WATER MOCCASIN SNAKE TOXICITY

Course overview

THE COTTONMOUTH OR WATER MOCCASIN, AGKISTRODON PISCIVORUS, IS A SEMI-AQUATIC PIT VIPER FOUND THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES AND INTO EAST TEXAS. COTTONMOUTH SNAKES ARE PART OF THE CROTALINAE FAMILY OF PIT VIPERS WHICH INCLUDES RATTLESNAKES AND COPPERHEADS. LIKE THE OTHER NORTH AMERICAN PIT VIPER SPECIES, IDENTIFYING FEATURES INCLUDE ELLIPTICAL PUPILS, TRIANGULAR-SHAPED HEADS, HEAT-SENSING PITS AND EITHER A RATTLE OR SINGLE ROW OF VENTRAL SCALES DISTAL TO THE ANAL PLATE. PIT VIPER VENOM IS USED TO FACILITATE THE CAPTURE AND DIGESTION OF PREY AND CAN CAUSE SIGNIFICANT TOXICITY IN HUMANS. WATER MOCCASINS TYPICALLY FEED ON FISH, TURTLES AND SMALL MAMMALS BUT WILL BITE HUMANS WHEN PROVOKED OR DISTURBED. THERE IS VERY LITTLE DATA ON THE SPECIFIC EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF COTTONMOUTH ENVENOMATION. THIS ACTIVITY, THEREFORE, WILL DISCUSS COTTONMOUTH ENVENOMATION IN THE CONTEXT OF OTHER PIT PIPER ENVENOMATION, AS WELL AS HOW THE INTERPROFESSIONAL HEALTH TEAM CAN MANAGE SUCH INCIDENTS.