Cottonmouths in Ohio

I briefly mentioned how my sister was recently bitten by, and is recovering from a cottonmouth bite. In case you don't know, cottonmouths are otherwise known as water mocassins, and they're not at all common to Ohio. Along with many other changes to southwestern Ohio's ecosystem over the past decade or so, they are now a not-so-common factor. You can now see the snake that bit my sister in the Cincinnati Zoo. It is being kept to milk its antivenom. Only two hospitals in the area previously kept it but now it's marked as a necessity to keep in stock.

It's likely that someone might have owned it in this area illegally, but it was found newly hatched in the basement of a newly purchased home where three young girls would be living. It is also a water snake and this happened in the winter, where the closest water source was a swimming pool that wasn't being used. It's just as likely that their territory is expanding this far north these days. 

Bedbugs didn't use to be a thing in Ohio until a few short years ago either. The most famous incident of eco disaster in Ohio was the introduction of bull weevils to the Dutch Elm tree, a tree with no natural predators that, once exposed to this insect, went completely extinct. While long term effects of extinction effects are not always immediately disastrous, it's usually in our best interest as humans to preserve the ecosystems we share with other life forms. Some ecosystems are spread out in abundance but there are just as many flora and fauna that have stricter requirements. You don't have to be an outright tree hugger to understand that ecosystem preservation determines how clean our air is, how abundant or present our food and water sources are and, yes, even what exists for us to just enjoy looking at. Most of us don't need to be told that even pretty flowers sustain bees, which are crucial in the fertilization of food crops, even if you are among those who think honey farming isn't cruelty-free.

Going back to the cottonmouth issue though, my sister was able to be treated adequately and she won't lose the finger. What happened to her also means that cottonmouth antivenom will be more accessible. Regardless of how that snake got here, it is a venomous snake that can be instantly fatal to young children and still very risky to adults. My sister was on careful watch, not just for the necrosis of the residual venom, but the risk of a stroke or heart attack. Snake venom rather quickly causes clots, but thinning the blood is equally dangerous because you can accelerate the spread of any active venom that could cause necrosis or paralysis. Paralysis in a vital organ is, of course, high on the list of what you want to avoid.

She was bitten in early February. The first few days she was kept in the hospital. After that, she needed daily blood tests for the next couple weeks and had to see a hand specialist to monitor whether they could save it. Any sign of infection or advanced necrosis was monitored. A few weeks after the bite, chunks of dead skin began to fall away and the tendon was exposed. They could still save the finger, but they had to take a skin graft from her wrist and fuse the finger to the one beside it, let it help the other circulate and heal. After a couple more weeks, they once more separated the fingers. Obviously, there is some nerve damage and muscle atrophy but she is able to move them somewhat and the therapy is ongoing.

It's important to note that her healing could have gone so well for two factors: she has severe psoriasis, which means she always has an excess of white blood cells, and self-care measures. She heals faster than most people and that includes common colds. However, the second factor is that she wasn't too squeamish to self-monitor and clean them. She was told she could leave them alone but it's better that she did not. I did help her the first couple of days she was home, but she learned to dress her own wounds. Doing so meant that she could describe any concerns with a doctor immediately and adjust accordingly.

I'm not saying you need to start panicking, but climate change is a fact and you should always be aware that uncommon doesn't mean you can be complacent. Wildlife isn't secluded to rural or wild areas. I was on my friend's porch in a rather busy suburb when someone pointed out I was standing inches from a brown recluse spider. At the time, those were rarely farther north than Kentucky as well.

As unpleasant as spiders and snakes might seem, they are active in controlling other undesirable population problems with rodents and insects like mosquitos. It's very fortunate that they were able to preserve the snake that bit my sister, to be able to use its venom in any other possible incident in this area.

I'd also like to note that cottonmouths are not highly aggressive. As a kid, I was told that most attacks are a last resort or caused when they are surprised. Being noisy or in constant motion when swimming in creeks was actually encouraged because most small predators are looking for much easier prey. Scooting your feet along the bottom when walking in any water source sends vibrations that also wake or warn off any nearby creatures. Using their venom leaves them vulnerable and it can take days or weeks for them to gain potency again. So again, it's in their best interest to escape whenever possible.