[Ads-l] hot snakes

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Jeff Prucher wrote:
>  The 1951 and 1963 citations seem to have an additional
> refinement -- snakes of a venomous species that haven't
> had their venom glands removed.

Yes, those citations display a more sophisticated notion of poisonous.

While searching I came across some entertaining citations. In November
1962 the term hot snake was applied to a poisonous and radioactive
snake.

Before this article appeared, Peter Parker was famously bitten by a
poisonous and radioactive spider in the August 1962 issue of Amazing
Fantasy.

Date: November 25, 1962
Newspaper: The State Journal Register
Newspaper Location: Springfield, Illinois
Section: Family Weekly
Article: I Was Bitten by a King Cobra — and Lived
Author: William E. Haast (Director of Miami Serpentarium)
Quote Page 6, Column 4
Database: Newspapers.com
https://www.newspapers.com/article/illinois-state-register-atomic/204125377/

[Begin excerpt]
Right now, I am looking forward to a new atomic-age study involving
snake venoms. A nationally known research foundation wants me to make
cobras radioactive and then extract their venom. If one of these "hot"
snakes bites me, I might become a new kind of human guinea pig. It
should be interesting.
[End excerpt]

Sometimes a "hot snake" was a stolen snake or a high-temperature snake.

Garson

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