Hospitalized - Bitten By My RBBS

[AustHerps]

A very educational post. Thanks for sharing.

I'm sure you're well aware that the large, rigid glove would have played a vital part in your experience. It's very easy to keep a venomous snake in an enclosure, hook it in and out for cleaning, feeding etc... but part of elapid keeping is having the skills/confidence/knowhow to manipulate the snake when required - to forcefeed if necessary, deal with retained sheds/eyecaps, to medicate, etc. Some of these skills, and most certainly the confidence, can only come with time.

Whilst I think that the latest influx of elapid handling courses and their advertising has a positive influence on general attitudes towards elapids - there isn't a course in the world that can give you the continual hands on practice required to deal with every situation. Sometimes it's about using common sense, and just going for it.

Hey Jonno, weren't you envenomated in a similar situation (minus the offending glove of course)?

Cheers,
Aaron.

 

[dodgie]

So many people have told me the red bellies are nothing to worry about but this post shows all elapids are to be treated with the utmost respect.


I am happy to hear that you are doing better m8,take care.

 

[Lovemysnakes]

A very educational post. Thanks for sharing.

I'm sure you're well aware that the large, rigid glove would have played a vital part in your experience. It's very easy to keep a venomous snake in an enclosure, hook it in and out for cleaning, feeding etc... but part of elapid keeping is having the skills/confidence/knowhow to manipulate the snake when required - to forcefeed if necessary, deal with retained sheds/eyecaps, to medicate, etc. Some of these skills, and most certainly the confidence, can only come with time.

Whilst I think that the latest influx of elapid handling courses and their advertising has a positive influence on general attitudes towards elapids - there isn't a course in the world that can give you the continual hands on practice required to deal with every situation. Sometimes it's about using common sense, and just going for it.

Hey Jonno, weren't you envenomated in a similar situation (minus the offending glove of course)?

Cheers,
Aaron.

You sure make a lot of sense. I totally agree with you. It's all down to experience for sure. Do husbandry courses deal with these sort of situations?

 

[Lovemysnakes]

So many people have told me the red bellies are nothing to worry about but this post shows all elapids are to be treated with the utmost respect.


I am happy to hear that you are doing better m8,take care.

Thanks dodgie. because RBB's are a non fatal snake - I think it's good for people to realise that they still cause a severe reaction with possible lifetime side efects.

 

[baxtor]

When the strength has returned to my right hand, I will have another attempt for sure. I will wear welding gloves on BOTH hands this time.

I have done a bit of force/assist feeding in my time and I have done a bit of welding in my time but I would really like to see somebody force feed a snake with welding gloves on BOTH hands.

 

[Lovemysnakes]

I have done a bit of force/assist feeding in my time and I have done a bit of welding in my time but I would really like to see somebody force feed a snake with welding gloves on BOTH hands.

Well said. Prehaps people will realise why I acually only used one glove on the feeding hand only. It was hard nough holding the poor thing with a bear hand. Ta Baxtor.

 

[pseudechis4740]

A very well worded tale of woe. I hope you recover fully with no side affects and hopefully those aspiring elapid keepers with their freshly acquired 'snake handling certifcates' will read this post and consider if they really have adequate experience to kep these potentially dangerous snakes. Force feeding elapids is the absolute last resort after all other alternative methods have failed. Scenting with a frog was mentioned earlier but also try using a feeder fish (a guppie or mosquito fish) placed in the mouth of the prey item. RBB's are semiaquotic and do prey on fish in their natural setting.

Good luck and don't give up on elapids they just require more respect.

 

[tooninoz]

Secondly, Lovemysnakes - you definitely have my respect for being so open and honest about how your bite occured. It is stories like yours that may prevent other keepers from being bitten. I must admit that I did cringe several times reading your post, and the series of events leading up to your bite were predictable (and common).

All in all, your post highlights to new or prospective elapid keepers that underestimating a snakes ability is common, and that even if you think you know what they are capable of, you may very well be wrong.

Amen to that.

 

[Freeloader]

Mate you just highlighted one one the reasons i got rid of my king browns. I realised that i am too old and too slow and they are too quick.

 

[Armand]

do you rekon that would be the case for all snake bite victoms.. nice story though.. pics or it didnt happen haha lol!

 

[Homer]

Hope your "tum tum" is better (tum tum tummy tum tum)

 

[bredli_lover]

that would've been scary!

 

[garthy]

I remember Tony Harrison telling me that he couldnt stand the taste of beer for a year after he was bitten by a RBBS. I hope you don't have the same side effect that he did.

Heaven forbid that should happen I think I'd prefer to pass on.

By the way Lovemysnakes I think you've done a great job in telling this story. People shouldn't be so quick to shoot others down. Educating others is an honerable accomplishment. I'm sure many people have had similar situations with less dramatic outcomes, but your story was both entertaining and enlightening. Thanks again, well worth the read.

 

[Vincent]

I'm sure many people have had similar situations with less dramatic outcomes

That actually sounded like a pretty uneventful bite compared to what happens to most people bitten by dangerous elapids.
A few blokes i know have had a hell of a worse time than that with their bites. Even with RBBS's. It could have been a lot worse.

 

[cement]

Its nice to at last read a honest account of a situation that has a real message to anyone that needs reaffirming that all snakes need to be treated with respect. If a person can be highly allergic to ant or bee stings, then death from a red belly, or even a marsh snake is possible.
Hope you recover quick.

 

[Ozzie Python]

So many people have told me the red bellies are nothing to worry about but this post shows all elapids are to be treated with the utmost respect.quote]

I think all snakes should be treated with utmost respect. Yes an elapid can cause severe damage and pain, or worse. But any snake has the potential to cause harm to us.

I think this thread is a good warning to all keepers, especially future elapid keepers like myself. Just reminds me to stay focused, especially if a situation requires hands on contact. Hope you have a good recovery.

 

[cris]

When the strength has returned to my right hand, I will have another attempt for sure. I will wear welding gloves on BOTH hands this time.

I dont really think welding gloves are the solution, i may be wrong but i havnt ever heard of any reason to use welding gloves to handle snakes. I would imagine they would cause a lack of control and a false sense of security.

It was good of you to tell us about your accident and i hope you recover well.

 

[ozzieimages]

rbbs

Hi Lovemysnakes, hope you are feeling much better now, thats one hell of a story, thanks for passing on your experience..Get well soon...


Barry
Ozzieimages

 

[$NaKe PiMp]

welding gloves LOL

 

[Sdaji]

Very brave and generous of the author of this thread to share their story. To those who think it sounds bad, keep in mind that this bite didn't even need antivenom - it was a mild bite (I'm assuming - given that no mention of antivenom was made. Correct me if I'm wrong). When discussing bites it's usually a case of species, whether or not antivenom was needed and if so, how much (one vial is "relatively" mild as envenomations go, anything more than two or three is fairly serious). When there is a lot of venom, things can get really fun.

Play safe