The Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius barbouri) is pretty commonly found in the State of Florida. This little snake prefers pine scrub/flooded forest habitats due to its prey preferences. While the venom of this snake is not highly potent, it is certainly painful and can be fatal if left untreated. It is important to know, that 5/6 species of venomous snakes found in Florida are all treated using the same antivenom (CroFab), so attempting to kill a snake that you’ve been bitten by is an unnecessary risk. More often than not, the person is bitten again out of defense and that increases the amount of venom in the blood stream, further complicating the bite…or if the first bite was dry, you may have agitated it enough to make it give a fully loaded bite. Often we see people say, “Don’t kill the harmless ones, only the harmful.” While this statement is intended from a good place, it’s still misguided. Venomous snakes are valuable to medical science. The venom of the Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake, for instance, is used in a common heart attack/stroke treatment medication called “Eptifibatide”. Specific proteins discovered within its venom were found to reduce blood pressure near instantly, which has helped to save a great many lives all over the U.S. and beyond. Without this little snake, how many of your loved ones wouldn’t be here today? Respect all wildlife and appreciate what they offer. There are always alternatives to avoid killing these animals, as they do no seek to do you harm in any way. Given space, they will gladly leave you alone and go on about their day.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 16:24:01 +0000
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