Snake bite first aid guide

[Olly]

OK, for North, I volunteer..

[mundaire]

Just curious... what are the odds that anyone is going to be bitten by a snake? I've come across several snakes, but never really seen a snake bite... basic common sense being a good enough preventive... so I'd imagine the odds are pretty good that not one of us is ever going to face this particular emergency...

Cheers!
Abhijeet

[Mack The Knife]

Just curious... what are the odds that anyone is going to be bitten by a snake? I've come across several snakes, but never really seen a snake bite... basic common sense being a good enough preventive... so I'd imagine the odds are pretty good that not one of us is ever going to face this particular emergency...

Cheers!
Abhijeet

Come to the WASI stretch.

Sometimes you have no option but to walk in thickish brush, quite often in the dark.

Now you might suggest chaps and/or snake proof boots as a common sense precaution but I really don't see myself wearing these.... ever.

If I am not mistaken, snakes, followed by elephants cause the maximum number of deaths in rural India.

[Grumpy]

"If I am not mistaken, snakes, followed by elephants cause the maximum number of deaths in rural India."

That would suggest that if you`re going to annoy an angry Elephant the best time to do it would be immediately after you are bitten by a snake.............

[Pran]

[quote="Mack The Knife Bana";p="31794"]

Now you might suggest chaps and/or snake proof boots as a common sense precaution but I really don't see myself wearing these.... ever.

[/quote]

...and you don't even wear shoes!

Any idea how high a snake can spring up and bite? What are the chances of it's fangs penetrating clothing?

My cousin(who stays in my native) got away with a dry bite about 6 months ago. He shined a torch on the snake and is sure it was a cobra. Lucky him!

Pran

[Mack The Knife]

That would suggest that if you`re going to annoy an angry Elephant the best time to do it would be immediately after you are bitten by a snake.............

Ah, I see that the maestro has arisen....from the right side of the bed. And how are we feeling - all bright and bushy tailed?

[Mack The Knife]

...and you don't even wear shoes!

And what the dicken's were you wearing? Gum boots?

Any idea how high a snake can spring up and bite?

A black mamba can raise itself to head height but we don't have these in India. I'd say, that most bites would occur from the knee downwards and probably more in the region of the ankle. Asif will be the most qualified to answer this and the next question.

What are the chances of it's fangs penetrating clothing?

Easy peasy, I should think. A pair of denim jeans may just work in the event of a brush rather than a direct strike.

[Grumpy]

"Ah, I see that the maestro has arisen....from the right side of the bed. And how are we feeling - all bright and bushy tailed?"

Feel a bit like death warmed-up actually.
Had an 11.00 meeting in G`bury and then went on to do some shopping - including getting another present for Kerris birthday tomorrow.

Looks like Mickey is being a good boy today.

Some snakes can even bite through leather boots/shoes so I don`t think that clothing is going to help much - except for helping to divert a strike as you say if the snake gets caught up in clothing - especially jeans or similar. I invariably wear very light-weight `moisture wicking` trousers which are so thin that a mosquito could probably bite through them !

Snakes.......Hefalumps.......Sounds like India is almost as bad as Australia as far as dangerous creatures are concerned. What`s the situation with poisonous spiders or things like Scorpions ?

[Pran]

>And what the dicken's were you wearing? Gum boots?

Atleast they protected me from ant bites Talking of which, did you any luck at that place 'fiercely guarded by soldier ants' this time?

Thanks.

>Looks like Mickey is being a good boy today.

Concerned about other Bangaloreans who may succumb to your WMD, Sir .


Thanks for that, Grumps. Any brushes you've had?

>Snakes.......Hefalumps.......Sounds like India is almost as bad as Australia as far as dangerous creatures are concerned. What`s the situation with poisonous spiders or things like Scorpions ?

Never seen a scorpion out in the open but have been told they can be found in these parts. Never heard of any poisonous spiders though.

Pran

[mundaire]

Scorpions are pretty common around the Aravalli hills surrounding Delhi... more so, as most of the hilly area is a 'green belt' (semi-arid vegetation: mostly acacia with some sembhal, dhak, neem, peepul, etc.). These ones are dark coloured medium sized ones...

It is also not unusual to find a small specimen (or two) if one buys flowers from the wholesale flower 'mandi' in Mehrauli (about 1 km from my place) cosily packed within one or more of the bunches... these ones are almost always 'whitish' / 'yellowish' in colour and quite tiny actually...

Hear that large spiders are common in banana groves, but since we have no banana groves up North - cannot offer any 1st hand comment on that piece of info...

Cheers!
Abhijeet

[Grumpy]

"Concerned about other Bangaloreans who may succumb to your WMD, Sir".

Sir ? SIR ? My name is `John` - or `Grumpy` ( and variations ) will do.

The projected bomb was not a `WMD` but a specific `WRD` - a `Weapon of Mack The Knife Destruction`. As it happens I rapidly went off the idea - Dodger and I pi*s each other off about twice a week on average ! LOL

Oh great. Not only do you have to keep well away from Elephants and wear 1/2 inch thick rubber waders up to your chest but you also have to avoid flowers in case a little Scorpion rushes up your nostril and stings you whilst you`re smelling the bouquet !
- It`s just as well that you don`t have those Australian `Dunny` Spiders that live under toilet seats and bite you on the ar*e or scrotum as otherwise EVERYONE in India would have emigrated !

[Pran]

The projected bomb was not a `WMD` but a specific `WRD` - a `Weapon of Mack The Knife Destruction`. As it happens I rapidly went off the idea - Dodger and I pi*s each other off about twice a week on average ! LOL

You even keep a count

> It`s just as well that you don`t have those Australian `Dunny` Spiders that live under toilet seats and bite you on the ar*e or scrotum as otherwise EVERYONE in India would have emigrated !

I'd rather be bitten by a snake when I'm fishing than by a spider when I'm crapping!

Pran

[Grumpy]

"Any brushes you've had? ".

Can`t think of anything much...........
I was stalked by a Red Deer Stag once which was somewhat disturbing.......and there`s always the annoying risk of being surrounded by inquisitive Cows - and especially heifers or Steers - when fishing. That provokes a panic while you try to gather up all the rods before the daft buggers tread on them. I was `sworn` at by a Mink once because I`d `invaded` its territory while fishing. Aggressive little so-and-sos they are - like Ferrets they`re afraid of nothing. Not even Elephants would intimidate them ! My remaining little Jill Polecat frightens the heck out of our dogs - even though she only weighs about a pound now and the largest dog weighs 85 times that !
We have Adders in this area but they like to slink away as soon as they hear anyone coming.
I`ve only once been in a field with an aggressive Bull........and that was about 40 years ago. As long as Bulls are in with a few Cows they are rarely anything to worry about.
No, the worse thing you have to worry about in this country is being plagued by Wasps when you eat your sandwiches on the riverbank............although that might change if more of those highly aggressive Continental Hornets take a hold in the South.
Disneyland is more dangerous than Britain !

[Pran]

I was stalked by a Red Deer Stag once which was somewhat disturbing.....

I didn't know stags could get violent.

> Disneyland is more dangerous than Britain !

I get the idea.

Pran

[Grumpy]

Red Stags become highly aggressive in the rut and can take exception to almost anything if they consider that they have intruded too close to their Hinds. `Anything` can include people, cattle, Goats, Sheep, Dogs and even cars. Occasionally you get a more devious Stag who must consider that there is no threat from any other Stag and will quietly follow the `offender`intending to confront them. After being pursued across three fields, a couple of ditches and through a copse I legged it back to the car and - discretion being the better part of valour - drove off smartish !