Are there many snake encounters while rock climbing?

[Alpinestar18]

I'd worry more bout the gym climbers and yanks if it were me.....and rest stop trouser snakes

What's gym climbers like? I just started climbing and hardly run into anyone from the cold weather but I'm sure that's going to change here in a few more months...

[lena_chita]

I only came close to grabbing a copperhead while actually climbing a route once. (It was on the start of Ruby Slippers at the Emerald City, the snake was inside a deep slot, and I would not have seen it, before grabbing the slot, but fortunately I was too short to reach for it. One of the few times I was thankful for being short.) I have seen more while hiking to or from crags, walking around, belaying, etc. etc. And i ma sure there have been many more that i have not seen.

[Alpinestar18]

At Cave Run, a local guy I use to know was bitten by a copperhead on the neck which I'm thinking is one of the worst places to be bitten and a rare place to be bitten but his drinking habits most likely had something to do with it.. and he didn't even go to the hospital which has me thinking, how painful is a copperhead bite? I understand that copperheads don't have enough lethal venom to kill or cause too many complications and I've also heard stories about people laying in bed with the worst pain they have ever felt for days but It seems like people always tend exaggerate. Anyone know anybody that they can trust to give accurate measure of pain from a copperhead or timber where venom was injected?

[Syt]

Could have been a dry bite. Not all bites end with the same volume of venom injected. A young snake is gonna fill your ass good however.

[Alpinestar18]

Yes, copperheads don't look at us as they do prey and try to conserve there venom by not injecting venom (believe this happens around 50% of bites) while the younger copperheads hasn't developed that control yet, they'll attempt to inject venom every time. Correct me If I'm wrong but don't young copperheads have less venom? and if the young has recently injected there venom into prey (believe it takes a week to replenish venom) would that not result in a dry bite?
Also read that copperheads venom capacity (45-75mg) which is pretty low and timber rattlers (100-200mg) which is also low if you compare it to it's eastern or western diamond back relative that can hold as much as 850mg.

[Syt]

Awesome. All of that could have been researched prior your inquiry. Would've saved any engagement from this end whatsoever . Amateur.

[Alpinestar18]

Awesome. All of that could have been researched prior your inquiry. Would've saved any engagement from this end whatsoever . Amateur.

Ya pointed me in the right direction for finding info, still a lot of things unanswered and yes I'm a amateur but I'm not blowing up old threads etc.. so I feel no harm.

[tbwilsonky]

yes. the traffic from this thread is pretty close to overwhelming the servers.

please get a PhD in Snakeology before asking any more questions about snakes.

thanks
admin

[Syt]

You win the useless input contest, but it wasn't for the lack of competitive spirit of myself and the op.

[Syt]

Finally, I feel like I'm fitting in around here...