bites, prompt action is necessary.

TEXAS CORAL SNAKE _Micrurus fulvius tenere_

Description—Generally less than two and a half feet long, this is our most colorful venomous snake and, at the same time, the least dangerous in appearance. Its small, narrow head, slender body and brightly colored pattern can be dangerously misleading. Children, especially, are inclined to pick it up because they are attracted by its colors and convinced that such beauty must be harmless. The pattern consists of red, yellow and black rings which encircle the body in the following order: a broad black ring, a much narrower yellow ring, a broad red ring, a narrow yellow ring, a broad black ring, and so on. Note that the red and yellow rings on the body touch one another. The snout is black and a broad yellow ring crosses the back of the head.

Identification of this snake would be simple were it not for the fact that several harmless snakes resemble it in form and coloration. These mimics are marked with yellow, red and black rings—but the arrangement is consistently different from that of the coral snake. The red and yellow rings of the coral snake touch one another, while in the harmless forms these colors are separated by black rings. A simple rhyme adopted by Boy Scouts to help them associate “danger” with the color combination found on the coral snake is, “Red and yellow kill a fellow.” Remember this easy rhyme and, when you find yourself involved with a colorful little snake with adjacent red and yellow rings, be cautious.

The harmless kind most closely resembling the coral snake probably is the Mexican milk snake, technically known as _Lampropeltis doliata annulata_ and found south of Kerrville. The head of this snake normally is black. Body and tail are marked with a series of from 19 to 25 narrow yellow rings bordered by slightly wider black rings. The red rings on the body are just as wide as the combined yellow and two adjacent black rings. Another of these mimics is the western milk snake (_Lampropeltis doliata gentilis_), a small species usually less than two feet long, which is native to central and western Texas. It has a pattern of from 25 to 40 yellow rings which are bordered by black. The red rings are separated from the yellow by black rings. All rings on this form are very narrow. In the southeastern part of the state is found still another of these mimics—the Louisiana milk snake (_Lampropeltis doliata amaura_). Rarely reaching a length of two feet, this form has a pattern of narrow yellow rings which are bordered on each side by narrow black rings. The much wider red rings are separated from the yellow by the black rings. In the scarlet snake (_Cemophora coccinea_) of eastern and coastal Texas, the pattern is a series of wide red blotches bordered by much narrower black bands. The yellow bands, about half the width of the red ones, are separated from them by the black bands. The belly is unmarked white or yellow. Adults are about a foot and a half long but a 25-inch specimen is on record.

Size—The coral snake is generally less than two and a half feet long with a body diameter of about three-eights of an inch. The largest known specimen is nearly 42 inches long and was collected on the mid-Texas coast.

Young—This is the only poisonous Texas snake which lays eggs. From two to nine eggs constitute the egg complement of this form.

Distribution—This snake is known in the following counties: Angelina, Aransas, Atascosa, Austin, Bandera, Bastrop, Bee, Bell, Bexar, Bosque, Brazoria, Brazos, Brooks, Burleson, Burnet, Caldwell, Calhoun, Cameron, Chambers, Colorado, Comal, Dallas, DeWitt, Duval, Ellis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Goliad, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Harrison, Hays, Henderson, Hidalgo, Houston, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jim Hogg, Karnes, Kendall, Kenedy, Kerr, Kleberg, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Liberty, Live Oak, Llano, Mason, Matagorda, McLennan, Milam, Montgomery, Morris, Nacogdoches, Newton, Nueces, Orange, Palo Pinto, Panola, Polk, Real, Refugio, Robertson, San Jacinto, San Patricio, Sutton, Tarrant, Terrell, Tom Green, Travis, Victoria, Walker, Waller, Wharton, Willacy, Williamson, and Wilson.

Unlike most other poisonous snakes, this species is a burrower, coming to the surface after a warm rain to feed upon small lizards and snakes. Contrary to even expert opinion, it is not primarily nocturnal, but becomes active during daylight and evening hours. It is often found in or under decaying logs or other trash, especially in damp regions; in the San Antonio area, specimens frequently are found under flagstones near homes.

In spite of its inoffensive nature, the coral snake is no different from other snakes in that it will bite if stepped upon or restrained. It does not deliberately coil and strike with accuracy like the pit vipers. Instead, it swings the forward part of the body from side to side until it can secure a hold to bite and then begins a chewing motion to imbed its short fangs.

The notion that its mouth is too small to bite effectively has in some instances resulted in careless disregard for its deadliness. It is true that the head appears very short and the mouth not capable of opening widely. Actually, the skull is rather elongated and the mouth can be opened to a greater degree than might be expected. Even when it bites a relatively flat surface, such as the back of the hand, the snake’s closing mouth will pinch the skin, allowing the fangs to penetrate.

VENOMS

Generally speaking, snake venoms are divided into two broad categories, neurotoxic and hemorrhagic, depending on their destructive actions. Neurotoxic poison is characteristic of cobras and coral snakes and produces considerable pain but little or no swelling and discoloration at the bite. Death from this type of poison is the result of respiratory failure and is preceded by such symptoms as headache, muscular weakness, lethargy and facial paralysis with accompanying difficulty in speech.

Hemorrhagic venom, on the other hand, affects primarily the blood cells and vessels. Local reaction is evident soon after injection of the venom and consists of pain, discoloration, and swelling at the site of the bite. All of these symptoms gradually become more extensive. Weakness, nausea, vomiting and—occasionally—diarrhea may follow in a few hours. In many cases of snake bite, shock is present.

Although every snake’s venom contains both the neurotoxic and hemorrhagic elements, the proportion of these components varies with each kind of poisonous snake. For example, the venom of the coral snake is primarily neurotoxic in action, but produces a small hemorrhagic effect as well. On the other hand, water moccasin venom, although basically hemorrhagic in action, has a greater amount of the neurotoxic element than do the poisons of the copperheads or rattlesnakes. Furthermore, neurotoxic effects are more evident following the bites of the Mojave and massasauga rattlers than they are in poisonings by other Texas rattlesnakes.

Equipment necessary for first aid treatment of snake bite includes a sharp cutting instrument such as a razor blade or sharp knife for making incisions, a constricting band to retard the flow of lymph, iodine or alcohol for sterilizing the knife and bitten area, and a suction device for removing the venom-contaminated lymph. This last item is especially important if you are alone and cannot reach the wound to apply suction by mouth.

Snake bite kits containing the essential items can be purchased at most drug or sporting goods stores at a cost of from two to five dollars, depending upon the make. Anyone who spends much time outdoors should carry a snake bite kit at all times, and he should know how to use it. A smaller kit can be more easily carried and is less likely to be left at home or in the car.

DIAGNOSING THE BITE

To make certain that a poisonous snake has caused the bite, first examine the wound for teeth marks. In a perfect bite by a poisonous snake (excluding the coral snake), the pattern will reveal two distinctly larger holes where the fangs have entered the flesh. There also may be two rows of smaller teeth marks between these punctures.

Furthermore, if the snake engages the lower jaw, two additional rows of small teeth impressions will be seen below the first group.

Frequently the bite pattern is not a clear one. For example, if the snake pulls to one side as it disengages the fangs after a strike, the result is a series of scratch marks instead of punctures. There is also the possibility that the snake will engage only a single fang; or, perhaps, during fang replacement, two fangs are temporarily in position on one or both sides of the upper jaw. Any of these conditions, as well as others, can contribute to an obscure bite pattern.

The bite of a coral snake often is difficult to diagnose by examination of the wound. Because this snake impels its fangs in a sort of chewing motion, the pattern created by its bite may be two groups of closely spaced punctures where the fangs have entered the flesh a number of different times.

A clearly defined harmless snake bite pattern consists of a series of uniformly small punctures (four rows made by teeth in the upper jaw, two rows by teeth in the lower), but always without the large fang holes. More typically, a non-poisonous bite produces several rows of scratches.

Pit-viper poisoning is diagnosed primarily by the presence of _local_ signs and symptoms. The most important of these are:

1. _Pain_ accompanies most poisonous snake bites. Generally intense and burning in character, it becomes more severe with the passing of time. This symptom alone is not conclusive because pain can be imagined following a non-poisonous bite. Occasionally in a severe bite, the pain is replaced by numbness and tingling.

2. _Swelling_ at the bite area is present in every case of poisoning. It will appear within five to 30 minutes. In a severe case, the swelling may continue to spread for 24 hours. There will be no swelling from a bite by a non-poisonous snake or by a poisonous snake that injected no venom.

3. _Discoloration_, reddish or bruise-like in appearance, begins around the fang punctures within a half hour and becomes gradually more extensive.

Intense local pain is symptomatic of coral snake poisoning but, unlike a case of pit-viper poisoning, swelling and discoloration are not pronounced. Diagnosis of coral snake envenomation is difficult and must be based primarily on systemic symptoms: headaches, weakness, lethargy and facial paralysis.

SEVERITY OF THE BITE

Even after the bite has been diagnosed as venomous, it is not immediately possible to predict the course it will follow. The severity of each case of snake poisoning is determined by the speed with which symptoms progress. Although the bite of a large snake is generally more serious than one caused by a small snake, the seriousness of a bite cannot be gauged by snake size alone. Some variable factors that affect the severity of each case include:

1. Age, size and health of the victim. 2. His allergy complex and sensitivity to protein poisoning. 3. His emotional condition immediately after having been bitten. 4. Location of bite on the victim. 5. Amount of fang penetration and venom injection. 6. Number of times the victim was bitten. 7. Kind and size of snake that bit him. 8. Whether or not the snake recently had eaten. 9. Conditions of the snake’s fangs. 10. How soon treatment was administered.

FIRST AID TREATMENT

It is important that every snake bite victim receive first aid treatment as soon as possible. The patient must not exert himself by running, because increased circulation brought on by such physical activity will speed up absorption of the poison. For the same reason, the use of whiskey or other stimulants should be avoided.

The victim’s state of mind is important; he must promptly be convinced that his chances for recovery are good—and, indeed, they are. He should not be terrified by the thought that every snake bite means certain death. Actually, a survey of case histories shows that with prompt and proper treatment, only about one or two per cent of all snake bites in this country are fatal.

There is a considerable difference of opinion about the correct first aid treatment for poisonous snake bite. The Division of Medical Sciences of the National Research Council, a section of the National Academy of Sciences, recently made a study to determine the most effective method of such treatment. It recommended immobilization of the bitten limb, application of a constricting band, and prompt incision and suction.

Based on these recommendations, the following first aid treatment for poisonous snake bite is suggested:

1. IMMOBILIZE THE AFFECTED ARM OR LEG whenever possible. Where this is not practicable, keep movement of the bitten limb to a minimum. Muscular activity helps increase the spread of venom. Whenever feasible, transport the victim by litter to further medical aid.

2. APPLY A CONSTRICTING BAND from two to four inches above the bite, between the wound and the heart. This will help to limit the spread of venom until it can be removed by incision and suction or neutralized by antivenin. A piece of rubber tubing or a strap tourniquet, included with every snake bite kit, is best for this purpose. When these are not available, items of clothing may be used. A shoe lace, neckerchief or a strip of clothing torn from shirt or trousers will do. The poison, unless injected directly into a major blood vessel or deeply into a muscle, is absorbed slowly by the lymphatics below the skin. Therefore, do not restrict the deeper blood circulation by applying the constricting band too tightly. It should be loose enough for a finger to be slipped under it with little difficulty. Remember that during first aid treatment the constricting band must be loosened every 15 minutes for about two minutes. This precaution may prevent gangrene. If the bite is on the hand or forearm, take off rings, bracelets or other jewelry because subsequent swelling may make their removal difficult.

3. MAKE INCISIONS after sterilizing the cutting instrument and the bite area with iodine or alcohol. If no antiseptic is available, the blade of the cutting instrument can be sterilized by holding it over a flame (a match will do). Make _one_ cut over each fang mark parallel with the long axis of the bitten limb, not across it. Incisions should be one-quarter inch long and one-eighth to one-quarter inch deep, but definitely no longer than the diameter of the suction apparatus being used. This would allow air to enter the suction bulb from the outside and the device would then be unable to work. Incisions are of the utmost importance to first aid treatment; without them little or no poison can be withdrawn from the wound by suction. However, making even a small incision involves some risk and this operation should be done with considerable care. Improper or carelessly applied first aid may actually do more harm than good. Although a physician may later decide to make additional incisions to relieve the pressure of swelling, only the cuts over the fang marks are recommended for first aid.

4. APPLY SUCTION to the cuts. This can best be done with one of the suction devices manufactured for that purpose but, if none is available, suction can be applied by mouth. There is little danger in oral suction unless the lips or inside of the mouth have cuts or abrasions. Contrary to popular opinion, a tooth cavity will not permit passage of venom into the blood. Moreover, snake venom is destroyed by the stomach’s digestive juices, so if some is accidentally swallowed, there is little need to worry if you have a healthy system. Only during the first 30 minutes following the bite can much venom be removed by incision and suction.

5. GET TO MEDICAL AID as soon as possible—but keep in mind that unnecessary physical exertion is harmful.

Antivenom may be administered soon after first aid has been started, but this is best left to a doctor. The North American Antisnakebite Serum made by Wyeth, Inc., of Philadelphia 3, Pennsylvania, is effective against pit viper bites but is of less value in the treatment of coral snake poisoning. Because coral snakes cause so few bites in the United States, no serum to neutralize their venom is prepared in this country. In South America, where these snakes are common and may reach a length of five feet, a serum to neutralize the poison is being produced by the Instituto Butantan at Sao Paulo, Brazil. It and other foreign snake bite serums often are available at larger zoos where exotic poisonous species are exhibited.

SUGGESTIONS TO PHYSICIANS

In most areas of Texas, snake bite is an uncommon medical emergency, and one with which few doctors have had experience. For this reason, the following recommendations by the National Research Council’s Division of Medical Sciences are included for the benefit of the physician.

_Statement on Hospital Care Following Bites by Venomous Snakes_ _December 14, 1960_

_Admission Procedures_