tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013316887660017880.post6735477572265960220..comments2024-03-25T16:04:06.581-05:00Comments on MObugs: Osage CopperheadShelly Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367843308248195970noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013316887660017880.post-81991000269885848682017-11-29T13:50:59.317-06:002017-11-29T13:50:59.317-06:00Oh no! I am so sorry about your dog. Finding venom...Oh no! I am so sorry about your dog. Finding venomous snakes is hard, and you should be lucky that your dog didn't die immediately. If you need any support or help, you can reply to this message or search up mobugs.blogspot.com for more information.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013316887660017880.post-49609601307255305212017-11-29T13:48:02.029-06:002017-11-29T13:48:02.029-06:00I agree that they are very pretty!I agree that they are very pretty!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013316887660017880.post-9405047295475271022017-11-29T13:47:36.285-06:002017-11-29T13:47:36.285-06:00Try researching more!Try researching more!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013316887660017880.post-70041469779841805842015-08-31T19:25:23.919-05:002015-08-31T19:25:23.919-05:00I read the article at the link you provided and it...I read the article at the link you provided and it talks about the situation I mentioned above about the man who was camping, bitten and didn't seek help. It was unfortunate, but possibly preventable had he sought medical attention. Anyone being bitten by any venomous snake should always seek help. I read the portion of the article where Jeff mentions that there was a death due to a copperhead in KC. He also goes on to explain that records prior to the mid 60's were not accurate. It is absolutely impossible to know if that death record as accurate. The bite could have been from a timber rattlesnake and was misidentified by whomever was bitten. He may not of sought medical help in a timely manner as well and contributed to his own demise. There is just really know way of knowing. Fortunately we have come a long way in record keeping and most events are recorded with accuracy these days. At the time I wrote this blog post it was the accepted belief that no one had died from their bite, but as we know now that simply is not true, even though both deaths had extenuating circumstances involved. Shelly Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18367843308248195970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013316887660017880.post-32516560942452588832015-08-31T19:16:35.681-05:002015-08-31T19:16:35.681-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Shelly Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18367843308248195970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013316887660017880.post-10066943892165179062015-08-31T19:09:03.785-05:002015-08-31T19:09:03.785-05:00MDC published a video called "Snake Tales&quo...MDC published a video called "Snake Tales" and the narrator states that "no one has ever been killed from their bite" It is difficult to know how accurate those past articles are. Often venomous bites were lumped into one category, so anything recorded as a venomous bite could have ranged from bees, to spiders and snakes. There was a lot of mis-identification that occurred too, and still does. NOW.....there are two recent deaths in Missouri. One occurred two or three years ago. A man was camping and bitten by a copperhead. He had pre-existing heart problems and did not seek medical help. From what I understand he suffered heart failure. So it is highly likely if he would have sought medical treatment, he would have survived. The second death occurred two years ago. A young man was camping with his family and picked up a copperhead to show his son. He was bitten twice on the hand. He suffered an allergic reaction to the venom and went into anaphylactic shock and died within minutes of being bitten. There seems to be some debate as to whether he knew what species of snake he was attempting to handle. Some resources claim he did not know and others claim he did. Either way it was an unfortunate event that did not have to happen. Deaths by copperheads are exceedingly rare, although not unheard of. We also had a death attributed to a cottonmouth this summer. A man was bitten on each knee and died later that night. Toxicology reports that came back later showed he had lethal doses of drugs in his systems, as well as alcohol. So again, we have to wonder, was it the snake or the drugs? I will check out the link to the article you provided above. I may give Jeff a call and see what he knows about deaths due to any venomous snakes in Missouri. Shelly Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18367843308248195970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013316887660017880.post-62916879734034681392015-08-31T14:38:40.860-05:002015-08-31T14:38:40.860-05:00You said "No one has ever died from their bit...You said "No one has ever died from their bite in Missouri." While it is true that adults rarely die, copperheads have killed people in Missouri and one early death in Iowa (that I know of). MDC herpetologist Jeff Briggler knows of a 1965 death record from Kansas City (http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/327036/3/Man-second-in-Missouri-to-die-from-copperhead-bite) I found a couple more searching a newspaper archive. One was 1895 death from a bite in St Louis County and a second from Holt County in 1897. If you really dig into old papers and other records I am pretty sure you would find a few more deathsJames Mahaffynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013316887660017880.post-72121793015304190532014-06-02T23:54:18.270-05:002014-06-02T23:54:18.270-05:00I saw one today in Columbia, MO. The bottom of my ...I saw one today in Columbia, MO. The bottom of my shoe was about 2 feet away when I for no reason looked down and noticed him on a hike in the woods. These snakes blend in extremely well to their surroundings. Luckily the snake was motionless. I'm thankful I looked down. God bless.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013316887660017880.post-60112391051191140572011-09-11T22:11:46.662-05:002011-09-11T22:11:46.662-05:00I ran into a large Osage while weed whacking on ou...I ran into a large Osage while weed whacking on our property near Cole Camp Creek a couple of years ago. He coiled up and struck at the weed whacker pretty aggressively. Luckily, I didn't damage him, and we agreed to never cross each other's paths again.<br /><br />Last weekend, I was watching the dog sniff around in front of the cabin. She found something that startled her, so I went to take a look. It was a juvenile Osage, about 9 inches long. He still had his green tail, so I suspect he was less than a year old. I poked at him with the toe of my shoe and he wasn't interested in me at all. If he's still around, Mom has ordered that he be relocated away from the cabin. There are some sunny spots down in the gully where he'll be much happier.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013316887660017880.post-62513720492457194302011-07-19T13:41:55.247-05:002011-07-19T13:41:55.247-05:00Schoolcraft that is an unfortunate story. Happenin...Schoolcraft that is an unfortunate story. Happenings such as those is what give snakes a bad rap. If people would just leave them in peace not only would they not get bitten but there would be no cause for fear. Copperheads are a truly mild-mannered snake that go out of their way to avoid humans. Bites rarely occur and when they do it is often in situations like the one you described. Did the man kill the snake?Shelly Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18367843308248195970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013316887660017880.post-75935532098912049042011-07-18T23:51:16.993-05:002011-07-18T23:51:16.993-05:00Great story. Not all incidents end quite as happi...Great story. Not all incidents end quite as happily. We reported an episode of a snake bite recently when a young man mistakenly tried to catch a copper head which he thought was a Northern Water Snake he had watched in Bull creek for the previous three days.<br /><br />We reported this in the Springfield Plateau Master Naturalist blog at http://springfieldmn.blogspot.com/2011/06/anatomy-of-snake-bite.html<br /><br />The notable part of the 2 minute video of the episode was how badly the snake wanted to avoid biting him. Holding it by the tail, it crawled over his bare ankles for 30 seconds before he grabbed the neck and got bitten twice on the hand.<br />Like most venomous snakes, it didn't want to waste its venom on a large biped that it couldn't possibly eat. Biting was it's last resort.Bob and Barbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03734648003161032938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013316887660017880.post-55928737572916401102011-07-03T16:04:31.774-05:002011-07-03T16:04:31.774-05:00finding venomous snakes is not for everyone that i...finding venomous snakes is not for everyone that is for sure. I am really sorry to hear about your dog, I am sure that was a painful experience for him to go through, and a worrisome one for you. While these snakes are not necessarily deadly in their bite, they sure worth avoiding. My husband works with a woman whose dog has been bitten several times by these snakes. They unfortunately live in an area with a healthy population of them and her dog manages to tangle with them, and does not seem to learn his lessons very well. I hope your dogs after affects fade with more time.Shelly Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18367843308248195970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013316887660017880.post-64223689632893800002011-07-03T14:49:29.796-05:002011-07-03T14:49:29.796-05:00If I never see a Copperhead I'll be a very hap...If I never see a Copperhead I'll be a very happy Missourian. Last July, our older Afghan Hound apparently saw something moving through his play yard (10,000 square feet) during the night. Investigating, he got bit in the chin, and became very ill. The bite caused his red blood cell count to plummet and his thyroid production to fall as well. We nearly lost and and now, a year later, we are still dealing with the after affects. Our vet said it was a Copperhead bite although we never found the snake. It was probably passing through in the cool of the night looking for mice.Connie Schachelhttp://www.webelocity.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013316887660017880.post-84049140216335948162011-06-24T10:36:42.484-05:002011-06-24T10:36:42.484-05:00Emma I agree, their markings are lovely, in fact I...Emma I agree, their markings are lovely, in fact I think they are one of the prettiest snakes in Missouri. Cottonmouths also have markings, they are just more subtle. They are very dark colored snakes, and the markings tend to show up better when they are swimming. <br /><br />Anne totally agree, Copperheads are beautiful! Unfortunately the fear that people feel often overrides good sense. Education is key! Once we gain knowledge about something, it is harder to fear it. The copperhead is a decidedly mild mannered snake and would rather hide from a human than bite one. We have a local scout camp near here and they reportedly see them about as frequently as you did at the camp in Jeff City.Shelly Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18367843308248195970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013316887660017880.post-6814807596749780662011-06-23T22:53:29.495-05:002011-06-23T22:53:29.495-05:00Copperheads are very beautiful as your photos show...Copperheads are very beautiful as your photos show. When I worked at a summer camp in Jefferson County, MO, I saw them once or twice a week. The fear and loathing people have for this animal is <i>way</i> out of proportion to the actual danger.Anne McCormackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04411395323766178814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013316887660017880.post-65611440415797067872011-06-23T12:26:45.006-05:002011-06-23T12:26:45.006-05:00This snake has pretty markings. I thought copperhe...This snake has pretty markings. I thought copperheads were solid colors then I realized I was thinking of water moccasins. And I am not sure about them now.Emma Springfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10543689047463574012noreply@blogger.com