Symptoms and circumstances associated with bites by the brown tree snake (Colubridae: Boiga irregularis) on Guam

A review of 94 cases of snakebite by the brown tree snake, Boiga irregularis, in Guam spanning a two year period shows a high proportion (80%) involve victims bitten while sleeping in their homes at night. Some bites apparently involve attempts to feed on small children. Of all children less than 1 yr old that were bitten in a two year period, infants 1-3 mo old comprised 82%. The symptoms exhibited by children are more severe than those experienced by adults. The snake is a rear-fanged (i.e., has enlarged and grooved teeth on the posterior maxillae) colubrid with a moderately large Duvernoy's gland.