# Why so much blood?



## guzzo (Feb 29, 2012)

With the recent bite post today I thought I would raise the question why do Python bites bleed so profusely. I mean each time I have been bitten (by my Darwins) there is always heaps of blood (usually instantly) for the relatively insignificant wound. 

I have a theory but have no idea if it is sound. Take for example a scratch caused by a cat...it usually bleeds for a bit but then quickly clots and stops....now look at a cut caused while shaving...it is no deeper cut but bleeds and bleeds.

I think that because the cat scratch causes more trauma to the skin it causes the body to release clotting agents where the razor cut is so clean and causes little trauma so less clotting agent is released so therefore it bleeds more freely.

Perhaps because python’s teeth are so sharp it is like the razor and causes minimal skin trauma and therefore bleeds and bleeds unlike the cat scratch (which is no deeper) that quickly clots.

I would be interested in any opinions on this.

P.s That being said I am sure a large Scrub Python or large Olive would be capable of delivering a significant wound but I have seen good dog bites that have not bled as much as a python hit.


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## Venomous1111 (Feb 29, 2012)

They have an anticoagulant in there saliva.


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## Skelhorn (Feb 29, 2012)

haha I like your scientific description and completely agree, especially with the razor cuts. You make a good point, There is a major difference in bleeding from a clean to jagged cut!


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## guzzo (Feb 29, 2012)

Skelhorn said:


> haha I like your scientific description and completely agree, especially with the razor cuts. You make a good point, There is a major difference in bleeding from a clean to jagged cut!



I have made it to 41 and have been bitten by many things and also cut myself many times with all sorts of things (accidents of course...I am not some weirdo....thought I should clear that one up) so I am no stranger to my own blood but it really has amazed me just how quickly and how much python bites bleed..



Venomous1111 said:


> They have an anticoagulant in there saliva.



Interesting...I did not know that


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## RSPcrazy (Feb 29, 2012)

There saliva thins your blood, end result, the bite looks heaps worse then it really is.


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## guzzo (Feb 29, 2012)

RSPcrazy said:


> There saliva thins your blood, end result, the bite looks heaps worse then it really is.



It works very quickly! I wonder why they need that ability as they are constrictors not vampires haha?


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## RSPcrazy (Feb 29, 2012)

guzzo said:


> It works very quickly! I wonder why they need that ability as they are constrictors not vampires haha?



You know, I'm not sure on that one.

My personal opinion would be if the pray got away, the extra blood would put off a stronger scent to follow, or just to scare off whatever predator was just bitten.

That's just my thoughts, don't quote me on that.


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## saximus (Feb 29, 2012)

I've never heard of them having anticoagulant in their saliva but I thought it was also the fact that it's like a needle. A scratch from a cat doesn't go as deep but teeth are like little needles. Anyone who has had one of those blood glucose tests will tell you how much a small puncture can bleed. Here you effectively have heaps of small needle punctures


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## Jessh88 (Feb 29, 2012)

So a bite from a snake Is just like the little pain from a needle??? Iv never been bit and quite nervous about it


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## saximus (Feb 29, 2012)

Big ones hurt a little but it's only quick so it's more of a shock than anything


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## Venomous1111 (Feb 29, 2012)

saximus said:


> I've never heard of them having anticoagulant in their saliva but I thought it was also the fact that it's like a needle. A scratch from a cat doesn't go as deep but teeth are like little needles. Anyone who has had one of those blood glucose tests will tell you how much a small puncture can bleed. Here you effectively have heaps of small needle punctures



I have a few old documentary videos from Rob Harold Bredl (Also known as the Barefoot Bushman also the Morelia Bredli is named after him) that he talks about python bites and comments on there saliva and the reason why python bites bleed alot is because of the anticoagulant in there saliva..


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## Jessh88 (Feb 29, 2012)

Iv got a yearling carpet and yea nervous everytime I hold her haha wish she would just bite me already to get over the fear :/


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## Chanzey (Feb 29, 2012)

I thought it was his father Josef Bredl?


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## Venomous1111 (Feb 29, 2012)

Chanzey said:


> I thought it was his father Josef Bredl?



yeah you could be correct, I know it's either rob or his father..


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## Snakewoman (Feb 29, 2012)

Jessh88 said:


> So a bite from a snake Is just like the little pain from a needle??? Iv never been bit and quite nervous about it



It usually isn't too bad if they strike at you, I had a snake strike and get my hand which bled everywhere even though there was only one small puncture wound. Two weeks later I dug a broken tooth out of my hand, and I can tell you the bite didn't hurt much. Putting an alcohol based hand gel on the wound is more painful. 

What hurts is when a snake decides you're food and chews on your wrist for 15 minutes!


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## Joemal (Feb 29, 2012)

To all the lucky ones out there that haven't had a bite yet "once you are unconscious you feel no pain" lol.


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## joe_sam (Feb 29, 2012)

i didnt even know my spotted python was trying to eat my wrist until i saw him.
he must have slowly put his jaws around me rather than quickly striking me.
but it doesnt realy hurt much.


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## guzzo (Feb 29, 2012)

Well after the Bredli bite thread and this curiosity thread about bleeding python bites I decided to get out my Albino female and weigh her and measure her . Well all was going well till I tried to place herin a pillow case so I could weigh her....anyhow she took offence at this and calmly bit me and then constricted me for heaps enough time for me to get the camera. This bite actually did hurt a bit!

Anyhow as expected the blood soon flowed and I was yet again able to marvel a thow much a python bite does bleed!

View attachment 240795
View attachment 240796
View attachment 240797


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## SteveNT (Feb 29, 2012)

RSPcrazy said:


> You know, I'm not sure on that one.
> 
> My personal opinion would be if the pray got away, the extra blood would put off a stronger scent to follow, or just to scare off whatever predator was just bitten.
> 
> That's just my thoughts, don't quoit me on that.



Spellcheck bro! Hahahahahaha


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## Jake007 (Feb 29, 2012)

Jessh88 said:


> Iv got a yearling carpet and yea nervous everytime I hold her haha wish she would just bite me already to get over the fear :/



 just wave ya hand in front of ya snake and BAM it's done HAHAHAHA ( don't take my advice really don't) the pounce is more scarey then the bite it self


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## Joemal (Feb 29, 2012)

I have always has a casual approach to getting bitten .If it happens then so be it you learn by your mistakes .A few months ago i came down with a very nasty what i thought was flu .It turned out i had a bad blood infection, tests ruled out everything that could cause it but the only thing left was multiple bites over a period of time .Yes that's right the good bites i had been getting off the scrub and i didn't worry about was close to putting me into hospital .A course of strong antibiotics fixed the problem but it bowled me over for 2 weeks and was atleast a month after that before i was feeling right again .I have copped a couple of nasty bites since then and i still haven't learned my lesson. So no the is no badge of honour with getting bitten but the ones i do take my hat off to are the keepers that have had snakes for years and are yet to take a bite .


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## RSPcrazy (Feb 29, 2012)

SteveNT said:


> Spellcheck bro! Hahahahahaha



Haha, that's what happens when a dyslexic persons in a hurry.


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## Snakewoman (Mar 1, 2012)

It hurt when my Diamond chewed on my wrist, but that's because nobody else was home so I couldn't get him off, and he was pulling and twisting my skin. Here's what my wrist looked like afterward:


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## guzzo (Mar 1, 2012)

Wow Tahlia....thats a cracker


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## PhilK (Mar 1, 2012)

Venomous1111 said:


> They have an anticoagulant in there saliva.



Any proof to this? Doesn't sound legit to me


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## Venomous1111 (Mar 1, 2012)

PhilK said:


> Any proof to this? Doesn't sound legit to me



Rob Bredl - Smells a Rat. - YouTube

I'm in between jobs so I can't be surfing the net but that above clip is from one of Rob Bredl's documentaries that he comments on pythons and there saliva.. In the actual video he goes into more detail, I'll see if I can get it on here some how tonight..


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## bowdnboy (Mar 1, 2012)

Hahaha Joemal, Unconcious patients still feel pain....lol Copious amounts of alcohol I find do the trick....


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## dragonlover1 (Mar 1, 2012)

Tahlia said:


> It hurt when my Diamond chewed on my wrist, but that's because nobody else was home so I couldn't get him off, and he was pulling and twisting my skin. Here's what my wrist looked like afterward:



wow made a bit of a mess


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## jenno (Mar 1, 2012)

some snakes will never bite...but others just cant wait to take a nip at you.....im lucky to have both...not


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## dragonlover1 (Mar 1, 2012)

bowdnboy said:


> Hahaha Joemal, Unconcious patients still feel pain....lol Copious amounts of alcohol I find do the trick....



that sounds like the way to go haha


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## Tristan (Mar 1, 2012)

cant say for the snake bites but, cats have a lot of nasty bacteria under the claws this causes the redness, itchiness, soreness and swelling i think the swelling helps close of the capilaries to stem the blood. Also i think you will find a cat scratch is rather superficial surface damage as in the claw drags along the top couple of layers of skin, if you get a PROPER scratch from a pissed off cat and it scores a deep cut you will bleed quite a lot as well. 

and in the majority of cases snakes bites will tend to go deeper into the skin than a cats scratch


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## dragonlover1 (Mar 1, 2012)

have you seen the the guys on snake byte play games to get bitten on purpose


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## J-A-X (Mar 1, 2012)

Jessh88 said:


> So a bite from a snake Is just like the little pain from a needle??? Iv never been bit and quite nervous about it



playing with kittens and puppies results in more pain than young or smaller species snake bites. cop a bite or two from a python while theyre small and get over the fear factor before they get any decent size. as has been said its the surprise element that scares most people. they are quick when they want to be, and there is something buried deep in our brains that says 'snake bite = bad' which causes our fear response.


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## guzzo (Mar 1, 2012)

Jaxrtfm said:


> playing with kittens and puppies results in more pain than young or smaller species snake bites. cop a bite or two from a python while theyre small and get over the fear factor before they get any decent size. as has been said its the surprise element that scares most people. they are quick when they want to be, and there is something buried deep in our brains that says 'snake bite = bad' which causes our fear response.



I had a bit of a fear response when I was bitten yesterday haha....Usually she will just nip but this time she wrapped me up and was chewing and hung on for quite some time.


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## J-A-X (Mar 1, 2012)

When they 'hit and run' they do so because you've startled them or they're scared. When they hit and wrap they think you're lunch. You either smell like food or they're really hungry!


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## guzzo (Mar 1, 2012)

Jaxrtfm said:


> When they 'hit and run' they do so because you've startled them or they're scared. When they hit and wrap they think you're lunch. You either smell like food or they're really hungry!



I later had it pointed out to me that I had checked on my baby rats a few mins before....not thinking....Lesson 1 always wash your hands after touching snake food!


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## Jessh88 (Mar 1, 2012)

Yea I think I'm more worried about the striking part but yea heard they are extremely fast and you won't notice till the end lol I have been tempted to just stick my hand in there and turn away so I don't see it but I'm a wuss haha


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## Snakewoman (Mar 1, 2012)

Tristan said:


> cats have a lot of nasty bacteria under the claws this causes the redness, itchiness, soreness and swelling i think the swelling helps close of the capilaries to stem the blood.



Yep! Although I'd rather be bitten by a small snake than get scratched by a kitten who jumps onto your lap and slips... that hurt a lot more than my Diamond bite. This is the result:


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## slim6y (Mar 1, 2012)

Venomous1111 said:


> Rob Bredl - Smells a Rat. - YouTube
> 
> I'm in between jobs so I can't be surfing the net but that above clip is from one of Rob Bredl's documentaries that he comments on pythons and there saliva.. In the actual video he goes into more detail, I'll see if I can get it on here some how tonight..



I'm not convinced yet - will wait till you get more evidence from the interweb - I'm ready to be convinced. 

It's not that it doesn't make sense - because it does! Just today, this is the first I've ever heard of it.


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## Snowman (Mar 1, 2012)

If you can't dig up an actual published paper on it. Then I think it's a load of crap.


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## Joemal (Mar 1, 2012)

Missed her rat and got me instead ....


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## Bluetongue1 (Mar 1, 2012)

*Guzzo*, Sorry about the length but hopefully this addresses your questions....

The amount of bleeding from different wounds is purely and simply the result of the distribution of blood vessels and the damage done. Blood vessels carry food to cells and remove wastes. the more active the cells the greater the blood flow required to and from them. The germinative layer of skin slowly produces cells that die and get pushed outwards to make our which is continually shedding. Underneath the germinative there is a layer of fat (insulation and shock absorber) which is not very active. Below that there is active muscle. 

Pinch a fold of skin on your forearm, your finger , your face and the side of your body (i.e. near the kidneys). The differences in thickness are due to the amount of far deposited under the skin. 

The face has little fat and a high blood supply. Cuts on the face bleed a lot but by he same token are quicker to heal (all else being equal). 

A razor cut, because of its sharpness, maintains the same depth as it is dragged through the skin. A claw is designed for piercing and not cutting. It will slip up and out of the hole it produce if dragged across the skin. Pressure applied while this is happening will see it re-enter the skin before it becomes entirely free. so a scratch from a claw actually produces a cut of varying depth.

Claws are used primarily for climbing. They need to be sharp to enter a surface but he also need to be strong enough to bear the weight of the owner. So thy become thick very quickly, reducing their ability to enter deeply. It does not help a clawed animal to get them stuck deeply into the surface they are scaling.

The needle like nature of python teeth has been mentioned. They are capable of significant penetration but do not affect that many pain receptors in the process. There is also the sheer weight of numbers. They are capable of reaching and piercing larger blood vessels than are found closer to surface of the skin. The higher blood pressure in these vessels is seen in the degree of bleeding. Some holes bleed a lot more than others, simply because they pierced larger vessels. This is why the short teeth of hatchies initially cause zero bleeding. 

Blue


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## guzzo (Mar 1, 2012)

Joemal said:


> View attachment 240859
> View attachment 240858
> View attachment 240860
> 
> ...



Now thats what I am talking about...heaps of blood.....It amazes me how the blood quickly flows! I mean you have no sooner been bitten than the blood is dripping on the floor! I am not to sure what a python tooth looks like up close but i assume they are just round (for gripping) not serrated (for tearing)


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## Sezzzzzzzzz (Mar 1, 2012)

slim6y said:


> I'm not convinced yet - will wait till you get more evidence from the interweb - I'm ready to be convinced.
> 
> It's not that it doesn't make sense - because it does! Just today, this is the first I've ever heard of it.




when i started researching getting a snake I watched a few snake bytes videos and in one of them he he said something about the anti coagulation properties in a pythons bite...

Iwill try and dig it up...


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## Venomous1111 (Mar 1, 2012)

newtolovingsnake said:


> when i started researching getting a snake I watched a few snake bytes videos and in one of them he he said something about the anti coagulation properties in a pythons bite...
> 
> Iwill try and dig it up...



Is this the one your looking for by any chance? 1.10 into the clip.. 

Snakes Biting! : SnakeBytesTV - YouTube


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## Sezzzzzzzzz (Mar 1, 2012)

Venomous1111 said:


> Is this the one your looking for by any chance? 1.10 into the clip..
> 
> Snakes Biting! : SnakeBytesTV - YouTube



thanks hun, you saved me the effort, ive been on a plane all afternoon and couldnt really be bothered looking for it!!! yeah i think thats the one. I just took a quick look at it though, so cant be sure. will come back to it tomorrow!


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## Venomous1111 (Mar 1, 2012)

newtolovingsnake said:


> thanks hun, you saved me the effort, ive been on a plane all afternoon and couldnt really be bothered looking for it!!! yeah i think thats the one. I just took a quick look at it though, so cant be sure. will come back to it tomorrow!



No probs


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## Bluetongue1 (Mar 1, 2012)

guzzo said:


> Now thats what I am talking about...heaps of blood.....It amazes me how the blood quickly flows! I mean you have no sooner been bitten than the blood is dripping on the floor! I am not to sure what a python tooth looks like up close but i assume they are just round (for gripping) not serrated (for tearing)


Have you ever had a shallow cut and watched what happens? At first all you see is white flesh. Then there a hundreds of tiny specks of red. Gradually each speck gets bigger until they all coalesce. Then the whole of the cut surface is red and the blood begins to pool and in a while, to drip. These are capillaries which have been severed. They are the smaller blood vessels (tubes). Each is only the diameter of single red blood cell (which are small cells) and you would need a good microscope to see one. Deeper down you have larger vessels, through which more blood flows. Cut one of these and you can instantly see a stream of blood leaking from it, due to the sheer volume of blood flowing through it, compared to a capillary.


Anticoagulant will not make a wound bleed any faster than if there was no anticoagulant. What it will do is interfere with the sealing off of damaged blood vessels causing prolonged bleeding and slower healing.

It is always advisable to disinfect any wound. With any deeper wound I tend to squeeze it to encourage bleeding, then wash thoroughly in soapy water, rinse, dry with a clean tissue and apply Betadine and a bandage. Unless the wound is showing signs of infection, I simply re-bandage without Betadine, as required.


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## guzzo (Mar 1, 2012)

Bluetongue1 said:


> Have you ever had a shallow cut and watched what happens? At first all you see is white flesh. Then there a hundreds of tiny specks of red. Gradually each speck gets bigger until they all coalesce. Then the whole of the cut surface is red and the blood begins to pool and in a while, to drip. These are capillaries which have been severed. They are the smaller blood vessels (tubes). Each is only the diameter of single red blood cell (which are small cells) and you would need a good microscope to see one. Deeper down you have larger vessels, through which more blood flows. Cut one of these and you can instantly see a stream of blood leaking from it, due to the sheer volume of blood flowing through it, compared to a capillary.
> 
> 
> Anticoagulant will not make a wound bleed any faster than if there was no anticoagulant. What it will do is interfere with the sealing off of damaged blood vessels causing prolonged bleeding and slower healing.
> ...




I find your reply interesting Bluetounge 1 a bit scary...but interesting


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## tigerwoods (Mar 1, 2012)

Guzzo, nice albino.
Tahlia, great loking diamond.


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## guzzo (Mar 1, 2012)

tigerwoods said:


> Guzzo, nice albino.
> Tahlia, great loking diamond.



Thanks Man...she is naughty but nice


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## slim6y (Mar 1, 2012)

So is there any evidence that python saliva contains an anti-coagulent - I refuse to believe a snake bytes video alone... that's not evidence enough yet...


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## Venomous1111 (Mar 1, 2012)

Bluetongue1 said:


> Anticoagulant will not make a wound bleed any faster than if there was no anticoagulant. What it will do is interfere with the sealing off of damaged blood vessels causing prolonged bleeding and slower healing.


 
Your obviously quite a knowledgeable man.. A anticoagulant is a substance that prevents coagulation (clotting) of blood.. Would this be correct, please correct me if I'm wrong... It may not bleed faster but because the blood is not clotting due to the anticoagulant in there saliva is this the reason why python bites give the blood a watered down look which makes it look like there's alot more blood? 

Rob Bredl and Brian Barczyk commented on python bites and them having an anticoagulant in there saliva, whats your thoughts? 

Rob Bredl - Smells a Rat. - YouTube - 1.05

Snakes Biting! : SnakeBytesTV - YouTube -1.10


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## RSPcrazy (Mar 1, 2012)

guzzo said:


> Now thats what I am talking about...heaps of blood.....It amazes me how the blood quickly flows! I mean you have no sooner been bitten than the blood is dripping on the floor! I am not to sure what a python tooth looks like up close but i assume they are just round (for gripping) not serrated (for tearing)



This is what python teeth look like.


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## guzzo (Mar 1, 2012)

Well that clears it up!..Thanks


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## Bluetongue1 (Mar 1, 2012)

*Venomous*,
I used to teach this for a living. 

Your definition is correct. Blood affected by an anti-coagulant stays watery and fluid. Otherwise, blood will thicken and clot on exposure to air. 

Blood contains a protein called Fibrinogen. This changes to a form called Fibrin which links up to form long fibres. These fibres form a microscope mesh like strands of dry spaghetti tipped out of a pack. The red blood cells get caught in the mesh and stop the further loss of blood, although fluid will often leak through until it dries out a bit. On the outside of the body this forms a visible cover called a scab.

Calcium ions in the blood are need for the Fibrinogen to Fibrin conversion. In chemical terms, it is relatively easy to "tie up" the calcium to prevent clotting.


*Tristan*, 
Swelling results from one of two things - physical damage to cells due to pressure or the detection of foreign matter within a wound. The body responds by making blood vessels at that spot more permeable so that white bloods cells can leave the general circulation and go work on getting rid of dead cellular matter and/or any foreign matter/invaders. In the process you have an increase of fluid leaking from the blood vessels into the surrounding tissue. This also helps facilitate the transport of white blood cells.

Soreness is due to the swollen tissues causing pressure/pain receptors to be stimulated.

Redness is due to increased blood flow to the region and when it is sustained for more than a day or so is a good indicator that there is an infection in the area.

Pus is the dead white blood cells that have ingested bacteria or other matter to kill it or digest it and die in the process. Once again, it is an indictor of infection.

I don't know what causes the itching.


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## Renenet (Mar 2, 2012)

I did a quick search for anti-coagulant snake saliva in my uni's electronic library. I couldn't find anything. To me, it sounds like rubbish - snakes don't feed specifically on blood - but I'm willing to be proved wrong.


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## guzzo (Mar 2, 2012)

Renenet said:


> I did a quick search for anti-coagulant snake saliva in my uni's electronic library. I couldn't find anything. To me, it sounds like rubbish - snakes don't feed specifically on blood - but I'm willing to be proved wrong.




I need to know!!!


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## Bluetongue1 (Mar 2, 2012)

Next time you get bitten, save a few drops in a saucer or the likes and see if they clot.


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## slim6y (Mar 2, 2012)

Bluetongue1 said:


> Next time you get bitten, save a few drops in a saucer or the likes and see if they clot.



That's not a fair test.... Would need to be done over a large sample of people and a number of repetitions.

My suggestion is this... Everyone here (who is not a haemophiliac) should be bitten by their python in roughly the same place. Using a stop watch (we all need the same stopwatch, so I suggest using an internet stopwatch) time how long it takes for the blood to clot. 

We'll repeat this every 7 days for 5 weeks.

Send me the results and I'll tabulate them. Then I'll write the APS paper on the subject and we'll all become famous (not rich, just famous).

Disclaimer: If your python eats you it's not my fault.


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## Joemal (Mar 2, 2012)

When the Olive bit me i had some nice big blood clots happening .Where i thought her teeth had ripped my hand open turned out to be a big blood clot

Olive python bite - YouTube .This has been posted before but this is the bite and you can still see a few of the blood clots .


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## Bluetongue1 (Mar 3, 2012)

slim6y said:


> That's not a fair test.... Would need to be done over a large sample of people and a number of repetitions.
> 
> My suggestion is this... Everyone here (who is not a haemophiliac) should be bitten by their python in roughly the same place. Using a stop watch (we all need the same stopwatch, so I suggest using an internet stopwatch) time how long it takes for the blood to clot.
> 
> ...



All vegetarians in the sample population are strongly advised to significantly increase the spinach quota for the duration of the investigation.


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## Lucas89 (Mar 4, 2012)

I really wonder. Is there a chance the bacteria in the snakes mouth has this anticoagulant effect as the body tries to flush it out? Also punctures are notorious for looking like there bleeding more then a cut. Due to amount of damage under the skin, and all the blood coming out of a small hole at the top. But at the same time, if it was an anticoagulant you wouldn't really see an increase in volume just how long it takes to stop. 

But all said and done, it would be understandable if the digestive enzymes in there saliva have this effect.

Lucas


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## PhilK (Mar 5, 2012)

Venomous1111 said:


> Rob Bredl - Smells a Rat. - YouTube
> 
> I'm in between jobs so I can't be surfing the net but that above clip is from one of Rob Bredl's documentaries that he comments on pythons and there saliva.. In the actual video he goes into more detail, I'll see if I can get it on here some how tonight..


Shouldn't that read I am in between jobs so I CAN be surfing the net? Hahaha... that isn't proof. That is just another person saying "they have anticoagulant in their saliva".



slim6y said:


> I'm not convinced yet - will wait till you get more evidence from the interweb - I'm ready to be convinced.
> 
> It's not that it doesn't make sense - because it does! Just today, this is the first I've ever heard of it.


I don't think it makes sense at all. What possible use could a python have for an anticoagulant? A python's feeding strategy is not to bite an animal and wait for it to die from blood loss..



Venomous1111 said:


> Your obviously quite a knowledgeable man.. A anticoagulant is a substance that prevents coagulation (clotting) of blood.. Would this be correct, please correct me if I'm wrong... It may not bleed faster but because the blood is not clotting due to the anticoagulant in there saliva is this the reason why python bites give the blood a watered down look which makes it look like there's alot more blood?
> 
> Rob Bredl and Brian Barczyk commented on python bites and them having an anticoagulant in there saliva, whats your thoughts?
> 
> ...


That isn't evidence... it is just other people giving unsubstantiated claims that pythons have anticoagulant in their saliva. I'd need proof - like a paper or something - in order to believe this one. I'll have a quick look around.


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## Frozenmouse (Mar 5, 2012)

Along with the komodo dragon and the Lace monitor it is becoming apparent that all varanus sp that have been closely studied posses some type of venom , don't be surprised if in a few years they discover ackies , tristis ect posses some type of ven as well. It would not surprise me if they find this with pythons also.


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## slim6y (Mar 5, 2012)

PhilK said:


> I don't think it makes sense at all. What possible use could a python have for an anticoagulant? A python's feeding strategy is not to bite an animal and wait for it to die from blood loss..



Sorry Phil - out of context mate. I meant it makes sense that a person bleeds (such as the bite of a leech) and continues to bleed because of an anti-coagulant - not that it makes sense that python's would have an anti-coagulant.


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## PhilK (Mar 5, 2012)

Ah righto. Well... I remain skeptical to the highest degree. A preliminary search has found no evidence supporting python anticoagulants


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## Frozenmouse (Mar 5, 2012)

Anti coagulant might aid in constriction.


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## PhilK (Mar 5, 2012)

Dabool said:


> Anti coagulant might aid in constriction.



How?

EDIT: sorry not trying to be a jerk. Constriction (depending upon what you read) kills prey either by stopping them breathing or by making it impossible for the heart to pump blood around the body. Neither of these two methods require blood to be modified. How were you thinking it would help?


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## Venomous1111 (Mar 5, 2012)

PhilK said:


> Shouldn't that read I am in between jobs so I CAN be surfing the net? Hahaha... that isn't proof. That is just another person saying "they have anticoagulant in their saliva".



haha na mate I'm on my mobile when I'm at work gives me the ***** trying to look for stuff on the net on this thing.. If you find a published article on it let me know, until then I'll take Rob Bredl's word for it.


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## Frozenmouse (Mar 5, 2012)

PhilK said:


> How?
> 
> EDIT: sorry not trying to be a jerk. Constriction (depending upon what you read) kills prey either by stopping them breathing or by making it impossible for the heart to pump blood around the body. Neither of these two methods require blood to be modified. How were you thinking it would help?


 I am not a scientist i was just putting a possibility out there may be the thinner blood = increased heart rate = higher oxygen demand = quicker constriction , once again i am not arguing either way but it is always good to maintain an open mind , if you told me 2 years ago that lace monitors were highly venomous i probably wouldn't have believed it.


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