About Water Moccasin Venom

Water moccasins are a family of snakes that include cottonmouth and copperhead snakes. Each year in the United States, these species bite around 2,000 people. Although water moccasins are highly poisonous, there has only been one reported death from a water moccasin bite since 1983.

  1. Delivery

    • Water moccasins inject their venom through hollow, movable fangs. Not every bite by a moccasin delivers venom. If the snake has recently bitten another animal, it may not have had time to make more venom.

    Components

    • Moccasin venom is made up of many compounds that can have a harmful effect. These include enzymes that break down tissue, histamines that can cause swelling, pain and shock, and substances that can stop blood from clotting.

    Effects

    • Most people are bitten in the arms or legs. The most common effects are pain around the site of the bite, nausea, swelling, diarrhea, difficulty breathing and shock.

    Treatment

    • The amount of treatment needed depends on how much venom was injected. The patients is usually given oxygen and fluid and told to lie still. The swelling is measured as it expands out from the bite. If the swelling is severe, or the patient has difficulty breathing, antivenom may be given. Full recovery can take up to six weeks.

    Misconceptions

    • Doctors do not recommend applying a tourniquet, using a venom extractor or trying to extract the venom by mouth.

    Interesting fact

    • Water moccasin venom is considered to be less dangerous than rattlesnake venom.