Retaliatory pedantry; some snakes are poisonous. Such as Rhabdophis subminiatus:
The idea that baby snakes are different from later life stages in terms of venom production and delivery is incorrect, at least for the species with which I am familiar (many, including Colubrids and Elapids from around the world). Venomous snakes hatch or are ‘born’ (some are ovoviviparous) with the same venom and delivery equipment, relative to body size, as bigger and older individuals. A bite from one will probably ruin your day. But that size issue is significant. The absolute amount of venom will be less, and the snake’s smaller dentition will not inject it as deeply into tissue, if it even penetrates clothing at all. And, as mentioned above, snakes regulate the amount of venom delivered. Venom is critical for obtaining food and any used defensively is wasted, in terms of its primary purpose. This is the explanation offered for ‘dry bites’, commonly estimated at around 40% of bites on humans by identified venomous snakes.
As for those who ‘take up serpents’, I can tell you that I’ve handled an awful lot of snakes, venomous and non (professionally; I’m not a preacher :)). IME most individuals of most species acclimate well to routine, careful handling. Humans are clearly not food (they cannot be swallowed whole) and repetition can overcome the snake’s fear reaction, thus greatly reducing both primary triggers for snake bites. A calm or at least acclimated snake can often be carefully handled, not necessarily with impunity but at a reduced risk to the handler. The problem though remains that if the snake has an ugly moment and does decide to bite, it will be a life threatening event should it be a Canebrake Rattler or a Monocled Cobra. Not so much if it’s a Corn Snake or even a python.
In North America there are coral snakes (not of the rattlesnake family) that have neurotoxin (as do cobras), which is a lot more dangerous–but coral snakes are pretty timid, don’t have fangs, and very, very rarely bite people. I think, though, if you were in fact to get a coral snake bite, it could easily kill you without anti-venom treatment.
One thing that might not be clear is that rattlesnake bites can result in massive open wounds which are very slow in healing. Internal organs can also be damaged by the venom. So, even if you do not die from the bite or any following infection, you may lose appendages, have disfiguring scars, and/or have compromised health due to internal injuries.
Australians will remember Ram Chandra aka Taipan Man, who grew up as a sideshow snake hander, and then became an expert on them. He was twice bitten by Taipans, and also bitten numerous times by other snakes. He was bitten twice in two days by tiger snakes whilst performing, a snake that had killed about 10 other snake showmen in Australia over the years.
In later life he became partiality paralysed, something often attributed due to the effects of the bites. He was involved in the early creation of the Taipan antivenin and milked Taipans for this purpose, and was responsible for mapping out the range of the species. Earlier pioneers of Taipan antivenin were not so lucky.
If ever there was a guy who understood snakes it was him. But he was bitten many times, and only lived due to the antivenin available. I remember seeing him on TV, and had him firmly placed in the nutter category.
I remember seeing a story about a guy about 90 years old that works at a zoo/wildlife preserve/tourist trap in the Everglades that handles these venomous snakes and the story is that throughout his life, he has injected himself with small amounts of the venom so as to build up an immunity to it. Is there any truth to whether this is possible?
Wikipedia about your snake guy-
Yeah, it’s called "Mithridatism. It does work, mostly, but it’s pretty specific; it probably won’t work between species and maybe not even between subspecies. It’s also of use only with natural poisons (and not all of them).
In Australia the younger brown snakes are still very potent…
if bitten by any snake your best option is to keep still, and bandage the limb firmly - running about and panicking will send the venom pumping through your bloodstream
There are always exceptions to the rule. 
But I’ll stand by my argument that by and large, venomous is the more appropriate descriptor for the majority of such snakes.
It also works on iocane power.
Coral snakes very rarely bite people in the U.S. and they are timid, but they DO have fangs as this skull of an Eastern Coral Snake shows pretty clearly. Just a different sort than pitvipers ( more or less fixed, as opposed to articulated ). They do have smallish jaws, so usually would likely have to hit a digit on an adult to score a solid strike. The reference I noted above estimated untreated coral snake bites as having ~10% morbidity in the U.S., which again is probably an extremely rough figure which factors dry bites and the like into that number.
I am so glad I live in a part of the world without venomous snakes. I suffer from extreme herpephobia, and, if I were ever bitten, would die just from the psychological shock.
There are reputed to be rattlesnakes in a very limited area in the southern part of the state. I stay well into the north.
I agree with Blake that the supposed distinction between venomous and poisonous is unnecessary pedantry. It’s perfectly correct to refer to rattlesnakes as either poisonous or venomous.
If a venomous snake were to bite you on the THROAT, you’d have big problems.
On an extremity, your best bet is to ice the area, and have someone drive you to an ER.
Snake bites can have nasty aftereffects, as mentioned above: infection, neurological damage, gangrene. It’s worth the drive to the ER, really.
But another, rarely-mentioned nasty aftereffect is the results of first-aid attempts to “suck out the poison.” People have had nerve and tendon damage from first aide personnel slashing “X” marks over the puncture wounds, and “sucking out the poison” is wasted effort. The snake has INJECTED the venom into your body, and any type of suction is truly futile.
Ice the wound. Elevate. Get to an ER.
~VOW
It is my understanding that most rattlesnake bites happen when someone says “Hold my beer and watch this!”.
Exactly. I worked in Zion National Park for two years. We get about one rattler bite a month during peak season. It is almost always some dumbfuck in the campground under the influence of alcohol who is deliberately taunting the snake. In one particularly memorable instance, the victim’s buddy picked up a heavy stick and bashed the snake’s head in. The Rangers took the victim (the human victim, not the serpentine victim) to the local outpatient clinic in Springdale, and fined the dumbfuck’s buddy $500 for killing the snake. In every case I heard of when I worked there, the clinic simply bandaged the wound, gave the moron some oral antibiotics, and sent him on his way. In one instance it was another employee who was bitten, and I got to see the wound after the fact. It left a hell of a bruise, but nothing more.
One legend I keep hearing is that some folks get bitten by a snake and have a bad time but they live. After that, the legend goes, they have an immunity to further snake bites (same species that is). If there any truth to this? The legendary immunity is often said to last a lifetime. Any truth to that?
It didn’t work for that preacher. I understand that he claimed he had been bitten before. But it still might work for some folks.
I have heard the reverse legend regarding bees. Some folks, according to the 2nd legend, can tolerate 1 sting. But the sting creates a condition whereby a later sting, even years later, might kill them. Is this legend true and if so does it work with snakes too? This could explain how the preacher died…
Maybe slightly off topic, but this thread reminds me of this “classic” scene.
Yeah, he said poisonous, deal with it. 