We aren’t gonna talk about garter snakes, or milk snakes today. Today, we’re gonna talk about the FREAKY ONES. And what better place to start than some death machines that could be hiding in your own backyard? We’re gonna talk about some Pit Vipers.
What is a Pit Viper?
I’m pretty sure you’ve heard the term Pit Viper, but you might not actually know what it is. I definitely didn’t until I started researching for this episode. So for those of you who don’t know, a Pit Viper is a subfamily of venomous snakes that have a special heat-sensing hole or “pit” on each side of their face between their eye and nostril. This allows them to detect tiny changes in temperature and improves accuracy when they strike at prey.
There are currently 18 genera (which is the plural of genus) and within those genera, there are currently 151 species of pit viper throughout the world. But we’re gonna talk about a handful in North America that we need to be concerned about. (Reptileknowledge.com)
Not all venomous snakes are pit vipers, but ALL Pit Vipers are venomous, and all of them are scary as shit.
How Pit Viper Venom Works
Different types of venomous snakes have different types of venom. Pit Viper venom is highly hemotoxic, and when it’s injected into the bloodstream it causes tissue and blood cell damage which leads to internal hemorrhaging, organ damage, and eventually death if left untreated.
Because of this, Pit viper venom can lead to severe coagulopathies (DIC for you medical minds), with widespread bleeding and clotting throughout the entire circulatory system. It isn’t uncommon for digits or even entire limbs to require amputation following envenomation from a Pit Viper. (Healthline)
Copperhead
Of all 18 genera of Pit Viper, there are only 2 genera in the U.S. The first Genus we are going to talk about is genus Agkistrodon. And the first snake in this genus is the Copperhead.
A Quick CHildhood Story
I remember when I was like 6 or 7, I was with my family at a neighbor’s farm. I ran up to the barn door and there was a snake all coiled up right in the doorway. It’s crazy because remember this plain as day. I just stood there five or six feet away staring at it. I never saw this type of snake before so I was curious.
The snake had an orangish, copper-colored head, and big brown markings down its back. And the thought actually crossed stupid 7 year old Cody’s mind to catch this snake!
But then I heard my dad running up behind me SCREAMING for me to get away. I had no idea why but it freaked me out so I backed off quickly. Turns out, it was a FUCKING COPPERHEAD. And I didn’t know it at the time but those bastards are poisonous.
Our neighbor went in there with a shovel and shut the door. I remember hearing CLANG CLANG CLANG (kinda like an old school episode of batman) and he chopped the thing to bits. And that was my first brush with a venomous snake.
Copperhead Description
Copperheads can measure anywhere from 2 to 3 feet long, and have distinctive brownish sideways hourglass-like patterns down their backs which allows them to blend in perfectly with leaves and other foliage. Other nonvenomous snakes have similar marking that mimic the copperhead, but Copperheads are the only ones with the distinctive hourglass shaped markings.
Copperhead geographic Range
Copperheads are found all over the east coast of the US, especially in the southeast. But they’re habitat is pretty widespread and stretches all the way up to New York.
Copperhead Behavior
Unlike most other venomous snakes that give warning before they strike (like a rattle), Copperheads tend to freeze and stay completely silent when they’re approached. And since they’re able to blend in perfectly with leaves and brush, they’ll way until you step on or near them and then they’ll strike. For this reason, they account for more venomous snake bites each year in the US than any other species.
There are nearly 8,000 venomous snake bites each year in the U.S., and the Copperhead is responsible for nearly 3,000 of them. Fortunately, they’re venom is relatively weak compared to other pit vipers, so the mortality rate from the copperhead is very low. In fact, much of the time when Copperheads strike in self-defense, they administer what’s called a “dry bite” meaning they don’t secrete any venom. The bite just acts as a warning to get the hell away.
Their bites are described as extremely painful though, even though the chances of actually dying from a Copperhead bite is very unlikely. There is a much higher risk of complications from infection or allergic reaction from a Copperhead bite, than death from envenomation.
Death By Copperhead
In fact, just last May in 2019, a healthy 52 year old man in Tuscaloosa, Alabama named Oliver “Chum” Baker was getting ready to take his brand new puppy for a walk. So he stepped out onto his back patio, but unfortunately, he didn’t notice the Copperhead which was coiled up right next to him. The Copperhead struck quickly, and within 2 minutes, Baker lost consciousness and went into anaphylactic shock. His family performed CPR and he was rushed to the hospital, but the shock led to to multi-organ failure and unfortunately they couldn’t revive him and he died just a couple days later. (Birmingham Real-Time News)
So just because Copperhead bites aren’t particularly poisonous, they should still be taken very seriously and you should seek medical attention immediately. They’re especially dangerous to children, the sick, and the elderly.
I can’t say Copperheads are COMPLETELY useless though….
Scientists who have been studying Copperhead venom have isolated a protein in it that may actually be helpful in the treatment of breast cancer! Researchers conducted experiments where they injected the protein into the mammary glands of mice who had previously been injected with breast cancer cells. They found that the protein actually inhibited the growth of the cancerous tumors and also impaired the spread of the cancer to other organs! (ScienceDocs Inc.)
So I SUPPOSE Copperheads get a pass….
Cottonmouth
Now onto the other Pit Viper in the genus Agkistrodon… What do you get when you smoke too much weed? The Cottonmouth. AKA the Water Moccasin.
Because they’re in the same genus, the Cottonmouth is often confused with the Copperhead, but they are actually a completely separate species with some very unique characteristics.
Cottonmouth Description
The Cottonmouth is larger than the Copperhead, reaching up to 4 feet long, and has a thick body, with a blocky, triangular head. The cottonmouth gets its name from the white coloration inside its mouth, which it opens as an intimidation display when it feels threatened.
The Cottonmouth’s color can vary widely. Though they are often black or dark brown, they can take on a lighter, more pale color. They also have bands on their back but these can fade or disappear as they age. These variations can make them difficult to identify. But one defining characteristic is catlike slits for pupils. Really Scary looking.
Cottonmouth Geographic Range
The Water Moccasin is the only venomous water snake in north America. (How Stuff Works) It doesn’t just live in water though. It can thrive both in the water and on land, and is typically found throughout the Southeastern U.S.
Death By Cottonmouth
The cottonmouth bite is much more dangerous than a copperhead’s because their venom is way more potent. A cottonmouth bite can quickly lead to internal hemorrhaging, organ failure, and death if untreated. Fortunately, cottonmouth bites are very rare.
There are very few reported deaths from cottonmouth bites but the most recent occurred in 2015 in Missouri. A 37-year-old man named Gilbert De Leon was wading in the James River when suddenly he yelled to his girlfriend he had gotten bit by a snake. When he got out of the water, he had a bite mark on each leg. He refused medical treatment though and decided to go home instead.
His girlfriend said that he became lethargic in the evening and when he went to bed he was snoring much louder than usual. The next morning, the girlfriend found him dead. The coroner concluded that it was probably due to the snake bites, but his death was listed as undetermined because he also had heavy doses of narcotic in his system. (USA Today)
Kissing the Cottonmouth
Another Darwin Award winner in 2015 was an 18 year old named Austin Hatfield from Wimauma, Florida. He caught himself a 4-foot Cottonmouth and decided to keep it as a pet, so he put it in a pillowcase and took it home with him.
Later that day, he decided to get cozy with his new pet, so he took it out of the pillowcase and gently laid it on his chest.. They interviewed his friend, Jason Belcher who witness the incident, and he had this to say: “He ripped it off his face, threw it on the ground and he started swelling up immediately, it was pretty frightening. We’ve done a lot of stuff together. This is the one thing that scared me the most.” (Orlando Weekly)
Apparently, Austin tried to kiss the snake, and the snake wasted no time biting him right in the fucking face. His face blew up almost instantly and he spent several days in the hospital in critical condition, but, after depleting the hospital of its entire antivenom resources, Austin survived.
The Bureau of Fish and Wildlife charged him with illegally possessing a venomous snake without a permit, and he received a $50,000 bill from Tampa General Hospital for depleting all their anti venom.
Rattlesnake
Okay we’ve covered Copperheads and Cottonmouths, now we’re gonna hit the other genus of Pit Viper in the U.S….genus Crotalus…aka The Rattlesnake
There are between 29 and 32 unique species of rattlesnakes in the world (depending on the source), with several more subspecies under that. We obviously can’t talk about them all, so we’re just gonna talk about a few of the more interesting and relevant ones in the U.S. And what better place to start than an especially dangerous one, even here in good ole’ upstate NY?
Timber Rattlesnake
The Timber Rattlesnake has a huge geographic range spanning most of the Eastern half of the United States, in Upstate New York and New England. They’re especially common in the Berkshires, and can also be found in the Adirondacks and parts of the Catskills. I’ve had friends that had run ins with Timber rattlesnakes right around they’re camps on Lake George..so it’s definitely a real threat.
Timber Rattlesnake Description and Behavior
The Timber rattlesnake can measure almost 4 feet long and is a brown to grayish color with a distinctive pattern of zig-zag-like black cross bands repeating down their backs.
Timber Rattlesnake Temperament
Though Timber rattlesnakes are considered one of the more passive species of rattlesnake, they are still considered one of the most dangerous due to their very long fangs and high venom yield. So they don’t necessarily want to bite you, but if you do get bit, you better act quickly before you start bleeding out your orifices…
Death By Timber Rattlesnake
There are many stories of snakebite deaths from Timber rattlesnakes so I just picked out a couple to highlight here. If you’re interested, you can find a detailed list of snakebite deaths in the U.S. on Wikipedia, which is where I got some of these that I’m gonna about. The list specifies which type of venomous snake was involved, and several come at the hands of the Timber Rattlesnake…
In June 2019, a 62 year old woman in Georgia named Pricilla Meridith, was attempting to sit down in her friend’s garden when she was bitten by a Timber rattlesnake. She was rushed to the hospital where she was placed in a medically induced coma, and remained that way for several weeks. Unfortunately, a particular allergy she had prevented her from receiving antivenom, and she died weeks after being bit. (Newsweek)
In 2013, a poor 80 year old guy named Ernest Burch from Armuchee, GA found a Timber rattler in his garage and he didn’t want to kill it, so he tried shooing it out with a broom. Unfortunately, he lost his balance and fell right on top of the snake. He was bitten on the arm and was rushed to the hospital where he received 8 vials of antivenom, but he still died the following day. (Rome News-Tribune)
Snake Preacher
And interestingly, or stupidly, venomous snakes are commonly used in Pentecostal church services by snake-handling preachers…and it doesn’t always end well. There are several deaths on the list attributed to snake bites during church services and religious ceremonies! WHAT?!
In fact, according to a documentary called “Snake Church” there are over 100 pentacostal churches throughout Kentucky and the Appalachias that incorporate snake handling into their sermons. I got sucked into a two part YouTube documentary all about one of these churches, and It’s definitely worth watching.
Click HERE to watch “Snake Church” on YouTube!
These people take the bible so literally that they believe they are supposed to handle these serpents, as a metaphor for the devil, and allow god to protect them. And even crazier, if they are bit, they aren’t supposed to seek medical care! They’re supposed to go home and basically allow God to judge them. And if they don’t die, that’s supposed to be the miracle of God. WTF?!
And it’s also worth noting that due to laws against possessing venomous animals without a permit, these churches are constantly at odds with local authorities…
Well in 2014, 42 year old Jamie Coots, Pastor of the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus’ Name church in Middlesboro, Kentucky, was at work preaching away one Sunday clutching a Timber rattlesnake. He had been bitten several times in the past and never sought medical care, but managed to survive each time. During this service though, the Timber Rattlesnake turned around and struck him on the hand. It hit an artery and within seven minutes, Pastor Jamie Coots was dead.
Like Father, Like Son
The story doesn’t end there though. After his death, the congregation was passed onto his son, Cody Coots, which is what this documentary centers around. (I’m kind of ashamed I share a name with this crazy mother fucker.) Well he took over right where his daddy left off. And the documentary footage of him dancing around and preaching with these snakes is crazy. The church members are passing them around, dancing, jumping, they have them around their necks, there’s little kids running around, it’s nuts!
Well during filming, Cody’s doing his thing, swinging a big timber rattlesnake around, screaming into the mic, jumping, and dancing. The rattlesnake apparently got tired of it because it turned around and struck him right behind the ear.
Blood started gushing out of the wounds and onto his shirt. He continued his rant for a second, saying God’s a healer, this and that, but the look on his face was “Oh, Fuck.”
He immediately started flushing and coughing, vomiting, and almost keels over, when one of his friends, “Big, Cody,” (a huge overall wearing guy, still ashamed), literally picked him up and carried him out of the church.
Cody’s throat was closing but he kept saying just to take him home, he didn’t want medical care, but Big Cody took it out of God’s hands. He threw Cody in the back of his car and rushed him to the hospital where he was quickly intubated and placed in intensive care. Cody survived after several days in ICU, but the medical staff said his vision may be permanently affected on the side of the bite.
And Cody’s back at it, swinging venomous snakes around every Sunday at Church…
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
The largest and arguably most dangerous rattlesnake though, is the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake. The Eastern Diamondback accounts for the MOST fatal bites in the US, while its cousin, the Western Diamondback accounts for the 2nd most.
Eastern Diamondback Appearance
Eastern Diamondback rattlesnakes are typically a brownish color with dark brown or black diamonds running all down their backs. Each diamond is outlined by light yellowish or cream colored scales.
Reaching 8 feet long, the Eastern Diamondback is the largest rattlesnake in the world, and has the largest fangs and the highest venom yield. It’s fangs can be over an inch long! And the mortality rate from an Eastern Diamondback bite is a whopping 30%!!
David Steen, a snake researcher at Auburn University explains that snakes often give off a musk, especially when they feel threatened. And he describes the eastern diamondback rattlesnake’s musk as smelling like Doritos… So if you suddenly smell doritos while walking around the woods, you might wanna take it as a warning and tread carefully. (Live Science)
Eastern Diamondback Geographic Range
You can find Eastern Diamondbacks are found throughout the southeast US from Florida to North Carolina.
Western Diamondback Appearnace
The Western Diamondback is typically slightly shorter than the Eastern Diamondback, though the longest one ever recorded at 8.5 feet. The diamond pattern on their backs is very similar to the eastern diamondback, but overall they are typically more of a lighter tan to reddish-brown color.
One thing that makes the Western Diamondback distinct is they have 4 to 6 alternating black and white bands on their tail leading up to their rattle.
Western Diamondback Geographic Range
Their habitat stretches throughout the Southwestern U.S. states from Oklahoma all the way through Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, to California. It can also be found in the Northern half of Mexico.
Western diamondbacks envenomate more people than any other rattlesnake in the U.S., though their mortality rate isn’t quite as high as the Eastern Diamondback. But it is thought to be responsible for the most fatalities in Mexico.
A couple notable rattlesnake bites
We talked last week about evangelist and outdoorsman John Chau, and I briefly mentioned his run-in with what he described as a large rattlesnake that bit him on the ankle. He ended up spending 11 days in the hospital, had to receive 18 vials of anti-venom, IV antibiotics, and a platelet transfusion. And the pictures of his leg on Instagram were fucked up.
And another notable rattlesnake bite happened in 2018, while singer/songwriter Mike Posner was hiking across the U.S. and promoting his new music by releasing a song in each state. While he was hiking through Colorado, he was bitten by a baby rattlesnake and had to be airlifted to the hospital, where he was luckily able to receive the antivenom in time. He was laid up and unable to walk for several weeks though and said that he had to slowly relearn how to walk with PT.
Contrary to popular belief, baby rattlesnakes are not actually more dangerous than adults. Adult snakes have a much higher volume of venom than babies making them just as dangerous if not more dangerous, but both baby and adult rattlesnakes can do serious damage. (LiveScience)
Bitten By a Headless Snake
Here’s a real freaky CNN story about a Western Diamondback. In 2018, down near Corpus Christi, TX, a man named Milo Sutcliffe was doing some work in his backyard with his wife when she noticed a 4-foot Western Diamondback in the garden. Milo grabbed a shovel (which is apparently a great snake fighting weapon) and with a single swing, he chopped the snake’s head off. Great. Victory. But….
After thinking he killed the snake, he reached down a few minutes later to grab its head and get rid of it. But when he did, the snake head latched down and bit him right on the fingers injecting him with venom!
This is because when snakes die, they retain they’re biting reflex mechanism for up to several hours….kinda like a chicken who can run around with its head cut off. This means they remain highly dangerous. And even more so…
According to Dr. Keith Boesen, director of the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center “When their heads are cut off, they lose the ability to control how much venom they inject, due to diminished brain capacity. So they instinctively inject as much venom as they possibly can.”
The bite that Sutcliffe received was severe, and he was quickly rushed to the hospital by his wife. But on the way, he began having vision loss, seizures, and internal bleeding, so she called 911 and was met in route by a MediVac and they airlifted him the rest of the way. He was placed into a medically induced coma but he went into shock and kidney failure and had to be placed on emergent dialysis.
Normal snake bites require 2-4 doses of antivenom, but his bite was so severe that he required 26 doses of antivenom to recover, along with IV antibiotics. He remained in the coma for 5 days but fortunately, he survived the experience but not without almost losing his life. The pic of his hand after the bite and it’s GNARLY.
If you are bitten by a pit viper, the recommendations are as follows:
(Recommendations via Healthline.)
“Don’t raise the area above the level of the heart. If you do this, your blood containing rattlesnake venom will reach your heart more quickly.
Stay as still as possible, as movement will increase your blood flow and the venom will circulate faster. Try to remain calm, as anxiety and panic can increase your heart rate, which will cause the venom to spread. But I imagine I’d be freaking the fuck out…
You’re supposed to remove any tight clothing or jewelry before you start to swell.
Let the wound bleed, as this may allow some of the venom to be released.
Don’t wash the wound, as your medical team may be able to use some of the venom from your skin to more quickly identify the correct antivenin.
Don’t cut the wound, as this doesn’t help and you could cause an infection.
Don’t try to suck the venom from the wound, as you then introduce the venom to your mouth as well as introduce the bacteria from your mouth to the wound.
Don’t use a tourniquet or apply ice or water.” – pit viper venom works by digesting tissue, so a tourniquet could make this worse in the affected area.
Place a clean bandage on the wound.
If you begin to experience signs of shock, try to lie down on your back, raise your feet slightly, and keep warm.
Ideally you should get medical attention within 30 minutes.
Conclusion
Well there you go friends. That’s pretty much covers this episode. Have fun trying to sleep tonight! Pit Vipers are nothing to fuck with so be careful out there! Hopefully you’ll learn from these stories and won’t make the same mistakes as some of the people in the stories above. Accidents are one thing, but DON’T TRY TO KISS A COTTONMOUTH!!!
Stay Safe and Stay Alive!
Cody & Devin
The Wild Bites Back
