posted on Jun, 3 2014 @ 05:27 PM
You are totally right. Where I am in Texas, out in the country as it were, we kill many copperheads every year, and already this year I have killed a
cottonmouth in my fenced front yard. Cat had it. Somehow that cat had incapacitated that cottonmouth. But there is a good reason for that in this
instance. Lying beside the cottonmouth was a small frog, not fully grown but not really a baby, a little bigger than a mouse, and it had two fang
marks in its back. It was dying, and the cottonmouth looked injured in some way, as it was wriggling and turning over like snakes do.
The cat was lying nearby, looking very pleased with herself, and I knew that somehow she was responsible. I assume that because the snake was busy
with the frog that the cat got very lucky. Cats are quick, but they are nothing like a mongoose. They cannot always easily dodge a snake strike. As a
matter of fact, I don't see how they ever could, but I have seen it done so I know it can be done. Cats seem so lazy but they are very agile when
they wish to be. Fascinating animals in my opinion. I also think the purring has something to do with self-healing, maybe some type of vibrational
thing, thus why cats also purr when distressed or injured. Maybe that is why people say cats have nine lives. They are quite resilient.
I have also seen a cat die from a snakebite, a copperhead as well, and I have seen a dog die from a rattlesnake bite, and I am only 27. I don't want
to see anymore. I saw the aftermath of a copperhead bite on a relative as well. The good news is that copperheads, by far the most common type of
venemous snake in the south, or at least in my area, are very docile animals. Unless one steps on it, pokes it, or in some way agitates it, it will
not bite you 90% of the time. And a bite from one of these snakes is not likely to be fatal to an adult. It could happen I suppose, especially if one
doesn't receive treatment.
I have found that many people do not know what to do if they are bitten by a copperhead. It is probably pretty common in the south so information is
important. The bite site will be extremely painful. Like really extreme. A sure sign of envenomation is bruising or swelling around the area. One will
want to go to the hospital simply because of the pain, but an anti-venom will need to be administered to reduce tissue loss. You could survive a bite
without going to the ER, but you wouldn't want to and would suffer some long-term damage most likely. It is also important to remember NOT to take
anything for the pain before going to the ER. They will administer an intravenous painkiller once there. The main reason for not taking anything is
that it can mask the pain and potentially cause the staff not to promptly administer medications. Technically speaking this should not be the case,
but I wouldn't take that chance. Anything taken orally will not kick in before you get to the hospital anyway, as long as one is within a 30-60
minute radius.
Children being bitten is much more dangerous, as they are smaller. Pets, like a cat, being so small, stand little chance of survival without extremely
prompt intervention, and that would likely cost quite a bit as well. I am not sure but I can imagine. I had a puppy get the parvo-virus once and that
cost over a grand to save him, and all they did was give him fluids and anti-nausea medication, and maybe something else but I don't remember. If
that ever happens to you see about treating the animal at home, administering fluid injections in the back as it will likely save you some money. Or
just get them vaccinated. But that particular dog had been vaccinated, but it takes about two weeks for the vaccination to actually cause the immune
system to build up a defense. In every case I have seen the dog comes into contact with a strange dog, in my case through the fence...
I am not certain about cottonmouth bites, and honestly I think cottonmouths are easier to spot than copperheads. We had a bunch of rain when that
cottonmouth came into my front yard after that frog, so maybe that had something to do with it. Another thing to remember is copperheads are going to
be more active at certain times of the day, depending on how hot it is. If the temperature is in the 90's, or say 95 degrees or above, they are going
to find a cooler place to lie. I've been seeing them on the roads frequently recently, and I assume that in the mornings they are coming out to raise
their body temperature. Snakes move slower when they're colder. So when the temperatures are between say 75 and 90 degrees, give or take, the snakes
will likely be more active.
Honestly though rarely have I seen a copperhead moving around. They are always just chilling. They only attempt escape when you scare them by actually
touching them or getting extremely close. Another thing to remember is that cottomouths are more aggressive, and overall more dangerous than
copperheads. I have always avoided getting into water that is still when I cannot see into it, say like a creek or pond, simply because I know a
cottonmouth could be around. Oh, I remember one time I saw a copperhead that was probably four feet long. Biggest one I've ever seen and I had to
double check to confirm that is what it was, considering its size. They are usually only maybe two feet long at the most, from what I normally see. I
did not know they could get so big.
Another thing is that sometimes it can be hard to tell a copperhead from another kind of snake. Usually they are very distinct, with that copper
color, but sometimes they are more on the grey side. The best way to tell is look at them from the side. Their pattern looks like Hershey kisses, kind
of a semi-triangular shape. It is harder to tell from the top, but there is more of a dumbbell type pattern, like a bowtie, although usually there is
just a single band across the back, with the ends being on the side of the snake, thus why it is easier to tell from the side. I advise you to kill
any venemous snake you encounter IF it is near a place where people live. When you have an animal that could potentially kill you, and kill you
without hesitation or thought, that animal must be done away with if it is within a location where people could potentially get bitten. Snake lovers
be damned, lol. And for the love of God don't keep a venomous snake as a pet. THAT is how most people get bitten. Stupidity if you ask me, except for
those who are actually herpetologists. I knew a guy with a pet rattlesnake once. Moronic imo.
Well anyway I just thought I would impart what I know as maybe it will help someone. I am sorry for the loss of your cat, and I know how you feel. I
gravitate a bit more towards cats myself as opposed to dogs, although I like most dogs as well. At least a dog will bark at a snake, while a cat could
have one without you ever knowing. I've heard that keeping goats around will eradicate a snake problem if you have one, but I don't know if that is
true. We had a miniature donkey around before we gave him away because he thought he was the king of the world and tried to boss the horses around,
but I don't know if he helped the snake problem, lol. He definitely caused a lot of problems though. Whenever I have seen an animal bitten by a snake
they swell up a lot too. But I have seen swelling like that in animals, which I assume was from a snake bite, but the animal lives and the swelling
goes down on its own. I suppose it depends on the amount of venom