“...How poisonous is a Copperhead? Nothing like a Moccasin or Rattler I thought....”
Just as bad as a rattler except you don’t get the rattle. It’s a neurotoxin venom.
Moccasins have endotoxin venom. I prefer NOT to be bitten by any of em, thank you.
Out of more than 7000 snake bites a year, less than 10 die.
What I’ve always heard is that generally the pit vipers are
“hemotocs” and Myo-toxic as well. They basically inject digestive enzymes to get you started—their own style of barbecue sauce. It’s the coral snakes, related to cobras that are generally considered “neuro-tocs.” These are the names a surveyor I new used.
Rattlers, as I’ve always thought are more toxic and their venom includes a large neuro-toxic component. But according to this ER doc on the Animal Planet, rattlers like the Mojave are showing up lately with more toxic venom with a higher neuro-toxic component. I guess they, like us, prefer their dinner well seasoned and warm but quiet and still.
But it’s curious that among those western rattlers—which are no larger than moccasins or copperheads— are probably more dangerous than either of the diamondbacks. Also the constituents of the venom is changing to be more like coral snake venom. And, if rattlers can change, why shouldn’t copperheads?
If I had to get bitten by something, I might prefer a coral snake bite to any pit viper. You can lose appendages when those things get you.
Hemotoxin