Snakes and taste

Q: 24 years old hiker is brought to the ER after a snakebite. The patient is reporting severe symptoms, including a minty taste in his mouth. Which snake is a likely culprit?

Answer: Rattlesnake

Victims complain of a rubbery, minty, or metallic taste if bitten by a particular species of rattlesnake, after 30 to 90 minutes of attack. The most likely is that it is a pit viper. 

Clinical significance: Rattlesnake bite can be poisonous and requires prompt treatment, specifically administration of an anti-venom.

Note: Bites from Australian black snakes can cause a loss of taste and smell (anosmia) as a potential long-term effect. 

#toxicity

#snake-bites

References:

1. https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/injuries-poisoning/bites-and-stings/snakebites#Symptoms-and-Signs_v1117500  (last accessed July 10, 2025)

2. https://www.medicinenet.com/what_happens_if_you_get_bitten_by_a_rattlesnake/article.htm (last accessed July 10, 2025)

3. Pearn J., McGuire B., McGuire L., Richardson P. The envenomation syndrome caused by the Australian Red-bellied Black Snake Pseudechis porphyriacus. Toxicon. 2000;38:1715–1729. doi: 10.1016/S0041-0101(00)00102-1.