Bear Grylls producer snake bite....../Gore warning !!

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.

mrcharly

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 25, 2011
3,257
44
North Yorkshire, UK
Well that is something I did not want to see.

Just to cheer me up Jonathan sent back a couple of pictures of a puff adder victim in the hospital he was in. And it looked like his whole leg from the ankle to the groin had been slow cooked. The flesh and muscle were dropping off. I would not mind, but I have to feed and clean the one we have while he is away.
Feeding a puff adder. That sounds delightful.

My stepson sells reptile stuff through the internet. His house has a 'bookshelf' of vipariums. I refuse to visit.
 

NateJ

Member
May 5, 2013
35
0
Sir Benfro
Heavy set leather boots, with protection on sides/top and soles would be enough you'd think ... But it depends on the snake really.

I could be completely wrong though!
 

EmmaD

Forager
Feb 27, 2011
204
1
South Staffs
I think most large vipers can penetrate leather boots, even doubled up and thick leather. You would have to ask Jonathan for the definitive answer though. I know thick military boots can stop our adder, but hiking boots can be penetrated in the softer areas.
 

mrcharly

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 25, 2011
3,257
44
North Yorkshire, UK
I have to say that in all my encounters with Australian snakes (dugites, death adders and tiger snakes) I've found that snakes will take the opportunity to escape without biting if they can, even when you step on them. Tiger snakes are a bit iffy and can be aggressive. I trod on loads of snakes when I was a kid - only wearing shorts, bare feet.

A few species (taipans) are noted for being aggressive and attacking.

Not good catching them in shed tho. Stepson got bitten when handling one of his snakes as it was starting shed. Their eyesight gets a bit cloudy and they are irritable. Fortunately it was just a small constrictor that bit him (got him on the neck, serves him right for playing with snakes!).
 

NateJ

Member
May 5, 2013
35
0
Sir Benfro
I once did an exotic animal training course, had to handle and care for Spiders (I went deathly pale when I saw what I had to hold!) Snakes and a host of other animals not from this country ... Interesting course, and loved the snake - Took two of us to hold him, it was massive!

Can't remember exactly what snake it was now though, fairly sure it was a constrictor (about all I know about it to be fair)
 

sargey

Mod
Mod
Member of Bushcraft UK Academy
Sep 11, 2003
2,695
8
cheltenham, glos
chuck norris was also bitten by a fer-de-lance, and after three days of writhing in excruciating agony, the snake finally died...

:lmao:
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
I have to say that in all my encounters with Australian snakes (dugites, death adders and tiger snakes) I've found that snakes will take the opportunity to escape without biting if they can, even when you step on them. Tiger snakes are a bit iffy and can be aggressive. I trod on loads of snakes when I was a kid - only wearing shorts, bare feet.

A few species (taipans) are noted for being aggressive and attacking......

Same with "most" species here as well. Moccasins are an exception though. I've had them deliberately climb into the boat to attack when agitated. Fer de Lances also have that reputation though I've no personal experience. (we still don't really know if was an American snake and they got the species wrong; or if it was really a Fer de Lance and they got the location wrong)
 

Goatboy

Full Member
Jan 31, 2005
14,956
17
Scotland
I think most large vipers can penetrate leather boots, even doubled up and thick leather. You would have to ask Jonathan for the definitive answer though. I know thick military boots can stop our adder, but hiking boots can be penetrated in the softer areas.

Good thing about adder bites is that their teeth aren't hollow, the venom comes down the outside of the teeth. So if you don't rub it and irrigate the wound it shouldn't hurt too much. So saying my girlfriends dad was bitten by two different adders on the same leg on the same day years back and didn't know this, he's was having trouble walking by the time he got back poor guy.
 

EmmaD

Forager
Feb 27, 2011
204
1
South Staffs
Adders fangs are hollow. They are vipers. Vipers have folding hollow fangs. Trust me. Jonathan has educated me well on our adder. Snore!!!!
 

Goatboy

Full Member
Jan 31, 2005
14,956
17
Scotland
Adders fangs are hollow. They are vipers. Vipers have folding hollow fangs. Trust me. Jonathan has educated me well on our adder. Snore!!!!

Emma you are right, I hadn't checked my spelling, "aren't" should have read "are" which makes sense with the "venom comes down the outside of the teeth" later in my post. Cheers for pulling me up on that, stupid grammatical/spelling mistakes can be lethal when giving safety advise. Cheers GB.
 

EmmaD

Forager
Feb 27, 2011
204
1
South Staffs
Okay, makes sense. But the venom does get injected via the 'inside' of the tooth at high pressure straight into the blood stream. They are like tiny little hyperdermic needles. Jonathan has a few set in resin from juveniles to adult. Rubbing the bite would do nothing except to speed up the blood flow and the envenomation. For a tiny snake. Adders fangs are big and can penetrate boots.
 

Goatboy

Full Member
Jan 31, 2005
14,956
17
Scotland
Didn't know about the "inside" of the tooth forcing venom into the bloodstream, shows that information moves on as it was a long time ago that a herpetologist friend passed on this nugget of info. They do have big teeth though, did a rudimentary autopsy of one that got run over (before eating it - very tasty). Do like adders though used to see them basking in the summer sun a lot when I still worked the woods.
 

CLEM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jul 10, 2004
2,433
439
Stourbridge
I really don't like snakes, why anyone would keep them I don't know. Jungles, Australia snakey, spider places I'll leave them places to everyone else :lmao:
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
I really don't like snakes, why anyone would keep them I don't know. Jungles, Australia snakey, spider places I'll leave them places to everyone else :lmao:

Yeah I've been thinking of Puerto Rico a lot lately. No venomous snakes. No large predators (unless you count sharks) Nice climate. And (for me) no visa or passport required.
 

Hammockarcher

Member
Apr 26, 2013
16
0
Lancashire
I heard from one of the guys at the bear grylls store at the bushcraft show the producer was texting on his phone not watching where he was walking like we all do and stood on the snake it turned round and bit him lesson there dont walk and text in snake country
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
I heard from one of the guys at the bear grylls store at the bushcraft show the producer was texting on his phone not watching where he was walking like we all do and stood on the snake it turned round and bit him lesson there dont walk and text in snake country

I thought Fer de Lances were arboreal?
 

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE