[spetznaz]

The bite of any viper can be exceedingly painful. Add into this tissue damage and necrosis and suddenly it seems almost better to be bitten by an elapid (eg cobra, krait, mamba) whose neurotoxic venom, although far more toxic, will kill you 'gently' and quickly by shutting down your nervous and respiratory system, than some of the cytotoxic/hemotoxic concoctions in viper venom. At times that might be weird than having your arm swell up 3 times and skin starting to slough off.

I feel bad for the girl involved, and hopefully the find some way to save her arm. I've seen the effects of a Puff Adder bite in Africa, and while the Copperhead is no where in the same league as a Puff Adder the pain (and destruction) in the bite is still pretty bad. Particularly for a 14 yr old.

[spetznaz]

At times that might be weird than having your arm swell up 3 times and skin starting to slough off. = At times that might be BETTER than having your arm swell up 3 times NORMAL and skin starting to slough off.

[SamAdams76]

I wish the reporter of the article would have gotten more information. Why did the 17-year-old boy bring the snake into school, for example?

[rightazrain]

I think I'd rather lose my arm than to be killed "gently and quickly".

[LibWhacker]

For God's sake, keep that poor girl away from George Clooney!

Rattler, Copperhead, Boa Constrictor... Doesn't matter; George'll club you to death if a snake bites you.

[dighton]

The bite of any viper can be exceedingly painful. Add into this tissue damage and necrosis and suddenly it seems almost better to be bitten by an elapid (eg cobra, krait, mamba) whose neurotoxic venom, although far more toxic, will kill you 'gently' and quickly by shutting down your nervous and respiratory system, than some of the cytotoxic/hemotoxic concoctions in viper venom.

If sentenced to choose one type of bite or the other . . . elapid would look tempting.

Stats don't tell the whole story, as underlined by your pix.

[Rudder]

...while the Copperhead is no where in the same league as a Puff Adder the pain (and destruction) in the bite is still pretty bad.

I live in SE ohio on the upper ridge of the River Valley. We have copperhead here, but usually they're reclusive. We've been doing some road repair and excavating late summer up until now, and we've found 3. They get aggressive and their bite will ruin a good man's day. We have a good ER about 13 minutes away and, thanks to our speedy rescue and the ER, the damage has been slight, although the necrosis takes a long time to get right.

[LibKill]

Back in the day, I was taught how to identify poisonous snakes as a prelude to KILLING them.

Not PC at all, I know (hangs head in shame).