Questions about venom

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snakeluvver

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2 questions about venom.
Is it true that 95% of bites from venomous snake are dry bites?
And is it true that you can only take antivenom once in your life?
 
No and no.
Some species are reknowned for dry bites others are not.
Antivenene can be taken more then once, though some people have allergic reaction to it.
It really is best not to get bitten.

Snake venom can have different effects on different people, and there are a lot of different factors to consider.
 
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Also, I think once a person has used an anti-venine they start to build a resistance to it meaning that if they were bitten again by that same species (I think) the anti-venine won't work or won't have as much of an effect.

But I'm no expert on the topic... Just thought I'd drop it in there for someone else more experienced to elaborate/correct.
 
I'd like some elaboration too!! I know someone who has a number of RBB bites & then got scratched by a baby Adder- with little effect. How come they survived?
 
venom is poison it effects everyone differently the more you get the worse of you will be but all depends how much venonm gets in you but listen to the first reply there is a higher chance second bite that you may have a ellergic reation to anti venom

just breathing the air from an enclosure over a period of time you get a build up and then if you get bitten you can go into shock it is highly possiable but once again depends on how your body handles it


treat evey bite with a trip to the hospital you are very lucky if a snake gives you a dry bite
if you want me to elaberate more on the venom pm me
 
anti venine is made from horse anti bodies made by injecting the horses over a period of time slowly increasing the amount untill they can take a large amount without any effect. then the anti bodies are taken from the blood and that is the base of your anti venine. so in theory if a person were to recieve the same treatment over time they could take a bite without any effect. also if the rbb bites were full envenomation bites he would need the anti venine. and then if the adder bite was a dry bite he wouldnt need it due to having no venom injected.
 
They didn't get dry bites, but I know that I could not be as casual as this person was about being bitten! I agree- hospital, but they were very lucky, and I might leave it there!!
 
rbb i dont mean to be rude but from my understanding venom and poison are completely different. poison needs to be ingested. venom needs to enter the blood. in theory you could drink a litre of venom without any effect providing you have no internal nicks or cuts. i could be wrong but from the years of science ive done and research this is the conclusion i come to. forgive me if im wrong
 
rbb i dont mean to be rude but from my understanding venom and poison are completely different. poison needs to be ingested. venom needs to enter the blood. in theory you could drink a litre of venom without any effect providing you have no internal nicks or cuts. i could be wrong but from the years of science ive done and research this is the conclusion i come to. forgive me if im wrong

....what?

You can drink venom, but a litre would kill you. Yes, in small amounts it's fine (provided you don't have uclers/nicks/cuts/weak lining etc), but anymore that a fractional amount and you'd go down like a sack of ******. It's basic biology. Small amounts will break down in the digestive track - but it's still absorbed into the blood stream. Also depends heavily on what kind of snake. Pit Viper venom is a hemotoxin, which means it plays hell with blood and tissues regardless of being injected or swallowed.

Mind you, if you're stupid enough to drink a litre of vemon then you deserve to die.

(Also, no and no to the OP question)
 
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....what?

You can drink venom, but a litre would kill you. Yes, in small amounts it's fine (provided you don't have uclers/nicks/cuts/weak lining etc), but anymore that a fractional amount and you'd go down like a sack of ******. It's basic biology. Small amounts will break down in the digestive track - but it's still absorbed into the blood stream. Also depends heavily on what kind of snake. Pit Viper venom is a hemotoxin, which means it plays hell with blood and tissues regardless of being injected or swallowed.

Mind you, if you're stupid enough to drink a litre of vemon then you deserve to die.

(Also, no and no to the OP question)
Can you give any proof anywhere that you will die from drinking venom? I remember watching a bloke on a video in biology during high school... he drank a fair bit of taipan venom (I think it was) after milking a snake.

I was always of the belief that drinking venom is harmless unless you have an ulcer etc... "basic biology" supports that theory.. Venom is broken down in the GIT and is absorbed in its harmless components, and the stuff that isn't absorbed ends up in your toilet (venom molecules are too big to cross the barrier as they are and are therefore harmless regardless of what type of venom you drink). Do you have any proof otherwise?
 
Lot of half truths stated as fact, also a lot of uneducated comments. Most sensible thing stated in this thread was to treat all bites with a hospital visit. There is enough snake myths going around as it is. I would hate to here of someone coming unstuck because they took a venom myth or even half truth as gospel
 
Can you give any proof anywhere that you will die from drinking venom? I remember watching a bloke on a video in biology during high school... he drank a fair bit of taipan venom (I think it was) after milking a snake.

I was always of the belief that drinking venom is harmless unless you have an ulcer etc... "basic biology" supports that theory.. Venom is broken down in the GIT and is absorbed in its harmless components, and the stuff that isn't absorbed ends up in your toilet (venom molecules are too big to cross the barrier as they are and are therefore harmless regardless of what type of venom you drink). Do you have any proof otherwise?

It would depend on the venom, most venoms are adapted to be used for envenomation rather than poisoning by ingestion, but i would be extremely suprised if all venoms are safe to drink (assuming it doesnt soak into cuts etc.). IMO the idea of all venoms being safe to drink is an urban myth. Some snake venoms are harmful when inhaled as dry dust.
 
I dont think anyone was saying drinking a few mls would harm you, they were saying that a whole litre would probably be to much for the GIT to handle
 
Can you give any proof anywhere that you will die from drinking venom? I remember watching a bloke on a video in biology during high school... he drank a fair bit of taipan venom (I think it was) after milking a snake. Do you have any proof otherwise?

I wasn't arguing that you can't drink small amounts - I was arguing that drinking a litre of snake venom is not a good thing. Especially if it's a hemotoxin. Our bodies can only break down so much protein before the kidneys start failing...
 
The dust has dried and is being inhaled, I assume giving it a number of different avenues directly into the bloodstream.
I certainly won't be drinking venom but I do know that venom is or has been used for ritual purposes in some countries
 
My Chambers dictionary defines Venom as a poisonous liquid that some creatures, eg, snakes and scorpions inject in a bite or sting.
 
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