photo credited to flickr user Brimac The 2nd

Among snakes there are venomous and nonvenomous types. The venomous snakes are the primary dangers, and the vast majority of them are broken into the elapids and the vipers. Among nonvenomous snakes, the only real dangers are the huge constrictors. Their bites deliver no venom, but can cause infection and the larger constrictors can kill via suffocation.

Among venomous snakes, the most common in the United States are the vipers. The only elapid in the US is the coral snake. The vipers are your rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, and copperheads. Vipers are noted by having large hypodermic like fangs that are hinged. When the snake strikes outwardly, they then stab the victim and inject venom.

Among the vipers, dry bites are somewhat unusual. It has been estimated that around 20 percent of viper bites are dry. While these figures are far from hard and fast, they give an idea about how you can get bitten by a rattlesnake and have no ill effects. (always assume the snake has injected venom and get medical attention though)

Among the elapids, the dry bites are often much more common. The reason for this is partially because of the fact that many elapids have rear fangs that are much smaller than their viper cousins. They make up for this by having more toxic venom in many cases. Still, the fact that they have more trouble biting cleanly as a group means more dry bites.

Why do snakes deliver dry bites? Some think it is because they are conserving their venom for prey they can actually eat. Some say that it is because their supply may have been just used on a prey item. Some say it is just an accident and the snake did not bite cleanly. The truth? Probably a combination of all of these in some form or fashion.

Even a dry bite can cause medical problems however. All snake bites carry a risk of infection. For this reason, you should get any snake bite checked out by a medical professional as soon as possible. Better safe than sorry, dry bite or not.

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Eastern Diamondback Picture Credited to TimVickers Wikipedia Commons Public Domain

Trying to figure out which is the deadliest snake is difficult. The reason for this is because you have to take into account a number of factors. For example, the coral snake is largely considered to have the most “deadly” venom, but they much more unusual to come across than say a cottonmouth. Also, the coral snake does not have the venom delivery system of the average rattlesnake. They have smaller fangs that are located in the rear of their mouth. While the coral snake can and does bite and deliver venom, it is much harder to do so than a rattlesnake with large fangs that can penetrate boots.

With this in mind, the two snakes that jump out at me are the Western Diamondback and the Eastern Diamondback rattlesnakes. The Mojave rattlesnake would likely be right there with these two if it were a bit more common, and more widespread. They are found in a pretty focused area that is often not inhabited by human beings. This leads to fewer bites, and therefore precludes their being included as one of the deadliest.

The Western Diamondback has no such qualms. They are around plenty of humans and do plenty of biting when compared to the majority of venomous snakes. Their venom is powerful, and they deliver the bite with large fangs that can give a large dose of that deadly venom. Many consider the Western Diamondback to be the deadliest snake in the United States.

For my money, the Eastern Diamondback is about as deadly as they come. This is not only the deadliest snake in America in my opinion, it is also the largest venomous snake as well. They grown big, fat, and can have a nasty disposition when they are bothered. The venom glands are huge on the eastern diamondback rattlesnake, and they are not shy about injecting that venom.

Of all the snakes in America, I call the Eastern Diamondback the deadliest overall. The Western diamondback is a close second, with the Mojave close behind them.

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Mojave Rattlesnake

Venom generally works in two different ways. Most rattlesnakes, copperheads and cottonmouths are what is referred to as Pit Vipers. Pit vipers generally have hemorrhagic venom. In simple terms, hemorrhagic venom causes the snake bite victim to bleed to death from the inside. Hemorrhagic venom is also likely to cause massive tissue damage and scarring.

A coral snake, which is closely related to the cobra family, has what is called a neurotoxic venom. Neurotoxic venom attacks the central nervous system and can cause cardiac arrest as well as cessation of breathing. As a rule, neurotoxic venom is much more dangerous than hemorrhagic venom.

One interesting snake is found in the United States is the Mojave rattlesnake. The Mojave rattlesnake actually has both venoms, and is particularly dangerous. All venomous snakes have some level of both types of venom as a rule, but the Mojave has enough of each for both to be a problem.

As a rule, venomous snake bites are not a problem in North America. The odds of coming across a venomous snake in North America are fairly remote unless you find yourself in the wilderness often. Still it is a good idea to keep in mind how venom works, and the dangers that it can create. Venomous snakes are hesitant to use their venom on anything other than a meal. This is because they have precious little venom, and wasting it on an inedible human makes no sense.

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The Copperhead

The family of rattlesnakes, of which there are many subspecies, are among the more deadly along with the coral snake. The coral snake is not quite as dangerous simply because they are not encountered nearly as often, and when they do they are not as quick to bite. The cottonmouth is a fairly plentiful species, and they are certainly not afraid to bite, but they are found primarily in the Southern part of the US. The copperhead is spread all over. They are quick to bite if stepped on or messed with.

Another key factor with copperhead venomous snake bites is that they are found where the people are. Copperheads will set up in residential neighborhoods, farms, and even small forests that line the neighborhoods. If you see a venomous snake around your home, the chances are very high that it is a copperhead. Because of this proximity to people, the copperhead snake bite is the most common venomous snake bite in the United States.

The bite of the copperhead can range from very mild to highly dangerous. Most healthy adults will not have a serious problem with copperhead snake bites. Children, the elderly or anyone with a compromised immune system however can have major reactions to copperhead snake bite venom. As such, any copperhead snake bite should be viewed as a medical emergency. You should head to the emergency room as soon as possible if you are bitten by this snake.

The copperhead is by and large a very harmless snake that wants no part of people. They provide a wonderful service to our ecosystem, and without these snakes we would likely be overrun with vermin and things of this nature.

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