MToxins Venom Lab delights visitors while helping save lives around the world.

Nathaniel Frank, owner of MToxins Venom Lab in Oshkosh, opens a container containing a very unfortunate and deadly cobra. Using a hook, he pins the back of his head, grabs it just behind the jaw hinge with his hand, and pushes the fangs – swollen with venom – through a membrane on a vial, extracting the venom. He then returns the snake to his house, all within 40 seconds.

It’s a skill he practices regularly and often allows visitors to observe, but only behind a thick panel of glass.

Frank has been extracting venom from snakes for over a decade. He started out because he was the only person in the United States to own a Malaysian Blue Coral Snake and some researchers asked him if he could send them samples of the venom.

He found a mentor to show him the ropes and he grew from there.

“I was just a 6 year old who was obsessed with dinosaurs and reptiles and he stuck with me my whole life,” Frank said.

Now he extracts the venom from 1,100 snakes and scorpions. Some are being shipped to companies that make antivenoms to treat poisonous snake bites around the world and others to venom researchers.

MToxins is also open to the public on weekends with over 60 different animals on display including snakes, turtles / turtles, bald eagle, parrot and other animals undergoing rehabilitation. The company also organizes conservation courses for children.

When asked what his 6 year old would think of his life right now, Frank replied, “I don’t think this six year old could believe it, to be completely honest.”

Three times bitten, not shy

Here’s what happens when someone is bitten by a black mamba: Just two drops of its venom can kill a human, as it contains neurotoxins that quickly shut down the victim’s nervous system, paralyzing them. A human is dead 20 minutes after being bitten, but in most cases it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours.

A South African woman who survived a black mamba bite said she “felt a terrible burn, like pins and needles …”

“I felt like my blood was boiling,” she told a South African news channel. “The pain was radiating down my leg; I was struggling to breathe and started to feel weak.

Frank experienced the pain for himself.

In the 11 years that he extracted venom, he was bitten three times. The most recent incident, in September 2020, was a black mamba.

“My upper respiratory system was starting to shut down, I lost the ability to speak, I couldn’t control my tongue, I couldn’t control my eyelids,” he said. “It’s just that it breaks down neurologically and eventually you lose the ability to breathe.”

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MToxins has antivenom for all of its animals on hand in the event of an incident. Once it was administered, Frank went to the hospital, where protocols were prepared in advance.

“It’s inevitable,” Frank said. “It’s going to happen when you work with dangerous animals. You know, there will be an accident eventually. Preparation is therefore the key.

The black mamba that bit him is now on display and is no longer used for venom extraction. It was also inked on Frank’s forearm, along with the other two snakes that bit him, a spearhead and a needle snake.

“It’s a reminder – a constant reminder – to be careful, to focus, to slow down,” he said.

Worth the risk

Considering how often he handles snakes, three bites in 11 years is a decent toll. But why take the risk?

MToxins specializes in poisonous snakes from Asia, Africa and South America, areas that are underserved and where snakebites are a significant public health problem. The World Health Organization reports that 1.8 to 2.7 million people are poisoned each year by poisonous snakes, resulting in up to 137,880 deaths and three times as many amputations and permanent disabilities.

Franks traveled to parts of Africa with a nonprofit organization to provide snake bite training and clinics.

“I got to see our antivenom saving the lives of people in their home countries,” Frank said. “It’s saving lives that allows me to keep doing the job and taking risks every day, knowing that we are making a difference through this work and that we can see it in person.

He also loves to see the public reaction – to the animals, to the conservation lessons and to see him handle the snakes. “It’s wonderful to watch everyone’s faces as we work with the animals,” Frank said. “It really inspires a feeling of awe in people when they watch this process. And for us, it’s work, it’s our job. But it brings a lot of joy to a lot of people to be able to see us doing that. “