testosterone poisoning

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake - Lower Salt River, Arizona When I moved to Arizona (in 1997), I read an interview with an emergency room doctor about rattlesnake bites. He referred to them as “testosterone poisoning” – most bites occur in young adult males who unsuccessfully attempt to pick up the snake. There was even the disturbing story of an inebriated gentleman who was laying on the ground and flicking his tongue at a snake. He came to the ER with a tongue so swollen they had to find an alternate airway. I anticipated that rattlesnakes would be an imminent and pervasive threat during my time in Arizona. This could not have been further from the truth. Between 1997 and 2022, I saw…one. A baby Speckled rattlesnake so small that it had a single button for a rattle. This might not be unusual if I was homebound, but I am outdoors a lot. Hiking. Camping. Fishing. I even went out looking for snakes in the early morning hours, and in the evening with a headlamp. I began to think all the…