tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049832311913108906.post7105369216887714548..comments2023-12-16T02:39:56.603-06:00Comments on Gordon Grice: An Encounter with a Fer-de-LanceUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049832311913108906.post-35737106029486312682020-10-06T23:01:41.598-05:002020-10-06T23:01:41.598-05:00Now that should tell you something about how bad t...Now that should tell you something about how bad tempered this snake can be, if he'd rather deal with cobras and mammas than g he fer-de-lance. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18084975967073687300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049832311913108906.post-61903271305528380912011-07-15T12:38:29.646-05:002011-07-15T12:38:29.646-05:00Very cool experience, if scary... I am from Mexico...Very cool experience, if scary... I am from Mexico and the fer de lance is known here as "nauyaca real"; it is responsible for most of the fatal snake bites in this country. Not only is it highly venomous but also extremely bad tempered and it often bites more than once. A friend of mine who's the chief snake handler in a zoo has told me that even though he has worked with king cobras, Gaboon vipers and mambas, he still prefers to deal with those than with the fer de lance.Croconutnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049832311913108906.post-80696141415010205162011-07-12T03:12:39.927-05:002011-07-12T03:12:39.927-05:00Correction: That article from the UAE will actuall...Correction: That article from the UAE will actually run Wednesday, July 13.Gordon Gricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13068980330242909601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049832311913108906.post-40110712676599611692011-07-12T02:15:25.708-05:002011-07-12T02:15:25.708-05:00Gary, my understanding is that it's possible, ...Gary, my understanding is that it's possible, but difficult. Antivenin needs to be refrigerated, and it's expensive. (How expensive depends on the snake, but we're talking hundreds of dollars). Traditional antivenins also carry a significant risk of anaphylactic shock, a potentially fatal complication. (Of course, people like your wife already have to be prepared for that emergency.) I'm told that newer antivenins now in use in the US don't carry such a risk of anaphylaxis, but I don't know how widely used these antivenins are. (Later this morning I'll be linking an article that mentions this very idea. Apparently some people in the United Arab Emirates do carry antivenin because of the saw-scaled viper, which is even more dangerous than the terciepelo.)Gordon Gricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13068980330242909601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049832311913108906.post-62889918598005514512011-07-11T08:49:37.360-05:002011-07-11T08:49:37.360-05:00What a ... well, let's not say "wonderful...What a ... well, let's not say "wonderful" story, but it is a solid reminder that we live in nature rather than apart from nature. Something I wonder: is it possible for a private citizen to keep a snake bite kit with anti-venom on hand? My wife is allergic to shrimp in food and our physician has written a prescription for an "epi" pin for her to carry.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04513058592327921546noreply@blogger.com