Re: Larry, thanks

Farm1 wrote:

> As a child, I always used to wonder about the old faith
> healers of the US
> who used to pick up rattlers (and annual snake hunts
> for rattlers!!!!) but
> then in those days I thought that all venomous snake
> bites resulted in death
> like (all too often) bites from our snakes can.

Snake handling looks a lot more dangerous than it really is. Rattlers
can become quite affectionate pets, as long as you stay away from them
while they are molting. If you catch a small one and handle it often,
it will become very friendly. The chance of being bitten is about the
same as being bitten by your favorite house cat.

Also, small doses of rattle snake venom can stimulate the body to
produce its own antivenin, which will quickly neutralize the poison if
you happen to get bitten. Professional snake handlers (at zoos as well
as churches) are often the veterans of hundreds of bites. They don't
get cocky, though, because the immunity is very species specific.

.

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