Yikes !!!

[Raul]

The only thing I hate about warm climates is that you have all kind of poisonous critters, ok, you learn to live with them but that doesn 't stop me from getting the creeps when I find a scorpion every now and then ..... just like now when I was about to wash some aluminum dishes I use at the clinic for the dogs in boarding or in hospital. There it was, between one dish and the other.  >

[Jimzee]

I don't think I would handle scorpions very well!  Something about that stinger on their tail creeps me out.

[MALTESE FALCON]

I'm not a fan of snakes or scorpions.

Falcon

[Tin]

Here I'am, dun-a-don-don-dunt-dun-a rocked up like a hurric.. O whoops sorry. Ya not a fan of scorpions or snakes either.

[Redlinerobert]

well, atleast you found it and not that it found you!

[Gone_Phishin]

Snakes get me too.  Even little grass snakes.

One of the reasons I love living in the North is because we don't have to deal, too much, with snakes.

I play a lot of disc golf, and keeping the disc on the fairway in the woods is sometimes difficult.  I've always had this fear of reaching for my disc next to a log or rock, and getting bit by a snake.

[Sam]

Actually, scorpions and snakes are very non-sociable animals and will do all possible to avoid humans.

It is when they beleive they are trapped or being placed in danger that they will attack.

Pit vipers will attack the fastest, like the water moccasins in the southeastern portion of the country.  Other snakes will try to make a run for it before taking on a human or larger animal.

Young snakes cannot control the venom flow which can cause additional tissue damage.

Of course we all have to be aware of our surroundings and of snakes and try to avoid them. But being on the water or along a shoreline makes our probability of crossing paths with a snake or a scorpion or a spider extremely higher than the rest of the population.

I had two episodes this summer when, while fishing close to the bank of two different rivers, something fell into the water through the brush right in front of me.  Not more than three feet away.  It was probably a snake sunning itself and when I came along and startled it, the animal headed for safety in the water.

Glad neither fell in the boat with me!

[George Welcome]

Two schools of thought on venom delivery:

Rattlesnakes are born with fully functioning fangs capable of injecting venom and can regulate the amount of venom they inject when biting. Generally they deliver a full dose of venom to their prey, but may deliver less venom or none at all when biting defensively. A frightened or injured snake may not exercise such control. Young snakes, although incapable of delivering an amount of venom equivalent to their adult counterparts, are still potentially deadly. Any bite from a rattlesnake should be considered fully venomous and those bitten should seek medical attention immediately.

The second is that the amount of venom injected is random and based on consisitency of skin of victim and such.

However, be that as it may, both young and old have the same level of control, or lack of control over their venom.

The most maligned viper is the Cotton Mouth mainly because the harmless water snake is an excellent mimic and very much present in the same territory. Most snakes encountered and killed by terrified people in the south are the poor water snake that has done such a good job of emulating the Cotton Mouth.