Boomslang in my ceiling

Re: Boomslang in my ceiling

Postby Lanelk » Mon Nov 19, 2012 10:02 am

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Re: Boomslang in my ceiling

Postby MrG » Mon Nov 19, 2012 1:38 pm

Thx for the photos. I had a conversation with Hein. I just can't believe how fast acting the venom was. If one take his age into account and the shock he must have been endured, he is a very lucky person. Just shows one can never be too careful.
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Re: Boomslang in my ceiling

Postby Lanelk » Sat Nov 24, 2012 1:14 pm

Not only lucky...blessed! It is a miracle, as a lot of people over the world have prayed for him. We thank God for his healing.
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Re: Boomslang in my ceiling

Postby Serpent » Sun Nov 25, 2012 9:25 pm

Wow and it looks like a sub adult too. Very unusual circumstances and a very unusual bite site. For those of us who have handled and worked with these snakes, we have become accustomed to their passive behaviour. They are elusive, shy biters, and bites are very uncommon, however they do not have the reputation of being one of the most feared snakes in Africa for nothing. They are highly venomous animals that can kill a grown man. They should always be treated with caution and respect.
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Re: Boomslang in my ceiling

Postby Bushviper » Mon Nov 26, 2012 5:04 pm

Last week I did manage to spend some time with the victim and listening to what transpired. The bite was so different to every other boomslang bite on record that if I had not heard it myself I would have called senile dementia or mis-identifcation.

Four minutes post bite the victim had blurred vision. About 20 minutes later he had complete loss of vision and collapse. From there it becomes more difficult to confirm as the patient was not awake to record what happened. The boomslang antivenom was only administered more than 14 hours later and the patients recovery took about 1.5 hours confirming it was a boomslang bite. Two weeks later there was spontaneous suncutaneous bleeding on the outside of the left leg.

Exactly what treatment was given we cannot confirm as the doctors did not seem to record everything. The Prof from Steve Biko is going to write a paper on this bite as it is the most unusual bite ever recorded for boomslang.

The patient was holding the boomslang by the neck when it wiggled free and bit him on his right thumb. I would also like to have venom analysed from another boomslang in that area to see if it has neurotoxic properties not recorded in other boomslang venoms.
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Re: Boomslang in my ceiling

Postby Eyelash » Mon Nov 26, 2012 7:43 pm

That's very interesting Arno. Would love to read the paper once the prof is done.

If you need anyone to collect samples just give me a shout as I'll be off for a good month or two and some herping will def. be in order haha... :D

I'm very glad the patient recovered well.

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Re: Boomslang in my ceiling

Postby Serpent » Tue Nov 27, 2012 8:51 am

I am very lost here, are we all talking about the same bite here, the facts seem all mixed up.

The victim holding the snake by the neck is a hole different scenario altogether. There is nothing unusual about the circumstances at all then, just another bite to an unexperienced snake handler. As BV stated, boomslangs do not readily bite, however if you try and grab one behind the head it will retaliate.
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