TABLE OF CONTENTS IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS • 20(4):172 ...
TABLE OF CONTENTS IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS • 19(1… · IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS •...
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IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS • 19(1):42–47 • MARCH 2012 U pon the southern routes to California rattlesnakes are often met with, but it is seldom that any person is bitten by them; yet this is a possible contingency, and it can never be amiss to have an antidote at hand. Hartshorn 2 applied externally to the wound, and drunk in small quantities diluted with water whenever the patient becomes faint or exhausted from the effects of the poison, is one of the most common remedies. In the absence of all medicines, a string or ligature should at once be bound firmly above the puncture, then scarify deeply with a knife, suck out the poison, and spit out the saliva. Andersson, in his book on Southwestern Africa 3 , says: “In the Cape Colony the Dutch farmers resort to a cruel but apparently effective plan to counteract the bad effects of a serpent’s bite. An incision having been made in the breast of a living fowl, the bitten part is applied to the wound. If the poi- son is very deadly, the bird soon evinces symptoms of distress, becomes drowsy, droops its head, and dies. It is replaced by a second, a third, and more if requisite. When, however, the bird no longer exhibits any of the signs just mentioned, the patient is considered out of danger. A frog similarly applied is supposed to be equally efficacious.” Haunberg, in his Travels in South Africa 4 , mentions an antidote against the bite of serpents. He says: “The blood of a turtle was much cried up, which, on account of this extraor- dinary virtue, the inhabitants dry in the form of small scales or membranes, and carry about them when they travel in this country, which swarms with this most noxious vermin. Whenever any one is wounded by a serpent, he takes a couple of pinches of the dried blood internally, and applies a little of it to the wound.” I was present upon one occasion when an Indian child was struck in the fore finger by a large rattlesnake. His mother, who was near at the time, seized him in her arms, and, placing the wounded finger in her mouth, sucked the poison from the puncture for some minutes, repeatedly spitting out the saliva; after which she chewed and mashed some plantain leaves and applied to the wound. Over this she sprinkled some finely- powdered tobacco, and wrapped the finger up in a rag. I did not observe that the child suffered afterward the least pain or HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS CONSERVATION AND NATURAL HISTORY WWW.IRCF.ORG/REPTILESANDAMPHIBIANSJOURNAL Rattlesnake Bites 1 Randolph B. Marcy, Captain, U.S. Army 42 A nyone reading this article should be glad that they were not bitten by a venomous snake in the mid-19th Century. That anyone survived a bite, much less the recommended treatments, probably is attributable more to the fre- quency of “dry bites” (during which no venom is injected), the relatively low quantities of venom injected in many other instances, and the number of bites by misidentified non-venomous snakes. Under NO circumstances should any of the treatments cited by Marcy be implemented. Not only could they delay proper treatment, but many are also dangerous in and of themselves. Although the best solution for snakebite is prevention (not handling dangerous species and remaining aware at all times when in areas where venomous snakes are known to occur), venomous snakebites can be deadly and should be treated as quickly as possible by qualified medical personnel. The best first aid remains a set of car keys and a prompt trip to the nearest hospital. In the age of cell-phones, access to medical aid can be more rapid then ever — even from relatively remote locations. Additional reliable information is available at: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/ article/000031.htm. 1 An excerpt (pp. 126–131) from Randolph B. Marcy’s 1859 guide: The Prairie Traveler. A Hand-book for Overland Expeditions. with Maps, Illustrations, and Itineraries of the Principal Routes between the Mississippi and the Pacific, published by authority of the War Department by Harper & Brothers, Publishers, New York. Reprinted by Applewood Books, Bedford, Massachusetts in 1993 and as The Prairie Traveler: The 1859 Handbook for Westbound Pioneers by Dover Publications, Mineola, New York in 2006. All original spelling is retained. 2 An aqueous solution of ammonia at that time manufactured from the hooves and antlers of deer or hooves and horns of some other animals. 3 Andersson, Charles John. 1856. Lake Ngami; or, Explorations and Discoveries, during Four Years’ Wanderings in the Wilds of South Western Africa. 2nd ed. Hurst and Blacket, Publishers, London. 4 We were unable to find to find the source of this quote.
Transcript of TABLE OF CONTENTS IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS • 19(1… · IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS •...
IRCFREPTILES&HIBIANS•19(1):42–47•MARCH2012
UponthesouthernroutestoCaliforniarattlesnakesareoftenmetwith,butitisseldomthatanypersonisbitten
bythem;yetthisisapossiblecontingency,anditcanneverbeamisstohaveanantidoteathand. Hartshorn2appliedexternallytothewound,anddrunkinsmallquantitiesdilutedwithwaterwheneverthepatientbecomesfaintorexhaustedfromtheeffectsofthepoison,isoneofthemostcommonremedies. Intheabsenceofallmedicines,astringorligatureshouldatoncebeboundfirmlyabovethepuncture,thenscarifydeeplywithaknife,suckoutthepoison,andspitoutthesaliva. Andersson,inhisbookonSouthwesternAfrica3,says:“IntheCapeColonytheDutchfarmersresorttoacruelbutapparentlyeffectiveplantocounteractthebadeffectsofaserpent’sbite.Anincisionhavingbeenmadeinthebreastofalivingfowl,thebittenpartisappliedtothewound.Ifthepoi-sonisverydeadly,thebirdsoonevincessymptomsofdistress,becomesdrowsy,droopsitshead,anddies.Itisreplacedbyasecond,athird,andmoreifrequisite.When,however,thebirdnolongerexhibitsanyofthesignsjustmentioned,thepatientisconsideredoutofdanger.Afrogsimilarlyappliedissupposedtobeequallyefficacious.” Haunberg,inhisTravelsinSouthAfrica4,mentionsanantidoteagainstthebiteofserpents.Hesays:“Thebloodofaturtlewasmuchcriedup,which,onaccountofthisextraor-
dinaryvirtue,theinhabitantsdryintheformofsmallscalesormembranes,andcarryaboutthemwhentheytravelinthiscountry,whichswarmswiththismostnoxiousvermin.Wheneveranyoneiswoundedbyaserpent,hetakesacoupleofpinchesofthedriedbloodinternally,andappliesalittleofittothewound.” IwaspresentupononeoccasionwhenanIndianchildwasstruckintheforefingerbyalargerattlesnake.Hismother,whowasnearatthetime,seizedhiminherarms,and,placingthewoundedfingerinhermouth,suckedthepoisonfromthepunctureforsomeminutes,repeatedlyspittingoutthesaliva;afterwhichshechewedandmashedsomeplantainleavesandappliedtothewound.Overthisshesprinkledsomefinely-powderedtobacco,andwrappedthefingerupinarag.Ididnotobservethatthechildsufferedafterwardtheleastpainor
H I S T O R I C A L P E R S P E C T I V E
IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS • VOL15, NO 4 • DEC 2008 189TABLE OF CONTENTS
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
F E A T U R E A R T I C L E S
Chasing Bullsnakes (Pituophis catenifer sayi) in Wisconsin: On the Road to Understanding the Ecology and Conservation of the Midwest’s Giant Serpent ...................... Joshua M. Kapfer 190
The Shared History of Treeboas (Corallus grenadensis) and Humans on Grenada: A Hypothetical Excursion ............................................................................................................................Robert W. Henderson 198
R E S E A R C H A R T I C L E S
The Texas Horned Lizard in Central and Western Texas ....................... Emily Henry, Jason Brewer, Krista Mougey, and Gad Perry 204 The Knight Anole (Anolis equestris) in Florida
.............................................Brian J. Camposano, Kenneth L. Krysko, Kevin M. Enge, Ellen M. Donlan, and Michael Granatosky 212
C O N S E R V A T I O N A L E R T
World’s Mammals in Crisis ............................................................................................................................................................. 220 More Than Mammals ...................................................................................................................................................................... 223 The “Dow Jones Index” of Biodiversity ........................................................................................................................................... 225
H U S B A N D R Y
Captive Care of the Central Netted Dragon ....................................................................................................... Shannon Plummer 226
P R O F I L E
Kraig Adler: A Lifetime Promoting Herpetology ................................................................................................ Michael L. Treglia 234
C O M M E N T A R Y
The Turtles Have Been Watching Me ........................................................................................................................ Eric Gangloff 238
B O O K R E V I E W
Threatened Amphibians of the World edited by S.N. Stuart, M. Hoffmann, J.S. Chanson, N.A. Cox, R. Berridge, P. Ramani, and B.E. Young .............................................................................................................. Robert Powell 243
CONSERVATION RESEARCH REPORTS: Summaries of Published Conservation Research Reports ................................. 245 NATURAL HISTORY RESEARCH REPORTS: Summaries of Published Reports on Natural History ................................. 247 NEWBRIEFS ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 248 EDITORIAL INFORMATION ..................................................................................................................................................... 251 FOCUS ON CONSERVATION: A Project You Can Support ............................................................................................... 252
Front Cover. Shannon Plummer.Totat et velleseque audant mo estibus inveliquo velique rerchil erspienimus, quos accullabo. Ilibus aut dolor apicto invere pe dolum fugiatis maionsequat eumque moditia erere nonsedis ma sectiatur ma derrovitae voluptam, as quos accullabo.
Back Cover. Michael KernTotat et velleseque audant mo
estibus inveliquo velique rerchil erspienimus, quos accullabo. Ilibus
aut dolor apicto invere pe dolum fugiatis maionsequat eumque
moditia erere nonsedis ma sectia-tur ma derrovitae voluptam, as
IRC
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REPTILES & AMPHIBIANSC O N S E R V AT I O N A N D N AT U R A L H I S T O R Y
WWW.IRCF.ORG/REPTILESANDAMPHIBIANSJOURNAL
Rattlesnake Bites1
RandolphB.Marcy,Captain,U.S.Army
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Anyonereadingthisarticleshouldbegladthattheywerenotbittenbyavenomoussnakeinthemid-19thCentury.Thatanyonesurvivedabite,muchlesstherecommendedtreatments,probablyisattributablemoretothefre-
quencyof“drybites”(duringwhichnovenomisinjected),therelativelylowquantitiesofvenominjectedinmanyotherinstances,andthenumberofbitesbymisidentifiednon-venomoussnakes.UnderNOcircumstancesshouldanyofthetreatmentscitedbyMarcybeimplemented.Notonlycouldtheydelaypropertreatment,butmanyarealsodangerousinandofthemselves. Althoughthebestsolutionforsnakebiteisprevention(nothandlingdangerousspeciesandremainingawareatalltimeswheninareaswherevenomoussnakesareknowntooccur),venomoussnakebitescanbedeadlyandshouldbetreatedasquicklyaspossiblebyqualifiedmedicalpersonnel.Thebestfirstaidremainsasetofcarkeysandaprompttriptothenearesthospital.Intheageofcell-phones,accesstomedicalaidcanbemorerapidthenever—evenfromrelativelyremotelocations.Additionalreliableinformationisavailableat:www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000031.htm.
1Anexcerpt(pp.126–131)fromRandolphB.Marcy’s1859guide:The Prairie Traveler. A Hand-book for Overland Expeditions. with Maps, Illustrations, and Itineraries of the Principal Routes between the Mississippi and the Pacific,publishedbyauthorityoftheWarDepartmentbyHarper&Brothers,Publishers,NewYork.ReprintedbyApplewoodBooks,Bedford,Massachusetts in1993andasThe Prairie Traveler: The 1859 Handbook for Westbound PioneersbyDoverPublications,Mineola,NewYorkin2006.Alloriginalspellingisretained.
2Anaqueoussolutionofammoniaatthattimemanufacturedfromthehoovesandantlersofdeerorhoovesandhornsofsomeotheranimals.
3Andersson,CharlesJohn.1856.Lake Ngami; or, Explorations and Discoveries, during Four Years’ Wanderings in the Wilds of South Western Africa.2nded.HurstandBlacket,Publishers,London.
4Wewereunabletofindtofindthesourceofthisquote.
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WesternDiamondbackRattlesnakes(Crotalus atrox)arethemostabundantvenomoussnakesintheAmericanSouthwestandundoubtedlywerethemostfrequentlyencounteredbyearlypioneersalongtheSantaFeTrail.PhotographbyDonS.Sias.
PrairieRattlesnakes(Crotalus viridis)arelocallycommonacrosstheGreatPlains.Alongsomeroutes,thesesnakesmighthavebeenencounteredbytravelersalongthetrailsheadingwest.PhotographbyDonS.Sias.
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inconvenience.Theimmediateapplicationoftheremediesprobablysavedhislife. Irritationfromthebiteofgnatsandmusquitoes,etc.,mayberelievedbychewingtheplantain,andrubbingthespittleonthebite. I knew of another instance near Fort Towson, inNorthernTexas,whereasmallchildwasleftupontheearthenfloorofacabinwhileitsmotherwaswashingataspringnearby.Sheheardacryofdistress,and,ongoingtothecabin,whatwasherhorroronseeingarattlesnakecoiledaroundthechild’sarm,andstrikingitrepeatedlywithitsfangs.Afterkill-ingthesnake,shehurriedtohernearestneighbor,procuredabottleofbrandy,andreturnedassoonaspossible;butthepoisonhadalreadysooperateduponthearmthatitwasasblackasanegro’s.Shepoureddownthechild’sthroatahugedraughtoftheliquor,whichsoontookeffect,makingitverydrunk,andstoppedtheactionofthepoison.Althoughthechildwasrelieved,itremainedsickforalongtime,butulti-matelyrecovered. AmanwasstruckinthelegbyaverylargerattlesnakenearFortBelknap,Texas,in1853.Nootherremedybeingathand,asmallpieceofindigowaspulverized,madeintoa
poulticewithwater,andappliedtothepuncture.Itseemedtodrawoutthepoison,turningtheindigowhite,afterwhichitwasremovedandanotherpoulticeapplied.Theseapplica-tionswererepeateduntiltheindigoceasedtochangeitscolor.ThemanwasthencarriedtothehospitalatFortBelknap,andsoonrecovered,andthesurgeonofthepostpronounceditaverysatisfactorycure. AChickasawwoman,whowasbittenuponthefootnearFortWashitabyagroundrattlesnake(averyvenomousspe-cies),drankabottleofwhiskeyandappliedtheindigopoul-tice,andwhenIsawher,threedaysafterward,shewasrecov-ering,buttheflesharoundthewoundsloughedaway. ADelawareremedy,whichissaidtobeefficacious,istoburnpowderuponthewound,butIhaveneverknownittobetriedexceptinguponahorse.Inthiscaseitwassuccessful,or,atallevents,theanimalrecovered. Ofalltheremediesknowntome,Ishoulddecidedlypre-ferardentspirits.ItisconsideredasovereignantidoteamongourWesternfrontiersettlers,andIwouldmakeuseofitwithgreatconfidence.Itmustbetakenuntilthepatientbecomesverymuchintoxicated,andthisrequiresalargequantity,astheactionofthepoisonseemstocounteractitseffects.
ThereferencebyMarcytoa“groundrattlesnake(averyvenomousspecies)”isalmostcertainlytoaWesternMassasauga(Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus)ortheDesertMassasauga(S. c. edwardsii,illustrated),snakesthatmighthavebeenencounteredwhilecrossingthesouthernplainstoSantaFeorCalifornia.Today,“groundrattler”isalocalnamemostfrequentlyappliedtoPigmyRattlesnakes(S. miliarius),whichoccurprimarilyinthesoutheasternU.S.butrangeasfarwestaseasternTexasandOklahoma.PhotographbyDonS.Sias.
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MohaveRattlesnakes(Crotalus scutulatus)arelessabundantthanWesternDiamondbackorPrairierattlesnakes,butarepotentiallymoredangerousbecausetheirvenomcontainsalargeneurotoxiccomponentthatmightinitiallyleadtoassumptionsthatabiteisdrywhennotimmediatelypainful.PhotographbyDonS.Sias.
Bullsnakes(Pituophis catenifer sayi)areinhabitantsoftheGreatPlains,wheretheirpatternedbodiesandaggressivedefensivebehavior(rearing,hissingloudly,andstriking)causethemtobemistakenforrattlesnakesandkilled.Evenifrecognizedasadifferenttypeofsnake,manytravelersintheregionmighterroneouslyconcludefromtheirbehaviorthattheyaredangerous,andkillthemforthatreason.PhotographbyDonS.Sias.
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Shouldthefangsofthesnakepenetratedeepenoughtoreachanartery,itisprobablethatthepersonwoulddieinashorttime.Iimagine,however,thatthisdoesnotoftenoccur. ThefollowingremedialmeasuresforthetreatmentofthebitesofpoisonousreptilesarerecommendedbyDr.PhilipWestonintheLondonLancetforJuly,18595: 1.Theapplicationofaligatureroundthelimbclosetothewound,betweenitandtheheart,toarrestthereturnofvenousblood. 2.Excisionofthebittenparts,orfreeincisionthroughthewoundsmadebythepoison-teeth,subsequentlyencour-agingthebleedingbywarmsolutionstofavortheescapeofthepoisonfromthecirculation. 3.Cauterizationwidelyroundthelimbofthebitewithastrongsolutionofnitrateofsilver,onedrachmtotheounce,topreventtheintroductionofthepoisonintothesystembythelymphatics. 4.Assoonasindicationsoftheabsorptionofthepoisonintothecirculationbegintomanifestthemselves,theinter-naladministrationofammoniainaeratedorsoda-waterevery
quarterofanhour,tosupportthenervousenergyandallaythedistressingthirst. “But,”hecontinues,“thereisyetwantingsomeremedythatshallrapidlycounteractthepoisonintroducedintotheblood,andassistinexpellingitfromthesystem.Thewell-authenticatedaccountsofthesuccessattendingtheinternaluseofarsenicininjuriesarisingfromthebitesofvenomousreptilesintheEastandWestIndies,andalsoinAfrica,andthewell-knownpropertiesofthismedicineasapowerfultonicandalterativeinconditionsofimpairedvitalityofthebloodarisingfromtheabsorptionofcertainblood-poisons,wouldleadmetoincludethisagentinthetreatmentalreadymentioned.Itshouldbeadministeredincombinationwithammonia,infulldoses,frequentlyrepeated,soastoneutral-izequicklythepoisoncirculatinginthebloodbeforeitcanbeeliminatedfromthesystem.Thiscouldreadilybeaccom-
CoralSnakesinthegeneraMicrurusandMicruroides,suchasthisWesternCoralSnake(Micruroides euryxanthus),generallyaresecretiveandlesslikelytohavebeenencounteredwhiletravelingthetrails.Morecloselyrelatedtocobrasthanrattlesnakes,theirvenomishighlyneurotoxic.Onlythesmallfixedfangsandthesmallsizeofmostspeciesrendersthemlessdangerousthanthelargervipersthathavehingedfangsthatcanreachalengthofover20mm.PhotographbyDonS.Sias.
5Weston,Philip,Esq.1859.OnthepoisonoftheCommonAdder.The Lancet,May21,1859,pp.522–523.TheattributiontotheJulyissuebyMarcywasapparentlyinerror.
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plishedbyaddingtentofifteenminims6ofFowler’ssolu-tion7tothecompoundspiritofammonia,tobegiveneveryquarterofanhourinaeratedorsoda-water,untilthevomit-ingandthemoreurgentsymptomsofcollapsehavesubsided,subsequentlyrepeatingthedoseatlongerintervalsuntilreac-tionhadbecomefullyestablished,andthepatientrelievedbycopiousbiliousdejections.” Cedron8,whichisanutthatgrowsontheIsthmusofPanama,andwhichissoldbythedruggistsinNewYork,issaidtobeaninfallibleantidotetoserpent-bites.IntheBullet. de l’Acad. de Méd.forFebruary,18589,itisstatedthatamanwasbittenatPanamabyacoral snake,themostpoisonousspeciesontheIsthmus.Duringthefewsecondsthatittookhimtotakethecedronfromhisbag,hewasseizedwithvio-lentpainsattheheartandthroat;buthehadscarcelychewed
andswallowedapieceofthenutaboutthesizeofasmallbean,whenthepainsceasedasbymagic.Hechewedalittlemore,andapplieditexternallytothewound,whenthepainsdisappeared,andwerefollowedbyacopiousevacuationofasubstancelikecurdledmilk.Manyothercasesarementionedwherethecedronprovedanantidote.
6Aminumisaunitofvolumeequalto1/60ofafluidramor1/480ofafluidounce.
7A1%solutionofpotassiumarsenite(KH2AsO3).Becauseofthepoisonousandcarcinogenicnatureofarseniccompounds,Fowler’ssolutionisnowconsideredtobeverydangerous.
8Simaba cedron,atreeofCentralandnorthernSouthAmerica,theseedsofwhichhavebeenusedbynativepeoplesforsnakebitebothinternally(asastrongteataken4timesdaily,1tbspatatime)andexternallywithaclothsoakedintheteaplacedoverthebiteandkeptsaturatedwiththetea.
9Wewereunabletofindtofindthesourceofthisquote.
