the online meeting place for all who love our amphibians and reptiles
Home Page Live Forums Archived Forums Site Search Identify Record Donate Projects Links
Forum Home Forum Home > Herpetofauna Native to the UK > Adder
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Whose been bitten
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Whose been bitten

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <12345>
Author
Message
Hawley View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 11 Apr 2009
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 113
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hawley Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jun 2012 at 2:57pm
Originally posted by Caleb Caleb wrote:

I've been bitten .... once by a slow worm
 
Public are warned to avoid 'killer' slow worms LOLLOL
Back to Top
Testudo Man View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 11 Apr 2012
Location: Kent
Status: Offline
Points: 91
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Testudo Man Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Jun 2012 at 4:21pm
Originally posted by GemmaJF GemmaJF wrote:

I've been tagged twice by adders. Remarkably in both cases I had absolutely no symptoms other than my own nerves at knowing I had been tagged. First was decades ago and the last more recently in Thetford. Both events can be attributed to mishandling. Both bites broke the skin but I had no reaction either locally at the bite site or more generally. I assume these were 'dry' bites. Both events were also after long periods of not handling adder. I should stress also these were as in Will's cases entirely my own responsibility as it was me that chose to handle the animals. Both were also 'holiday' events. I've handled adders daily on projects without getting tagged in the past and confidence plays a big part in handling. Hence why those without experience/instruction ought not to do it.

I was once carrying a grass snake that was feigning death and allowed the teeth to graze my skin. Though it was a tiny puncture, it bleed profusely and itched for hours afterwards. 

I've been bitten by slow worms and even common lizards. The later is so amusing I usually show my co-workers the little critter hanging off my finger LOL

To put it into perspective, the biggest thing I fear on heaths is horse flies, I get really awful reaction to them and on several occasions have had my entire arm swell up to twice its normal size and similar lymph node pain as Will reports from snake bites along with cold/flu type symptoms. Not at all pleasant and it can take several days to a week for things to return to normal.

Horse flies actually do 'attack' lol, unlike adder who only ever bite when provoked in some way.


 
Ive not been tagged/bitten by an adder, and I dont intend to either.
I suffer from Hayfever, and I also have reactions to thorns/insect bites, so chances are, I could have a bad reation from an adder bite? Ive never picked up/handled an adder, and i cant see me ever doing so.
 
The reason I quoted GemmaJF, is because she mentioned Horse FliesAngry...I got bit by 2 of them a couple of years ago, one above the elbow, and one on the forearm(same arm) and for the next 3 days it was agony. 2 large lumps on my arm, constant throbbing/aching, it felt like someone had whacked my arm with a lump of wood!
Also, something bit me on the back last year, I dont know what it was, but it looked just like a vampire had sunk its teeth into me! 2 punture wounds that just wouldnt heal up, and they lasted a couple of months.


Edited by Testudo Man - 12 Jun 2012 at 4:26pm
Back to Top
GemmaJF View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: 25 Jan 2003
Location: Essex
Status: Offline
Points: 4359
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GemmaJF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Jun 2012 at 5:22pm
A double puncture wound on the back sounds like it may have been a spider, there are several UK species that can give a painful bite. I think a very likely candidate for some of the claimed adder bites in areas where they are known not to occur. 

Horse Flies suck eh, literally. Smile


Edited by GemmaJF - 12 Jun 2012 at 5:26pm
Back to Top
sussexecology View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 30 Sep 2010
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 411
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sussexecology Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jun 2012 at 12:45am
Originally posted by GemmaJF GemmaJF wrote:



Horse Flies suck eh, literally. Smile


And midges.....

Been bitten all over this evening while i was helping out on a bat survey and itching like mad now. They (midges) were all going for me and no-one else so i guess i must smell nice to the midges. This itching is going to drive me insane for the next 2 days then.

That really is the last time that I help out on a bat survey Smile

Regards
SE Reptile Ecologist


Back to Top
Testudo Man View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 11 Apr 2012
Location: Kent
Status: Offline
Points: 91
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Testudo Man Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jun 2012 at 7:54pm
Originally posted by GemmaJF GemmaJF wrote:

A double puncture wound on the back sounds like it may have been a spider, there are several UK species that can give a painful bite. I think a very likely candidate for some of the claimed adder bites in areas where they are known not to occur. 

Horse Flies suck eh, literally. Smile
 
It would of been a big spider thenWink because the 2 bites were almost an inch apart!LOL No, I dont know what it was, but these are the joys of crawling through woodland, in the summer, looking for reptilesWink.
 
Yes horse flies suck(I have a photo of the bites on my arm, somewhere). Just glad they didnt bite my young son. Funny thing is, they never bite him, they just make a beeline for my blood!
Back to Top
Suzy View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 06 Apr 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 1447
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Suzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jun 2012 at 8:42pm
Cleg (horse fly to some) bites are nasty and take ages on me to heal. I'm not so good with mosquito bites either - they make me swell up. I often write on here about my youth in the Lake District and truly I don't know how I survived as clegs and mossies were everywhere! We used to do a lot of fishing and used to be slathered in anti-insect cream, which didn't work too well really. 
Suz
Back to Top
JamesM View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 12 Mar 2011
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 89
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JamesM Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jun 2012 at 4:47am
I've never been bitten by a venomous snake, but been nailed a few times by non-ven. I don't count non-venomous bites.
Back to Top
Marsh View Drop Down
Member
Member


Joined: 01 Nov 2008
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 20
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Marsh Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Sep 2012 at 2:20pm
Adder bite from handling poorly. Large female adder, 1 fang only, slipped from side of mouth into left thumb while holding snake behind head.
July 1975 from diary. All times approximate.
13th. Guildford hospital. I knew more about adder bite than the staff appeared to. Received anti histamine in thigh.
Bite received 10:45 
Swelling in hand 11:00
Hospital 11:15
Swelling progressed to forearm 11:30
Stomach pains and sickness, strained breathing 14:00 
Didn't remember having swallowed the anti freeze coloured liquid that I brought up! Strange sensation of seeing legs/arms shaking and not being able to control it.
Second anti hist and put on drip 14:15
Intensive care. Still felt slightly sick rest of day. Swelling had now developed over whole left arm. Pain in armpit. Very thirsty and hot. Lack of appetite.
14th. Left intensive care 11:00 after having been taken of drip earlier.
Arm about 1.5 times normal size. No further sickness, still thirsty. First meal since bite 18:50.
15th. Pain in armpit lessened. Swelling slightly subsided. Thirst lessened, eating well.
Released from hospital 17:30
16th. Swelling slightly lessened, under arm looks bruised, pain in armpit gone.
17th. Swelling still prominent, further bruised appearance.
18th and onwards. Swelling apparent, together with bruised appearance over whole arm. Palm of hand painful (as though bruised) for around a week.

Second adder bite was received from immature specimen. Held by tail, didn't think it could swing up and get me. Fortunately it hit hard skin on thumb and didn't seem to penetrate. No symptoms.

All future adder captures used leather motorcycle gloves.....
Cheers
Marshall
Marsh
Back to Top
GemmaJF View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: 25 Jan 2003
Location: Essex
Status: Offline
Points: 4359
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GemmaJF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Sep 2012 at 3:15pm
Brilliant account Marsh, as you say one can only safely tail adults, juveniles and sub-adults can turn back on you, guess how I know that!
Back to Top
will View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 27 Feb 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 1830
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote will Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Sep 2012 at 4:24pm
Agree with Gemma; brilliant account which should be used to educate that adder bite is not, contrary to some books, equivalent to a bee sting.  As I have said before, even a well-intentioned comparison to a less venomous animal can backfire badly, as children etc may be tempted to handle an adder as a consequence of perceiving less than actual risk, leading to dangerous results for humans and snakes alike...
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <12345>
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 11.06
Copyright ©2001-2016 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.219 seconds.