Nope Rope, Part I

 "Never wound a snake, kill it." - Harriet Tubman

My sentiments exactly.

For those of you that have dared enter this site, I did try to warn you. The tab located on my home page entitled "The Rub/Contact" sums up this blog. It's messy and does not always make for comfortable discussion but you will get all of me, good and bad. My sense of humor can be skewed at times. I can look at myself through a different lens and see humor in my shortcomings and at times, I will be self deprecating but that is okay. This post is a redux from one published long ago, during the beginning stages of this blog. I removed all of the old material from 2012-2013 in an attempt to start with a clean slate. Here is a reincarnated version of the original.

Ophidiophobia is an extreme, overwhelming fear of snakes and yes, I have that. Not sure where this fear came from either. Throughout history, several cultures have myth's related to the serpent. In Norse mythology, Jormungandr, the great serpent of the sea, bit his own tail to surround the earth. When he releases said tail, Ragnarok (The end of the world) will begin and gods like Thor, Odin and Heimdall will perish. Greek mythology tells us of the Gorgons. Three sisters (Medusa, being the most notable) with hair made of snakes, would turn their gaze upon you and your form would turn to stone. Maybe it stems from the biblical story of The Garden of Eden, taught to me so long ago. You know, Satan disguising himself as a serpent, coercing Adam and Eve to partake in the forbidden fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, even after God forbid them to do so. Or maybe, I am not as "in the minority" as I think and a good majority of us have an inbred fear of the nope rope. Any way you slice it, the fear is tangible, for some. This is my take regarding these dangerous little demons from the bowels of hell. Here are just a few examples of what resides here in the good old U.S of A.

We will begin by easing our way into the fray, starting with the Eastern Copperhead (picture below). The Copperhead is a pit viper, and can be found in many areas of the U.S. You will usually find them in heavily wooded areas or near rock formations. These little miscreants are prevalent in southwest Arkansas, where I recently visited on holiday. I didn't happen across any during this recent go around but I have seen them on golf courses in HSV a couple of times. Copperheads inject victims with hemolytic toxin. The venom breaks down red blood cells which will subdue smaller prey but are not normally life threatening to humans, if treated quickly. Even if it doesn't kill you, a Copperhead bite can still make for a crappy day.

This little fellow looks like he was probably pissed at birth.

Next on the board is the Eastern Diamondback Rattler (picture below). Family of origin is Viperidae. Widely known as the longest and heaviest snake found in the U.S., this species of death coil can be found in Southeastern portions of the country, including the Carolina's, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama and into Louisiana. It's venom is a hemotoxin which break down red blood cells (yada, yada) which will disrupt clotting and in some cases, aid in organ degeneration and tissue damage. Fun, huh? I would be remiss if I did not mention that there are over eighty sub species of rattlesnake in the U.S., with the Western Diamondback having the highest toxicity per bite and the highest fatality rate in the states.

EVIL. Pure EVIL.

Finally, we come to the Coral Snake. (Picture below)

Remember, "red touch yellow, kill a fellow. Red touch black, friend of Jack.

These little bastards are a touch different than those mentioned above. The coral snake is a species of Elapid, which include the black mamba, cobra and several species of sea snakes, which will all be mentioned in part two. Venom toxicity is strong with this one but, unlike the examples above, it's mechanism to transfer the juice is much different. See, vipers can unleash mass amounts of venom in a single, quick strike, where the coral snake has much smaller fangs. It will actually latch on to prey and stay in the bite for longer in order inject a lethal dose of neurotoxin. This is much different in the way it attacks the body. Bites are usually less painful but work quicker and paralyze the muscles used for breathing. Coral snakes are docile by nature and will hide or flee before they attack. Most species can be found in southern states with Florida being the hot bed.

So, there you have it. I know it is a small sample size but these are the most common venomous snakes in the States. There are twenty two known species around these parts and most dwell in warmer areas. That is fine by me. Come to think of it, living in northern Indiana isn't that bad after all. I am more likely to bite it being trampled by a buggy filled with Amish than I am any other way. I think I like my chances.

For now, I will leave this here. Be on the lookout in the future for a "part 2" because the scariest snakes live in other countries. I will get in to those another time. My anxiety level is elevated by simply choosing the pictures above so I must get moving. 

Enjoy "Snakes" as performed by Pixies.