Posted on 01/23/2007 3:44:41 PM PST by meanj209
i live on a lake in deltona florida and today i watched an otter kill and eat a large water moccasin .it appeared to me that the otter got bit several time can anybody tell me if the otter has a natural immunity to snake bites or will it be paying for its snake steak later. thanks for replying.
First thing, are you sure it was a Moccasin, and not a Brown Banded Water Snake? My experience is that most folks can't tell the difference. Otters have no unusual resistance to venom that I've heard of, and they are small enough to be quickly affected by a hot bite.
BTW, I do like your webpage.
Then drop on the deck and flop like a fish!
Thanks!
BTW, pay no attention to any of the city slickers around here, I've seen them jump through plate glass windows to avoid a little Rat Snake! Hell, white men CAN jump, with a bit of stimulation!
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Oh yeah - before I run out of memory again... Wecome Abroad!
Well, jump like a fish!
jump like a porpoise!
all join hands in Habeas Corpus!
1. The otter has a natural immunity and will survive. This would not be suprising.
2. The otter does NOT have a natural immunity and will no longer reproduce after dying. Think of it as improving the breed of otters.
Now, GO TAKE YOUR DAMN MEDS!
Yeah, I think I would too after seeing that pic.
Not to mention many water moccasins are nothing more than harmless nonpoisonous water snakes.
Groovy man! Tell me more.
< /Not again! >
Oh, yeah,The character of Otter in Animal House. I loved that movie. Sorry he is out killing poor little snakes now.
There's a poisonous atmosphere on this thread.
No snake injects venom every time. Sometimes they miscalculate and other times they are running on empty, so to speak!
Nope, water snakes and Moccs are totally different, the problem comes from folks calling any darkish water snake a Moccasin. This is a matter of intellectual sloth, soon cured when a largish Moccassin gets really upset with you, and runs your butt up a tree. "Moccasin" relates to Agkistrodon piscivorus, and closely related pit vipers.
The Copperhead is a close cousin, not nearly so much aquatic, less venomous. As a Cottonmouth ages, the patterns and colors fade away into solid black, except for some highlights. They get massive in body diameter and spectacular in attitude. A Rattler may retreat,most Moccs don't know how.
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