All monitors have "venom" in their saliva?

[CoolioTiffany]

Well, are these venoms of the snakes and lizards actually extremely effective? Like the Gilas and Beadeds causing you extreme pain when they inject their venom in, like the snakes in South America that can kill you pretty quickly once the venom is injected?

Hognose's venom is not very potent. I hear it can get as bad as a Copperhead bite, but I also hear that's rare. Boomslangs are a different story, I still don't see how they are considered a colubrid instead of an elapid.

[Skiploder]

Well, are these venoms of the snakes and lizards actually extremely effective? Like the Gilas and Beadeds causing you extreme pain when they inject their venom in, like the snakes in South America that can kill you pretty quickly once the venom is injected?

Hognose's venom is not very potent. I hear it can get as bad as a Copperhead bite, but I also hear that's rare. Boomslangs are a different story, I still don't see how they are considered a colubrid instead of an elapid.

The venom of the thrasops jacksonii is the same as the venom of the boomslang - the difference is in the effectiveness of the delivery system. A good bite from a boomslang, with it's three mobile teeth and compressor musculature can kill you, a bite from a nominally enlarged-fanged thrasops won't.

However, to small prey like a rodent, the venom does the exact same thing.

Many colubrids have venom on par with some elapids - the difference lies mainly in the effectiveness of the delivery system.

Many vipers have relatively weak venom, as do some elapids - again, a relatively weak venom in copious amounts injected into prey will produce more significant effects than the same venom will in smaller amounts chewed into a wound.

Tiff, I strongly suggest you check out Bryan Fry's Venomdoc forum and do a search on "colubrids" on there. Not only is it an informative site, but he breaks it all down in detail that only a guy who has actually intimately researched the subject can.

[BPelizabeth]

Wow this is a very interesting thread. In regards to the monitors ....I never knew. That would explain what happened when I got bit a few weeks ago. I was at the store and like an idiot...I went to touch one from the front. He was so quick and got me on my finger. My fault!! But I did not even feel it....but it bled like crazy which I thought was so wierd. No other problems just blood running down my arm. Now I know.