Survival - APPENDIX E - POISONOUS SNAKES AND LIZARDS

APPENDIX E

POISONOUS SNAKES AND LIZARDS

If you fear snakes, it is probably because you are unfamiliar with them or you have wrong information about them. There is no need for you to fear snakes if you know —

Their habits.

How to identify the dangerous kinds.

Precautions to take to prevent snakebite.

What actions to take in case of snakebite (Chapter 3).

For a man wearing shoes and trousers and living in a camp, the danger of being bitten by a poisonous snake is small compared to the hazards of malaria, cholera, dysentery, or other diseases.

Nearly all snakes avoid man if possible. Reportedly, however, a few--the king cobra of Southeast Asia, the bushmaster and tropical rattlesnake of South America, and the mamba of Africa—sometimes aggressively attack man, but even these snakes do so only occasionally. Most snakes get out of the way and are seldom seen.

WAYS TO AVOID SNAKEBITE

Snakes are widely distributed. They are found in all tropical, subtropical, and most temperate regions. Some species of snakes have specialized glands that contain a toxic venom and long hollow fangs to inject their venom.

Although venomous snakes use their venom to secure food, they also use it for self-defense. Human accidents occur when you don't see or hear the snake, when you step on them, or when you walk too close to them.

Follow these simple rules to reduce the chance of accidental snakebite:

Don't sleep next to brush, tall grass, large boulders, or trees. They provide hiding places for snakes. Place your sleeping bag in a clearing. Use mosquito netting tucked well under the bag. This netting should provide a good barrier.
Don't put your hands into dark places, such as rock crevices, heavy brush, or hollow logs, without first investigating.
Don't step over a fallen tree. Step on the log and look to see if there is a snake resting on the other side.
Don't walk through heavy brush or tall grass without looking down. Look where you are walking.
Don't pick up any snake unless you are absolutely positive it is not venomous.
Don't pick up freshly killed snakes without first severing the head. The nervous system may still be active and a dead snake can deliver a bite.

SNAKE GROUPS

Snakes dangerous to man usually fall into two groups: proteroglypha and solenoglypha. Their fangs and their venom best describe these two groups (Figure E-1).

Group	Fang Type	Venom Type
Proteroglypa	Fixed	Usually dominant neurotoxic
Solenoglypha	Folded	Usually dominant hemotoxic

Figure E-1 Snake group characteristics

Fangs

The proteroglypha have, in front of the upper jaw and preceding the ordinary teeth, permanently erect fangs. These fangs are called fixed fangs.

The solenoglypha have erectile fangs; that is, fangs they can raise to an erect position. These fangs are called folded fangs.

Venom

The fixed-fang snakes (proteroglypha) usually have neurotoxic venoms. These venoms affect the nervous system, making the victim unable to breathe.

The folded-fang snakes (solenoglypha) usually have hemotoxic venoms. These venoms affect the circulatory system, destroying blood cells, damaging skin tissues, and causing internal hemorrhaging.

Remember, however, that most poisonous snakes have both neurotoxic and hemotoxic venom. Usually one type of venom in the snake is dominant and the other is weak.

Poisonous Versus Nonpoisonous Snakes

No single characteristic distinguishes a poisonous snake from a harmless one except the presence of poison fangs and glands. Only in dead specimens can you determine the presence of these fangs and glands without danger.

DESCRIPTIONS OF POISONOUS SNAKES

There are many different poisonous snakes throughout the world. It is unlikely you will see many except in a zoo. This manual describes only a few poisonous snakes. You should, however, be able to spot a poisonous snake if you—

Learn about the two groups of snakes and the families in which they fall (Figure E-2).
Examine the pictures and read the descriptions of snakes in this appendix.

Updated: 12 January 2008

Born on 22 January 2000