Anyone ever been to Guam?

[TanithT]

Originally Posted by jjirons69

Had a friend in the Air Force stationed there. He said there were a chitload of tree snakes. You don't see a lot of them, but they're everywhere. Don't walk in the jungle at night.

Boiga irregularis is harmless. Also kind of cute. They are technically venomous (rear fanged), but the envenomation experts who have intensively studied the species say that it's a non issue to humans.

I've worked with that genus a fair bit, though I prefer the more attractive and medically interesting species. They're fairly laid back and easy as pie to handle. And when they're not, mostly I don't care since a bite is inconsequential. It is somewhat annoying to get a faceful or a hand full of Boiga teeth, but really not that big a deal. It may bleed a bit freely as they have interesting components in their saliva as well as rather long teeth designed for arboreal hunting. Don't sweat about it; it's unlikely to get any worse than that. It is theoretically possible for you to have an allergic reaction (a type 1 hypersensitivity) just as with a wasp or bee sting, but that is a rare case, and unless that happens, the bite won't even be as bad as a wasp or bee sting.

The worst systemic effect anyone has ever reported from a Boiga bite is a headache and dry mouth, and that was from something much larger and more potent than the brown tree snake currently invading Guam. I am aware of the reports of one infant death and several infant injuries on Guam, but I just got back from an academic summit where those specific cases were laid out and discussed. The expert verdict was that it was not the venom that was the actual cause of death, but asphyxia. Whether this was caused by the snake is also questionable. The better questions to ask in the cases I saw discussed were, "why did the parents leave the infants outdoors and unattended for that length of time?"

Summary: those tree snakes = not much for humans to worry about, except that they have moved in and wrecked the indigenous wildlife. They're an ecological concern, not a human safety concern.

[jjirons69]

Originally Posted by TanithT

Summary: those tree snakes = not much for humans to worry about, except that they have moved in and wrecked the indigenous wildlife. They're an ecological concern, not a human safety concern.

Thanks for the info. Tree snakes = heart attacks for me!!!

[GoatLocker]

Originally Posted by TanithT

Summary: those tree snakes = not much for humans to worry about, except that they have moved in and wrecked the indigenous wildlife. They're an ecological concern, not a human safety concern.

They are pretty harmless, but the Guam Power Authority would be lost without them, as they blame them for virtually every power outage on the island. They do get pretty big, like 7-8 feet.

[colimo]

Sounds like fun james....take care...and enjoy if you go...

[TanithT]

Originally Posted by GoatLocker

They are pretty harmless, but the Guam Power Authority would be lost without them, as they blame them for virtually every power outage on the island. They do get pretty big, like 7-8 feet.

They're correct in blaming them for the power outages. These slithery fellows are causing massive problems in that respect as well as to the local wildlife. They can be somewhat naughty and snappish, but are not dangerous to humans. Unless they blow your power lines while you are on life support, in which case you're screwed.

In their natural habitat these guys generally max out at 5-6 feet, but they're getting bigger on Guam due to the easy pickings and optimal temperatures. It's a shame they're federally banned; I would not at all mind adding some of the Guam giant Boiga to my collection. They are a bit drab and their venom is nothing to write home about, but at a size like that they might be fun to play with. Sneak me back two or three of those 8-footers in your pocket, would ya?

This is how much fun they are to play with.

[mojo65]

Originally Posted by TanithT

They're correct in blaming them for the power outages. These slithery fellows are causing massive problems in that respect as well as to the local wildlife. They can be somewhat naughty and snappish, but are not dangerous to humans. Unless they blow your power lines while you are on life support, in which case you're screwed.

In their natural habitat these guys generally max out at 5-6 feet, but they're getting bigger on Guam due to the easy pickings and optimal temperatures. It's a shame they're federally banned; I would not at all mind adding some of the Guam giant Boiga to my collection. They are a bit drab and their venom is nothing to write home about, but at a size like that they might be fun to play with. Sneak me back two or three of those 8-footers in your pocket, would ya?

This is how much fun they are to play with.

TanithT Ive come to the expert opinion your not right in the head.....

[TanithT]

Originally Posted by mojo65

TanithT Ive come to the expert opinion your not right in the head.....

And you haven't even seen what I do with cobras.

[mojo65]

Originally Posted by TanithT

And you haven't even seen what I do with cobras.

[TanithT]

OK. But don't click here if you're snake-phobic.

Yes, this is my job. Somebody's got to do it.