Quote Originally Posted by Stefan-A View Post
Actually, it seems that most colubrids are in fact venomous, garters included, but it's easier to say that they are non-venomous than to say that they're "not venomous to a degree where a bite would be medically relevant", or "venomous but harmless", which is easily misunderstood.

But there have been clear signs of envenomation even in garter bites.
I seem to be one of those that react more to Garter bites than most people. My fingers or hands will swell a bit and itch like mad for awhile; they also seem to have some sort of anticoagulant that increases bleeding.

I had a pretty bad reaction to a bite from a Yellow Bellied Racer, Coluber constrictor mormon in which I had to go to the doctors for an allergy shot. The Doctor compared it to an allergic reaction to a bee sting. It was not quite anaphylactic but they loaded me with antihistamines.

-Thomas