Snakebite Kits

[Epic_Mtn_Biker]

hey guys, i've heard that snakebit kits are basically useless and a "joke".

anyone got a take on this? who carries one and who has used one?

of course the best thing is going to the hospital ASAP, but is a snakebit kit worth having?

just wondering whether i should evn bother having one since rattler incidents are up this year.

 

[Ciaran]

I too am looking for snake advice. Some good advice was givein in this thread...http://www.socaltrailriders.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=347 But two questions I have are...1) What do you do if you are bitten and you are 3+ miles from the trailhead, and are riding alone. and 2) I just put a little bell (Like one of the Kona cow bells) on my rig so hikers and bears and lions and tigers (Grrrrr.) can hear me coming and run out of the way. Will snakes also hear my bell and slither out of my way? Or should I just ride faster so they don't have as much time to bite me?

I've said it before and I'll say it again... I hate snakes!

 

[i am dino]

I'm not sure if snakes are sensitive to sound. The times I've come up to a snake, they almost act if they don't even notice you are there.

Snakes are a bit frightening to come across, especially when flying down some singletrack. If you are on a fireroad, you at least have some room to move left or right around the thing. Here is a little one that Rob and I saw on the singletrack just after the technical part of RATTLESNAKE in El Moro.

 

[badfishgood]

8-[

 

[JamR]

I too am looking for snake advice. Some good advice was givein in this thread...http://www.socaltrailriders.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=347 But two questions I have are...1) What do you do if you are bitten and you are 3+ miles from the trailhead, and are riding alone. and 2) I just put a little bell (Like one of the Kona cow bells) on my rig so hikers and bears and lions and tigers (Grrrrr.) can hear me coming and run out of the way. Will snakes also hear my bell and slither out of my way? Or should I just ride faster so they don't have as much time to bite me?

I've said it before and I'll say it again... I hate snakes!

Snakes are cool! I Love seeing them out there, and there's nothing to fear if you're careful. A rattler can only strike about 1/3 his body length (sometimes a little more). But with a very large rattler being only 4' or less, the effective strike distance is only around 16" or less, and this is only if they are coiled and ready (which also means their rattle is buzzing and you are being forewarned).

If they are stretched across the trail, they can only effectively strike a few inches to each side, which means that if you're in your pedals; it's pretty unlikely that you can get bit.

They are much more at risk from us then we are from them, and get killed far too often by accident or by intent due to unnecessary fear.

The most frequent incidents of snake bites are from dogs being struck around the nose from sniffing too close.

Also, I believe that the rattler is the only indigenous poisonous snake in Socal to be concerned with.

Bottom line............ride carefully so you don't harm them. If you see one and need to stop because it is spread across the trail; just stop a full bike length away and stop you feet; or get a long stick and nudge them into the bush so someone else does not hit them. They are sensitive to vibration, not sound and will simply glide into the bushes.

They are phenomenal creatures.

 

[Jawbreaker]

If the croc hunter doesn't need one, then neither do I. I love seeing snakes and always help them off the trail with a long stick.

 

[JamR]

Being able to see wildlife is one of the great rewards of Mountain Biking. There's tons of critters to see out there if you know what to look for.

 

[TheFarLeft]

Snakes are cool!  I Love seeing them out there, and there's nothing to fear if you're careful.  

Same with me... seeing snakes is one of the rewarding parts of mtbing. I used to be scared to death of them, but now, after being exposed to them I love seeing snakes and stop to look at them every time I pass one.

Great post JamR

Nevertheless, I do think it might be a good idea to buy a snakebite kit if you are going for a long ride. Just because snakes are amazing creatures doesn't mean that they don't bite when they feel threatened. Just like humans

 

[Shu]

As JamR stated in regards to strike distance..if you think about it...when you lift your legs up your a$$ is 30"+ off the ground.....

Treat them the respect and don't run over them(if at all possible)

 

[Ciaran]

Excellent advice all you snake lovers. From a biological point of view I can appreciate snakes. I still don't like them though. I never hurt them since I am out and about in their home, not the other way around, and I have a deep respect for all of life. Live and let live, ya know...

So what should one do if they do find themselves bitten and are a couple of miles from the trailhead.

And FWIW, my scariest encounter with a snake was in Turnbull, and had I been riding on the right hand side of the trail instead of the left I would likely have been bitten. The dang thing didn't start rattling and hissing at me till I was next to it, and almost past it. Yikes! I did stop to look at it though... they are indeed fascinating creatures. I just prefer to go through life without ever meeting up with them.

 

[TURNERob]

Being able to see wildlife is one of the great rewards of Mountain Biking.  There's tons of critters to see out there if you know what to look for.

True, last week I saw 2 of those big black bugs you always see crawling around (that crunch when you run over them). I was climbing up Cholla, one was mounted on top of the other one. Then I came back up Cholla again about 20 minutes later and they were still there in the same position  :lol:

If you're out there right before sunset you'll often be able to see Tarantulas (quite often see them at El Moro). I've only seen one Scorpion though, that was at Aliso. Plenty of Coyotes around too, seen a couple that were as big as  a German Shepard. I enjoy the nature while riding and really only fear snakes when riding alone. At least with someone else with you they could go for help if you don't get cell phone reception. It wouldn't be mountain biking if you didn't have some sort of danger involved.

 

[Pho'dUp]

Snakes are cool as long as I dont' get bitten. But the scariest thing I've seen is this:

It's called the Tarantula Hawk. It's a big azz wasp that hunts... you guessed it Tarantulas. I've seen them buzzing around but on this particular instance it was dragging a trantula 2X it's size off the trail.

Crazier still is that is lays it's eggs in the paralyzed tarantula and its larvae feed on it! Amazing but Euueww nonetheless.

 

[JamR]

Excellent advice all you snake lovers. From a biological point of view I can appreciate snakes. I still don't like them though. I never hurt them since I am out and about in their home, not the other way around, and I have a deep respect for all of life. Live and let live, ya know...

So what should one do if they do find themselves bitten and are a couple of miles from the trailhead.

And FWIW, my scariest encounter with a snake was in Turnbull, and had I been riding on the right hand side of the trail instead of the left I would likely have been bitten. The dang thing didn't start rattling and hissing at me till I was next to it, and almost past it.  Yikes! I did stop to look at it though... they are indeed fascinating creatures. I just prefer to go through life without ever meeting up with them.

Everything's relative to where you are. If it is a popular area and you know that more than likely someone will be by shortly; just stay calm, keep your heart rate down and have someone get help. From my understanding, there's not as much danger from the venom in your system as much as it's affect on the area of the bit. The venom is made to breakdown soft tissue and the joints of the small animals that get bitten. They wander off after getting struck, then the snake follows at its leisure until it finds the disabled prey.

I was struck on the inside of my right ankle about 25 years ago while fall running, and I just walked out about 4 miles and drove to the hospital where I received antivenin. I never got sick, but the venom did create permanent damage to the tissue on the inside of my right ankle and it has never been the same.

Not to say a bite is not to be taken seriously, since they can be fatal if left untreated; but usually not from the venom directly. The last death I heard of was a guy who was bitten on the calf and apparently had the miss-information that the venom was not truly fatal. He took so long getting himself to the doctor that he died from a blood clot that broke loose from the area of the bite. The soft tissue damage can be very serious if not treated properly.

Any animal in nature can be dangerous in the right situation, so it's always best to respect nature, but at the same time appreciate the wildlife you encounter, and count yourself fortunate to get the privilege of viewing wildlife in there natural habitat.

Another good rule................

Dont tease the animals!

 

[JamR]

Sorry about all the miss-spelling. Been a long day in the office an have not been on the bike since Saturday

 

[moochy]

Thats an awesome photo...do you work for the sheriffs department or some kind of wildlife organization?

As for the bite kit: A kid in my speech class did a demo of one. It basically just sucks the blood out of the area and not necessarily the venom (same as if you try to suck it out with your mouth). From my understanding, this sometimes speeds up your bloodflow and the venom can infect other areas. So the best thing to do is get immediate medical attention.

(I'm not an expert on this but I used to watch the discovery channel alot, FWIW.... 8)nerd)

 

[TheFarLeft]

Another good rule................

Dont tease the animals!

Is that lion standing on a dead deer?

 

[Big Guy]

I have seen those tarantula/wasp pairs twice in El Moro but never had a camera with me. Now I can show people what I saw.

I love to see the wildlife in the trails. It is incredible how many animals we see in the trails. I am from Eastern Canada, You sometime see some wild animals (I had a moose in my backyard once) but never in the concentration I see in here. Almost every rides, I see either a deer, a bobcat, a rattlesnake or a road runner (I never seen a mountain lion and am happy about that).

We are fortunate and should be grateful we can use those trails.