indicus
Very Well-Known Member
I was sent a e-mail from a friend; in part describing a bite from a eye lash viper. I thought someone may find it interesting........
I guess it really stuffed his day......
Packed up and went off to Honduras three
weeks ago. Hard to justify a 15 day trip when I had
four paying clients for 5 days barely covering the
plane fare, but I already had my ticket way back in
January. Third day hiking up into rainforest we saw
two beautiful yellow spotted palm vipers (Bothriechis
aurifer) on the lower branches of dwarf avacado, so I
had to hook one down, because I'd only showed off with
one other hot snake in the previous twenty four hours.
Nice little snake, about thirty centimeters. But
even with the hook under it, it wouldn't come off the
branch. Damn-[editied] prehensile tails! So of course I
made sure its head was pointed in another direction
and proceeded to unwrap the tail from the branch with
my hand. Done it before a few times. Especially with
little eyelash vipers. Really only takes two fingers.
Anyway, did I mention how fast palm vipers are? I
think I'd forgotten that. Solid bite at the base of
thumb. Hurt like Hell. Three hours later back in
Trujillo the swelling was at the wrist and I couldn't
move the thumb or index finger -- which were twice
their normal size. Drew a mark on my arm and decided
if the swelling advanced above it I was going to
hospital. Six hours after I had an incredible
headache, couldn't stand the light, nose bleed, bloody
gums -- but the swelling had slowed way down.
Couldn't sleep at all, even with percodan from the
farmacia. In the morning, approximately eighteen
hours after the bite I was still bleeding from the
nose and gums, some puss around site of the bite, but
the pain was only half what it had been before, and my
headache was responding to codeine. We went ahead and
made the day trip to Brus Lagoon for the crocs. Got
back in the late afternoon and I slept for twelve
hours. Next day the swelling was confined to the
thumb and parts of my palm. Started taking
antibiotics in case of infection. Six days after the
bite my thumb was back down to normal size. Lost two
thirds of the nail, which I cut back on the third day
to relieve pain/pressure from the edema. First
legitimate bite in twenty-one years, since a pygmy
rattlesnake got me in Florida while I was removing its
water dish from the cage. This time, if it had been
Bothrops asper I would have been dead. I've never had
any snake sink two fangs in so completely. Kept the
little guy in the closet at the hotel hanging from the
clothes bar until I left, then put him in a tree
outside. He was way smarter than I am. Anyway, I
thought you'd find it pretty amusing. Wish you'd been
there to break the hook over my head as a further
reminder of the folly life brings.
I guess it really stuffed his day......
Packed up and went off to Honduras three
weeks ago. Hard to justify a 15 day trip when I had
four paying clients for 5 days barely covering the
plane fare, but I already had my ticket way back in
January. Third day hiking up into rainforest we saw
two beautiful yellow spotted palm vipers (Bothriechis
aurifer) on the lower branches of dwarf avacado, so I
had to hook one down, because I'd only showed off with
one other hot snake in the previous twenty four hours.
Nice little snake, about thirty centimeters. But
even with the hook under it, it wouldn't come off the
branch. Damn-[editied] prehensile tails! So of course I
made sure its head was pointed in another direction
and proceeded to unwrap the tail from the branch with
my hand. Done it before a few times. Especially with
little eyelash vipers. Really only takes two fingers.
Anyway, did I mention how fast palm vipers are? I
think I'd forgotten that. Solid bite at the base of
thumb. Hurt like Hell. Three hours later back in
Trujillo the swelling was at the wrist and I couldn't
move the thumb or index finger -- which were twice
their normal size. Drew a mark on my arm and decided
if the swelling advanced above it I was going to
hospital. Six hours after I had an incredible
headache, couldn't stand the light, nose bleed, bloody
gums -- but the swelling had slowed way down.
Couldn't sleep at all, even with percodan from the
farmacia. In the morning, approximately eighteen
hours after the bite I was still bleeding from the
nose and gums, some puss around site of the bite, but
the pain was only half what it had been before, and my
headache was responding to codeine. We went ahead and
made the day trip to Brus Lagoon for the crocs. Got
back in the late afternoon and I slept for twelve
hours. Next day the swelling was confined to the
thumb and parts of my palm. Started taking
antibiotics in case of infection. Six days after the
bite my thumb was back down to normal size. Lost two
thirds of the nail, which I cut back on the third day
to relieve pain/pressure from the edema. First
legitimate bite in twenty-one years, since a pygmy
rattlesnake got me in Florida while I was removing its
water dish from the cage. This time, if it had been
Bothrops asper I would have been dead. I've never had
any snake sink two fangs in so completely. Kept the
little guy in the closet at the hotel hanging from the
clothes bar until I left, then put him in a tree
outside. He was way smarter than I am. Anyway, I
thought you'd find it pretty amusing. Wish you'd been
there to break the hook over my head as a further
reminder of the folly life brings.
