Rattlesnake Bites Can Occur in Winter

In the United States, snake season is typically mid-March to mid-November. During the colder months of the year, pit vipers experience a form of hibernation called brumation. So why worry about rattlesnakes, copperheads and water moccasins in the winter?  Snake bites actually can happen at any time, especially in southern states where the weather is much warmer year-round. That means snakes can always be active, which is exactly what David Humphlett, a social media influencer and wildlife enthusiast in Florida recently discovered— he was hospitalized for two weeks in the ICU after an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake bit him!

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David travels the United States to find and showcase wildlife, particularly snakes and other reptiles. He described what happened by saying “…and then I just felt, out of nowhere, this intense pain, right in my leg. Honestly, it felt like an alligator.” Doctors gave him 88 vials of antivenom as his leg swelled from the snake’s venom. Despite the life-threatening run-in with the rattlesnake, Humphlett doesn’t blame the animal and views the incident as an educational moment. he startled the viper. “It was petty scary because my whole body went numb head to toe,”  he said.  The star, who has millions of followers on Instagram and TikTok, caught the whole thing on camera and has documented his road to recovery. “At the hospital, it just felt like my leg was going to explode from the pressure and all my tendons and nerves were just insane. Horrible feeling, I mean the worst pain in my life for sure,” he explained.  David is now back home working on regaining function in his right foot.

Where does antivenom come from?
"Venom is a pretty crazy thing, and the way it's processed is crazy too,” explains an expert. “I’m sure you've all heard about milking snakes for their venom, or maybe you've seen videos of it. The process is pretty neat, but milking is how we get anti-venom. We actually need to collect venom, and this is a really cool process.” Scientists inject the venom they collect from milking these snakes into a mammal, like a sheep or a horse. Once the venom enters the animal’s body, it begins to produce antibodies, which is similar to what happens when we get sick. For example, when we catch the flu, our body immediately starts producing antibodies. These antibodies are then extracted from the horse and turned into anti-venom, which we can use if we're bitten by a snake.

In more northern states, snakes will occasionally wake up throughout the winter, especially if it’s warm and sunny, or if there is an earlier spring. They will get something to drink, spend time in a sunny spot soaking up the heat, and then go back into their den.  So it’s important to be aware of your surroundings no matter the season— as well as wearing snake gaiters to protect lower legs.