I was bite by a pit viper years ago and was very lucky to have survived.. Am I now immune to snake bites.?? Is there another type of venom that just destroys the blood cells and then kills you?? Could this type of snake hurt me or am I immune to snake bites now? I was bite by a brown reculse and showed immunity - my eye teeth filled up...venom ?? or anitbodies to venom?? tis the season for draucla.. :)
2006-10-17 15:41:49 · 8 answers · asked by audine 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Medicine
LOL !!! nope u r not immune lady !!! but cute imagination. dont stand in front of a viper again thinking urself to be immune....n no ur teeth n eyesr not filled with venom, so dont try it on ur enemies as it wont work :)
there r two types of venom, hemolytic which attack the blood vessels wall like artiries n veins n other is neurotoxins which attack the nerves.
btw did u enjoy seeing that viper.....i like vipers :P
2006-10-18 07:55:47 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
5 out of the 6 venomous snakes are in the pit viper family. If you go to the link/site below, you'll see photos of them. The first photo you see is a close-up of an eastern diamondback rattlesnake, with a thin red circle around a pit. The second picture is a black and white illustration between pit vipers and the coral snake and the other non venomous snakes in Florida. Both pictures courtesy of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Pit Vipers are identified by facial pits, one located on each side of their head between their eye and nostril. These pits are EXTREMELY sensitive infrared heat-sensing organs. Studies have been done where an eastern diamondback had his eyes covered and was given a large amount of rodents to catch in his enclosure. He got every one. When the pits were covered, he got none. These pits can tell temperature differences to 3/1000s of a degree, and allows the animal to hunt at night, seeing it's prey through the heat-sensing organs. Many boas and pythons also have heat-sensing pits, around their upper mouths, but the pit viper's pits are more sensitive then that. They can even tell the ambient air temperatures!
Other defining characteristics of the pit viper are their broad, triangle shaped heads and elliptical eye pupils. They also tend to be heavy bodied. Another characteristic to look for is that the pit viper seems to have a eyebrow like ridge over it's eyes, making them look mean and angry. While all rattlesnakes are pit vipers, not all pit vipers are rattlesnakes, as you will see later on in my species descriptions.
Their venom is a hemotoxin, meaning that it destroys red blood cells and walls of blood vessels. The venom is delivered through two hyodermic like fangs that are automatically extended when the snake opens it's mouth. While the mouth is closed, they lay flat against the roof. These fangs are attached to the venom sacs located at the back of the head (giving them the triangular head). They can control the amount of venom that is dispensed. Since they are nocturnal and heavy-bodied for the most part, pit vipers rely on their camouflage patterns to get their prey. At night, they sit very still in an area where they blend in, and when some hapless little critter comes along that they can eat, they strike so fast that it can't be seen with the human eye (eastern diamondbacks have the fastest strike). They wait for a few minutes for the venom to do it's thing in their victim and then go follow it through the scent trail it left behind.
The five pit vipers in Florida are the Southern Copperhead and Canebrake (or Timber) Rattlesnake, occuring in the northern part of the state only, the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, Pygmy Rattlesnake and Cottonmouth (or Water Moccasin) occuring throughout the state.
2006-10-17 15:54:54 · answer #2 · answered by shepardj2005 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i dont think that if u survived snake bit ull be immune to it, sure ur body can now destroy the antigen rendering it harmless but that process took time and if ur bitten ur body cannot break them down that fast to make much of a difference. Also snake venom are very different from species to species so immunity to one will not render u immune to them all. There are two major type of snake venom, one that act on the nervous system and one that cause blood to coagulate ie clot. The first one kill you by shutting down respiratory system the second one killed by causing blood clot.
2006-10-17 15:51:56 · answer #3 · answered by smart son of a bich 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
you are not immune. There are two types of venom neurotixic and hemotoxic
2006-10-17 15:43:13 · answer #4 · answered by carolinatinpan 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
snake venomom(probably misspeled) is hemotoxin and neurotoxin. hemotoxin atacts the blood, neurotoxin atacts the nerves. in cases of too mutch neurotoxin you smother to death because your nervoous system ceases to function and you will be unable to take in or expel your breath.. i cannot elaborate on hemotoxin. this is basicly it hemotoxin i only know it attacts blood.this is all i know
2006-10-17 15:50:33 · answer #5 · answered by houdini 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No,you are not immune to snake bites.They are still very harmful.
2006-10-17 15:43:42 · answer #6 · answered by debralizjr 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
what are your eye teeth? Yes, you should go get bit by more snakes
2006-10-17 15:44:42 · answer #7 · answered by mcnetalias 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
lol
2006-10-17 15:44:50 · answer #8 · answered by seilygirl 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋