What kind of snake is this ....again......

[Egbert]

I believe this is called a "shotgun" snake. There are 3 varieties, the 12, 16 & 20 - generally classified by the last person to see them.

 

[txdon]

I could not see the red the first time. That is a coral snake. Here is my porch coral snake and two pictures I took of him. The lighting is such on the second that the red is also a dark color almost black.

 

[scott_vt]

Good Mornin Don,
After reading Wikpedia, Im guessing that you dont want to get bit by a snake where the antivenom supplies are depleted, and Pfizer wont make any vaccine because of its expense...

Danger to humans[edit source | edit]New World coral snakes possess one of the most potent venoms of any North American snake. However, relatively few bites are recorded due to their reclusive nature and the fact they generally inhabit sparsely populated areas. According to the American National Institutes of Health, there are an average of 15?5 coral snake bites in the United States each year.[5]

When confronted by humans, coral snakes will almost always attempt to flee, and bite only as a last resort. In addition, coral snakes have short fangs (proteroglyph dentition) that cannot penetrate thick leather clothing. Any skin penetration however, is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention. Coral snakes have a powerful neurotoxin that paralyzes the breathing muscles; mechanical or artificial respiration, along with large doses of antivenom, are often required to save a victim's life. There is usually only mild pain associated with a bite, but respiratory failure can occur within hours.

The bite of a coral snake may soon be more dangerous, in part because bites are so uncommon. Production of coral snake antivenom in the United States has ceased because it is not profitable. According to Pfizer, the owner of the company that used to make Coralmyn, it would take over $5?10 million to put toward researching a new synthetic antivenom.[citation needed][clarification needed] The cost was too large for the small number of cases presented each year. The current antivenom stock expired in 2010, after two consecutive expiration date extensions approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Foreign pharmaceutical manufacturers have produced other coral snake antivenoms, but the costs associated with licensing them in the United States have stalled availability (see above).[6] Instituto Bioclon is developing a coral snake antivenom.[7]

 

[txdon]

Good Mornin Don,
After reading Wikpedia, Im guessing that you dont want to get bit by a snake where the antivenom supplies are depleted, and Pfizer wont make any vaccine because of its expense...

The only antivenom in the area is rattlesnake antivenom. In the spring my cousin got bit by a copperhead on his calf while he was on his knees weeding a garden. It bit through his bluejeans twice. He saw the small copperhead and said to himself that he wasn't going to get through weeding today.

He killed the snake and put it in a jar then he call the hospital (he drove himself) and told them a 56 Old male was in-route to the ER with a copperhead snake bite (he was a retired EMT). He said that they gave him rattle snake antivenom and it did not really help. The poison ran its course and his leg swelled a lot and he was in unbearable pain and was in the hospital for 4 days. He was still walking with a cane two weeks latter when I saw him.

Talking with other people at the end of the summer it sounds like this was a bumper year of copperhead snake bites in our county with 7 hits.

I have not heard of any coral sake bites even though they are plentiful here.

 

[Circle W]

Defintiely a coral snake! Red next to yellow will kill a fellow, be careful!

 

[Stick895]

I believe coral snakes have really small fangs so it's difficult for them to deliver a fatal dose of venom. My personal motto is "Red touch yellow, BOOM!"

 

[jinman]

I could not see the red the first time.

Me either. . . but I did see the big wide yellow band on part of its head and had some doubts about Mexican Milk Snake. It's one of those things where you need more light or a clear view. If you don't have either, you treat it as poisonous until you have positive proof otherwise.

 

[speedbump]

"Red and yellow, kill a fellow; red and black, friend of Jack" I don't see any red, but I only have one contact in.

You take pictures just like I do!

 

[toppop52]

Robert, it's a global warming snake, also known as an "Al Gore". They convince you that you're right to follow them, then when you turn away, they bite you on the arse!
MY apologies to you guys, Robert gets it though...:laughing:

 

[RobertBrown]

I would be upset too. "HISTORIC BLOWOUT" 63 to nothing.......nothing! nothing? That's got to hurt.....

No. 8 Florida State crushes No. 25 Maryland in historic blowout - College Football News | FOX Sports on MSN