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It means a bite where no venom is passed to the recipient.
Here is a local article about a rattlesnake bite on Saturday:
This last weekend, a property owner found himself the target of the West’s most notorious venomous creature, a rattlesnake.
Last Saturday, July 1, 2023, the sun had gone down and a property owner in the vicinity of Willits was doing evening chores. Captain Davis said that at some point during the chores, the property owner came upon a rattlesnake. The human was too close and it struck.
Scanner traffic from that evening indicated the property owner suffered multiple rattlesnake bites, but Captain Davis could not confirm the number of actual bites.
It was around 9:45 p.m. that CALFIRE’s Howard Forest dispatch center was contacted by the property owner who relayed that he had been bitten by the snake and attempted to drive himself to the nearby hospital. The patient’s plans were cut short when the symptoms of the rattlesnake bite escalated. Overcome by the pain, the patient parked in front of the Little Lake-Willits Fire Department, called 911 and waited for medical personnel to respond. Captain Davis said the patient was transported to a local hospital and received treatment.
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, rattlesnakes are most active at dawn, dusk, and night during spring and summer to avoid overheating. The majority of rattlesnake bites occur between April and October “when snakes and humans are most active outdoors.”
Sometimes rattlesnakes will bite without injecting their venom which is referred to as a “dry bite” and thought to communicate a warning.
The University of California, Davis identifies a litany of symptoms one will experience in the wake of a rattlesnake bite including “extreme pain and swelling at the location of the bite, excessive bleeding, nausea, swelling in the mouth and throat, making it difficult to breathe, lightheadedness, drooling, and even collapse and shock.”
In the case of a rattlesnake bite, do not use ice, or a tourniquet, or try to suck out the venom. These treatments can result in amputation. Instead, UC Davis suggests washing the wound with soap and removing wristwatches, rings, or any other adornments that might be constrictive on the affected limb.
It is important for rattlesnake bite victims to remain calm and avoid exertion making a point to keep the affected extremity below heart level until medical professionals begin their treatment.
UC Davis offers a few tips to prevent rattlesnake bites. When walking outdoors, wear boots and long pants. Avoid being barefoot or wearing sandals when you cannot get a clear sight of the ground.
When navigating the outdoors, avoid underbrush and tall weeds as much as possible. Finally, if you come across a rattler, do not touch or disturb it, even if it appears dead.
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