Girl bitten by Adder snake..

toon_mad · 23 Apr 2011 at 18:17

http://beta.uk.news.yahoo.com/girl-recovering-snake-bite-150637259.html

How venomous are Adder snakes?

arc@css · 23 Apr 2011 at 18:18

I don't think they are that much of a threat, depending on age, health and so on.

http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/adder.htm

Nymins · 23 Apr 2011 at 18:18

This is actually news?

Atrox Moris · 23 Apr 2011 at 18:18

Pretty venomous. But it's been years since anyone died due to a bite.

toon_mad · 23 Apr 2011 at 18:19

arc@css said:
I don't think they are that much of a threat, depending on age, health and so on.

never seen one myself so wasnt sure, theres also grass snakes but apparently they are harmless.

Serraph · 23 Apr 2011 at 18:21

I like how that first sentence is so important they had to put it twice

KaHn · 23 Apr 2011 at 18:22

You'll be lucky to find either in the North East

KaHn

8t10 · 23 Apr 2011 at 18:22

I think it was 1978 the last person died from an Adder bite in the UK. Don't quote me please.

1975 was the last death: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Bites-snake/Pages/Introduction.aspx

arc@css · 23 Apr 2011 at 18:23

I can remember people yelling at me during a school rounders game to step away from something. Apparently I accidentally got quite close to one.

arc@css · 23 Apr 2011 at 18:24

Serraph said:
I like how that first sentence is so important they had to put it twice

That seems to have a habit of happening when I check their news.

Dickyb0b · 23 Apr 2011 at 18:26

he cant be a good father if he didnt see it was going to happen

arc@css · 23 Apr 2011 at 18:33

Dickyb0b said:
he cant be a good father if he didnt see it was going to happen

Vonhelmet · 23 Apr 2011 at 18:44

They're venomous enough to do the job, but they're rare and we have anti-venom coming out of our ears.

Xordium · 23 Apr 2011 at 18:46

toon_mad said:
How venomous are Adder snakes?

Not very - the poison is mainly cardiac toxic although damn painful unlike the neurotoxins that are used by the more known poisonous snakes. Chances of death are small unless a large dosage was given inflicted on a small person eg toddler or an elderly person with a pre-existing heart problem. Death by any snakebite is rare in Western countries even say in Australia with snakes such as the taipan and brown snake etc - however go to say India and Bangladesh in the flooding season and you will see upto 100,000 deaths per annum.

arc@css · 23 Apr 2011 at 18:48

That's a lot of deaths!

Converge · 23 Apr 2011 at 18:50

8t10 said:
I think it was 1978 the last person died from an Adder bite in the UK. Don't quote me please.

Mwahaha, I quoted you!

toon_mad · 23 Apr 2011 at 18:52

maustin said:
Not very - the poison is mainly cardiac toxic although damn painful unlike the neurotoxins that are used by the more known poisonous snakes. Chances of death are small unless a large dosage was given inflicted on a small person eg toddler or an elderly person with a pre-existing heart problem. Death by any snakebite is rare in Western countries even say in Australia with snakes such as the taipan and brown snake etc - however go to say India and Bangladesh in the flooding season and you will see upto 100,000 deaths per annum.

good answer cheers

Nelly · 23 Apr 2011 at 19:20

Suprised it even made the news . . .

This is what you call a Snake Bite.

RomanNose · 23 Apr 2011 at 19:23

The only time I have seen a wild snake in England was in a lake and it was swimming, it is incredibly rare for any bites.

Masterdog · 23 Apr 2011 at 19:31

I've seen quite a few adders around on Dartmoor and various places around here. Don't think anybody dies from them any more though unless they're very young or very old.