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flashlights and pit-vipers
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by Heatseeker on November 30, 2005
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I recently read a fascinating article about american pitvipers. It focused mainly on bushmasters, and I remember that it was mentioned that when illuminated by a flashlight at night, bushmasters may go berserk and strike in a series of maddened and repeated strikes toward the flashlight. The cause of this behaviour would be some kind of "overload" of the heat seeking organs in their heads. Apparently, the flashlight's illumination would produce such a strong cue in the snake's system that it literally go crazy and unable to stand it.
It sounded a bit weird for me. Is this information correct?. If it is, it's very bad news for those who have to walk outdoors at night and need a torch to find out if there are snakes around, isn't it?.
Regards!
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RE: flashlights and pit-vipers
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by MoccasinMan on November 30, 2005
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I have never heard anything like that. It does sound a little whacky. Dean Ripa knows more about Bushmasters than anyone I know. I'd say ask him. www.bushmasteronline.com
Andrew
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by GREGLONGHURST on December 1, 2005
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It sounds suspect to me, as well. The beam from a flashlight would not throw off any appreciable heat. Let us know what Dean has to say, please.
~~Greg~~
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RE: flashlights and pit-vipers
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by Heatseeker on December 1, 2005
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Well... I'm embarrassed to admit that I found the article... exactly in this web page. There's the link
http://www.venomousreptiles.org/articles/61
I had read it some time ago, and obviously didn't remember where. Google sorted it out.
And Dean Ripa appears to be the author.
It's kinda frightening, isn't it? :-D
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by MoccasinMan on December 1, 2005
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I know Dean and have been working with him to fight a potential reptile ban here in NC. I have a great deal of respect for him and the work he has done. He is the "authority" on Bushmasters. I read the article in question. Unless someone has direct evidence to the contrary, I'm inclined to beleive it... strange but true?
Andrew
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RE: flashlights and pit-vipers
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by MoccasinMan on December 1, 2005
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Here is an excerpt from Dean's article:
Shining a light into the heat-pits of these snakes provokes the Strike aspect of the HISH response. Persons walking with a flashlight through jungle at night can be in for a startling experience, if a bushmaster is lying close-by. In a mild sequence, the snake merely raises its head up to considerable height in order to investigate the unusual phenomenon. But when the light is very bright, sudden and close-by, the startled snake attacks the light frenziedly, hurling itself at the "hot" object in a series of maddened, rapid strikes, one after another. This can be disconcerting in a snake that can strike four feet high! The strikes may be so violent as to propel the snake’s entire body toward the intruder. The sudden appearance of heat appears to cause of sort of sensory overload, and the snake literally goes berserk. Native hunters who had been searching for small game at night using various kinds of torch lights (electric, carbon, gas, etc.) have told me tales of bushmasters "rising up out of nowhere" to strike light out of their hands (after which the terrified hunters fled the scene, abandoning the torch light behind them). The sudden ignition of a match flame can have the same effect, as smokers visiting my facility have observed when an alarmed bushmaster (demonstrating the possible health hazards of cigarettes), made an unexpected lunge to bite them in the face—the glass front of the enclosure, however, protecting them from harm.
Interesting to say the least.
Andrew
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by Phobos on December 1, 2005
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Andrew:
Thanks for the informative post. I'm sure they were more than frightened by a Bushmaster rising out of nowhere going beserk, I bet they wet their shorts!!
Al
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by Heatseeker on December 1, 2005
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Hi all
Obviously it was unknown to me who Dean Ripa is and the kind of prestige and respect he has in this field. Looks like his opinions are greatly respected, so it's clear to me that this actually happens.
Frightening!
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by MattHarris on December 1, 2005
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I've not seen them do it in the wild, but they do in fact follow flashlights in captivity. In fact, I found that Lachesis muta tends to go after any light source, simply being attracted to the movement. It really doesn't require heat emitted from the source.
I used to feed them with the lights out and just wearing a headlamp.....i've since abandoned that method. Large Bothrops asper will do the same thing, though, so it may be more a general behavior of pit-vipers, than just bushmasters.
Matt
www.matabuey.com
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RE: flashlights and pit-vipers
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by 23bms on December 2, 2005
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In addition to the visible light component, a pit viper should register the infrared component of the spectrum of a match flame or incandescent bulb as a point "heat" source, the sudden appearance of which at close range against a "cool" background might very well be interpreted by the snake as a threat and trigger a strike response.
Anyone up for blindfolding a bushmaster to determine whether visible or infrared is the controlling factor?
A recently acquired, and decidedly pugnacious, juvenile cottonmouth in my collection has exhibited a somewhat analogous behavior. It will strike repeatedly if illuminated by a flashlight after the night black light has come on. Interestingly, when so aroused it strikes in the direction of both the flashlight and the overhead black light with the latter - the more intense heat source - attracting the bulk of the strikes. The same pattern of strikes occurs if I suddenly loom up in front of the cage at night without the flashlight. The initial strike is usually toward me with the following strikes directed mostly toward the more intense overhead black light heat source.
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