Poisonous Dwellers of the DesertDodge, Natt N. (Natt Noyes)
Science
Poisonous Dwellers of the Desert
Dodge, Natt N. (Natt Noyes)
Desert animals -- Southwest, New; Poisonous animals -- Southwest, New
Treatment suggested by Dr. Bernard J. Collopy, Assistant Medical
Director of the Miami-Inspiration Hospital of Miami, Arizona, consists
of immersing the inflamed area in iced water for thirty minutes. Remove
for one minute at ten minute intervals for relief from the cold. The
skin may blister and peel at the site much as in the case of a first
degree burn, but should heal completely in ten days. Some physicians
suggest an opiate for relief of pain in severe cases. Cooling lotions
may be applied to relieve the itching.
Arizona coral snake
(_Micruroides euryxanthus_)
The coral snake, of which there are two species in the United States,
belongs to the _Elapine_ group, which is represented in the Old World by
the cobras and other poisonous snakes. These two species, the coral
snake of the Gulf States, and the smaller Arizona coral snake whose
range extends into the desert lands of southern New Mexico and Arizona,
are the only representatives of the _Elapine_ group found in this
country.
[Illustration: _Arizona coral snake_
(Photo by Marvin H. Frost, Sr.)]
The Arizona coral is shy and secretive in its habits, timid rather than
pugnacious, and it is so rarely seen that little is known of its habits.
The poison mechanism of the coral snake is somewhat different from that
of the pit viper group, to which the copperheads, cottonmouths, and
rattlesnakes belong. The teeth of the coral are short, and to be
effective the coral snake must chew rather than strike its victim.
The Arizona coral snake is so small—rarely reaching 2 feet in length—and
its mouth is so tiny, that it would be very difficult for it to bite an
adult human. It is conceivable that a small child playing with one might
be bitten.
Because of its close resemblance to several ringed or banded snakes of
the desert and also to the Arizona mountain kingsnake, or “coral”
kingsnake, of the ponderosa pine highlands of the Southwest, a brief
description of the Arizona coral snake is indicated. One of the
beautifully spectacular snakes of the desert, it is marked by bands of
dark red, cream, and black, which encircle the body. Superficially the
markings of the Arizona mountain kingsnake and other tricolored ringed
snakes appear similar. However, the red of the kingsnake and of others
is usually brighter, and the black bands narrower than those of the
coral.
Definite identification is provided by the relationship of the colors to
each other, the arrangement on the Arizona coral snake being red, cream,
black, cream, red, cream, black, cream. The bands of the Arizona coral
snake entirely circle the body and its snout is black.
Rattlesnakes
(Genus _Crotalus_, spp.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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