Rattle Snake Toxicity

Excerpt

Rattlesnakes are found throughout the Americas. They exist in almost every state of the U.S., except Alaska and Hawaii, and include snakes in the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus within the subfamily Crotalinae, commonly known as pit vipers. Other venomous snake genera within this subfamily include Lanceheads (Bothrops), Copperheads/Cottonmouths (Agkistrodon), and Asian Palm Pit Vipers (Trimeresurus). Their primary defense mechanism is to hide, but will also rattle and hiss to scare away predators. If they are further challenged, they can bite and envenomate with potentially deadly effects. Knowing the common snakes in one’s area is important in managing a snake bite appropriately.