News: Mystery over boy bitten by Inland Taipan

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moosenoose

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Mystery over boy bitten by world's most venomous snake

New South Wales police are trying to ascertain how a 17-year-old boy came to be bitten by the world's most venomous land snake, despite being hundreds of kilometres from its natural habitat.

Staff from Kurri Kurri Hospital alerted police after the youth went to the emergency unit reporting he’d been bitten on his left hand by a snake. He was taken to the Mater Hospital where he is reported to be in a stable condition.

Read more: Mystery over boy bitten by world's most venomous snake

Sounds like a lucky kid! No doubt it's someones pet that's escaped...or been stolen.
 
I agree Venom00se, I think it is a pet gone wrong or a stolen snake.
I have a feeling they killed the snake which is horrible.
Kind of weird to have an Inland not so far away from me though.
 
Who identified it?

My faith in the ability of wildlife carers or hospital staff to identify snakes accurately is not great, especially when it comes to something exotic. Unless they did a scale count the kid's condition could be due to the wrong antivenom because of a misidentification. Spotted Blacksnakes can look a lot like Inland Taipans- the locals up my way are always reporting inland Taipans- they're inevitably Spotted Blacks. The worst aspect is that such a misidentification could result in someone's death or long-term illness.

The fact that he was bitten on the hand indicates that he probably has more than a passing interest in snakes- if that's the case, and the snake was in fact accurately identified, that young fellow is in trouble and not just with regards to his health. We all make mistakes (often stupid ones at that age) but dealing with illegally imported herps opens up a lot of other questions.
 
There was a pic in a link I was emailed and it certainly looked like an inland....
 
Although it could have been a keelback.... ;)
 
Supposedly the snake is still in one peice. You'd hope they don't put it down. Hell, I'll give it a home :D

Boy bitten on hand by taipan at Kurri Kurri | News.com.au

Photo by News.com.au

540393-taipan.jpg
 
How is he still alive? How long does it take to kill you after a bite?

Im not sure this is a wild guess coz im 14 and have never held or owened a ven, but could it be because his hand is further away from the spot that the venom needs to get to, too kill him ? I have no idea just a guess aha :)
 
Im not sure this is a wild guess coz im 14 and have never held or owened a ven, but could it be because his hand is further away from the spot that the venom needs to get to, too kill him ? I have no idea just a guess aha :)

I did a bit of reading, it takes less than 45 minutes to kill a man, I don't think it matters if it was in your hand, because the venom gets into your bloodstream...
 
I did a bit of reading, it takes less than 45 minutes to kill a man, I don't think it matters if it was in your hand, because the venom gets into your bloodstream...

I'm not totally sure but i think it moves through muscles in something called the lymphatic system not actually the bloodstream but of coarse if it were to bite directly into a vein then it would be in the blood which is worse , can someone clear this up
 
I'm not totally sure but i think it moves through muscles in something called the lymphatic system not actually the bloodstream but of coarse if it were to bite directly into a vein then it would be in the blood which is worse , can someone clear this up

I think it has neurotoxic venom...But I don't really know..
 
My faith in the ability of wildlife carers or hospital staff to identify snakes accurately is not great, especially when it comes to something exotic. Unless they did a scale count the kid's condition could be due to the wrong antivenom because of a misidentification. Spotted Blacksnakes can look a lot like Inland Taipans- the locals up my way are always reporting inland Taipans- they're inevitably Spotted Blacks. The worst aspect is that such a misidentification could result in someone's death or long-term illness.

The fact that he was bitten on the hand indicates that he probably has more than a passing interest in snakes- if that's the case, and the snake was in fact accurately identified, that young fellow is in trouble and not just with regards to his health. We all make mistakes (often stupid ones at that age) but dealing with illegally imported herps opens up a lot of other questions.


It wouldnt matter if he had not identified it correctly, even as a snake catcher/ remover and having a fairly good knowledge in identifiying our local snakes, if i was bitten the hospital is still legally not alowed to take my word as to the identification of the snake, so a swab test would still be run.

Secondly, Taipans like most other elapids do dry bite, and there is only a 30- 40% chance of getting a full envenomation., not that I would ever take that chance, but oviously this kid got lucky.
imo Inlands are not as aggressive as the coastal-t or the eastern brown, so chances are he just got a warning.
 
I think it has neurotoxic venom...But I don't really know..

That's different again mate , that's the type of venom , I'm talking about the way it moves , which from everything I've read in the past and just now as a bit of review it moves through the lymphatic system not the bloodstream
 
That's different again mate , that's the type of venom , I'm talking about the way it moves , which from everything I've read in the past and just now as a bit of review it moves through the lymphatic system not the bloodstream

Yes that is correct most of the time (unless directly into a blood vessel) That is why when you get "tagged" by a snake you restrict movement to the area by way of a compression bandage (but no tighter than that for a sprain) all you are trying to do is restrict movement, not blood flow, the best advice is to lay motionless, that way the venom should not move.
 
Cheers snakerelocation , I thought as much , would it be wose if you where bitten directly into a vein , I would imagine so as that would give it an even quicker passage to the vitals ?
 
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