True ....the Boomslang is a truly dangerous species. And when it comes to venom toxicity most herpetologists say the Fierce Snake takes the prize for land snakes, but there are quite a few contrarians who pick the Boomslang as numero uno.
This snake really has a lot of interesting history. For decades Western scientists and herpetologists claimed that the Boomslang was harmless. That it is simply a back-fanged snake (meaning its fangs are at the back of its mouth instead of the front) with a very mild and ineffectice venom. And totally harmless. However, the natives who had lived around the Boomslang for centuries would tell them tales of how the Boomslang is lethal, and how its venom potency has an amazing degree of efficacy. But they were ignored ....after all, what did these natives know (same thing happened with the Mountain gorilla by the way).
Anyways, in the early part of the 20th century, a famous herpetologist (the most famous at the time) called Iodides (sp) was handling a Boomslang, when it bit him. Not chewed on him ....because most back-fanged snakes have to chew to get their rear fangs into place ....but struck and bit him. You see, the Boomslang may have back-placed fangs, but its mouth is very small and those fangs are quite long and forward-facing. And it can gape its mouth quite wide. Thus, it does not need to chew but just strike like any front-fanged snake. But Iodides was not worried ....after all the venom was mild.
Wrong! His eyes turned red, he started to urinate blood, his tongue swelled, and he died a horrible death quite fast (he did have the presence of mind to write in his journal all the nasty things the venom was doing to his system).
I personally had an experience with a Boomslang when I was back 'home.' It was in our home's courtyard, just basking in the sun on one of the live fences. One of the most beautiful snakes I've ever seen, and I've seen some very beautiful irridiscent species. The Boomslang was amazing. And we just sat there looking at each other ....my 6 foot frame versus his 7 foot frame ....and after a while we went our seperate ways. They are venomous like heck ....but they mind their own business.
On the rest of the story: It is interesting that the box contained a Vine snake, a cobra, and green and black mambas. Why would someone leave such a box by itself. Whoever did that should be imprisoned since any of those snakes can easily kill a family, especially the black Mamba.
I wish someone would tell me why trade in such serpents is allowed in the US to anyone. Why not at least make someone apply for a permit? (Although for the Mambas not even a permit should be, ahem, permitted.) Online sites like Dragon Farms offer Mambas, Taipans and Kraits for sale, to anyone with a credit card. And yet each of these snakes, especially the Mambas and Taipans, do not do well in captivity, and are really really really really really really really hard to feed! Not because they refuse to eat, but because to feed them you must open the serpentarium to put the food in, and you would be amazed how fast an 11 foot Black Mamba can get out of a cage ....so fast you'd say it was sorcery ....and being stuck in a room with a Mamba (that has probably raised itself from the ground higher than your face is) quickly teaches someone respect.
If veteran herpetologists have some trepidation when it comes to feeding or milking mambas for venom, how is some pimply-faced hairy-palmed kid for Jersey supposed to take care of them? And the sad thing is in an emergency (after the kid and his family are killed), the cops will eventually come to the house and get bitten to (killing a Mamba when you are not expecting one is a herculean task), or it may escape into the neighborhood.
Wasn't a fireman killed last year by a Gaboon viper when he went into an apartment and it bit him, and they couldn't find antivenin for it! People should stick to Rattlesnakes and Cottonmouths. For one they are local and thus antivenin is within easy reach. Secondly, although they are very venomous they are nowhere near African, Indian and Australian exotics (one toxicology report stated Mamba venom being 65 t0 70 times more lethal to humans that Diamondback Rattlesnake venom, with the Fierce Snake topping 80 times). In the US I'd stick with Rattlers .....less danger.
I'm not really into reptiles-- I rather like my fellow mammals. I cut them a piece of slack whenever I can.
Story is correct, but you got tha name wrong.
Famous herpetologist Karl P. Schmidt died 28 hours after a Boomslang bite. The day after the bite, he called in to say he felt well and would be in to work...2 hours before he literally dropped dead from the bite.
Thanks for that overview. Let's face it, in most of the USA they probably only have antivenin for Diamondback Rattler bites. In the South and Southwest they may have antitodes for the venom of the other North American Vipers and the Coral. NOBODY is prepared for a bite from a Gaboon Viper, Boomslang, Australian Tiger or Mamba some knucklehead imported from a international animal broker. It's almost a certain death.
AnimalPlanet has a recurring show about a ER physician in Arizona who specializes in venomous trauma. You see how difficult it is for science to keep up with the evolving venom chemistry of the snakes native to North America.
Whoever left those snakes on the side of the road should be located and arrested as a terrorist. It's fortunate no-one was killed. If three kids happened upon the box and opened it, those snakes could explode from the crate and fatally tag them in a nanosecond.
Outstanding post.