Of the approximately 1800 species of snakes that exist on Earth, only a little more than one-fifth are venomous. And these are not the giant snakes, but the medium and small species. The large snakes have only ordinary, solid teeth and devour their prey after killing it by crushing it.
Poisonous snakes and snake venom
In Germany, for example, the adder is one of the poisonous snakes. Its venom is hemotoxic and it lives preferably in dry heath areas. Just as a side note, giant snakes grow to six meters long at best, and up to eight meters at the very most. Reports of 15 and 20 meter or even longer snakes are either tall tales or seen with the eyes of fear so exaggerated. In addition to their normal teeth, venomous snakes have two teeth in the upper jaw at the very front, which erect when the mouth is opened and are provided with a channel through which the venom exits. When the snake slams its fangs into the flesh of the victim, the venom is injected into the wound by the pressure of the temporal muscles. The snake is a naturally shy animal and, contrary to popular belief, will only attack a human if it feels threatened. However, this can also be the case if the human moves particularly fast and hastily. The attack of the snake is actually a defense. Whether the cause of the snake bite is defense or attack, it is certain that many deaths are caused by poisonous snakes. The snake venoms work only when they enter the bloodstream. When ingested, they are rendered harmless by digestion. According to their effect, snake venoms are divided into two main groups, neurotoxins (nerve venom) and hemotoxins (blood and protoplasm venom). The neurotoxins paralyze important nerve centers and cause respiratory arrest. The heart is little affected directly. The hemotoxins cause red blood cells to change and agglomerate.
Venomous snakes in Germany and Austria
In Germany we do not find any other venomous snakes except the sand viper (also called European horned viper, sand viper or horned viper) and the adder, whose venom is hemotoxic. The adder lives preferably in dry heath areas, hides in cool temperatures and is only lured out of its hiding place by the warm rays of the sun. It owes its name to a cross-like marking on its head, which is not visible in all animals. A sure sign of the adder is the dark, striking zigzag line that runs along the entire back. The sand viper lives on sandy, stony soils, is ocher in color and bears no special markings, but its square head and pointed nose clearly distinguish it from other non-venomous snakes. Statistical data from past years on snakebite mortality vary widely among sources. Some speak of a mortality rate of 35 to 45 percent in tropical countries, while in Germany a mortality rate of less than 7 percent was found on average.
Snake venom as medicine
That’s why scientists have made it their mission to find a defense against snake venom. The snake’s venom, so feared, is now beneficially used in medicine. Crotaline, the dried venom of the rattlesnake, is injected against epilepsy, and snake venom is used to produce serums that render snake venom ineffective in the human and animal body. Serum is obtained from the blood of immunized horses (i.e. horses made insensitive to snake venom) in snake farms and institutes specially set up for this purpose. But how is the serum obtained? The keeper enters the kennel. He is protected against bites by high and rough boots. With a stick forked at the end, he presses a snake to the ground close behind its head. Then he grabs the snake with his hand and presses its jaws apart. An assistant holds a glass jar under the threatening protruding venom fangs and massages the snake’s venom glands. The resulting venom is used to make the vaccine for the horses. During the first injection, a horse receives half a milligram of dissolved dry venom. Further inoculations are given at intervals of three to four days each. Then the first blood sample can be taken, during which about eight liters of blood are drawn.Three further bloodletting sessions of six liters each are carried out at intervals of one week. During this process, the animals are closely monitored for weight, temperature and general health in strict compliance with all regulations of the animal protection laws. Serum is obtained from the immunized blood and filled into ampoules. When using these serums, it is necessary to know the snake species from which the bite occurred, because after lengthy trials it has been established that, for example, otter serum is effective only against otter bites. The other serums and venoms behave accordingly. In an adult human, amounts of 20 to 30 cmm are injected, and treatment must be given within two hours after the bite. When we and our children and young adults go out hiking, playing, and camping during the summer months, we should give parents, teachers, and young adults a brief reminder about snake bite precautions. Walking barefoot on scree, sunny brush-covered forest floors is often associated with the risk for snake bites. Therefore, when walking in unfamiliar terrain, one should ask the locals if snakes have been observed in the area. Everyone should know the characteristics of the two venomous snakes still present in our country.
Complications
The complications that can arise after a snake bite depend on what type of snake and what venom it is. For example, the venom of the king cobra destroys the victim’s nerves within a very short time. Affected persons fall into a coma very quickly after a bite and usually die without prompt treatment with an antidote. Cobras are also snakes that spit their venom. If the toxin gets into the eyes, it can lead to blindness. The South American rattlesnake is one of the rare snake species that produce both a tissue toxin and a nerve toxin and inject them into their victims. Even immediate treatment of a bite wound with a special cleaning fluid for snakebites in the tropics is usually ineffective in these cases. After the bite, the victim’s blood is so diluted by the hemotoxin that it leaks through the capillaries into the body. Life-threatening internal bleeding is the result. In Germany, the adder is the only naturally occurring venomous snake species. The bite of an adder is usually not life-threatening to healthy adults. If treated promptly, no complications are expected beyond typical symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, breathing problems and sweating. If the bite wound is not professionally treated, it can become infected and, in the worst case, lead to sepsis.
When should you go to the doctor?
When snake venom enters the human body, a doctor should be consulted immediately. If left untreated, it can lead to the death of the affected person, so the patient is always in need of prompt medical treatment. The earlier the snake venom is detected and removed from the body, the better the further prognosis. As a rule, a doctor should be consulted if the affected person has been bitten by a snake. The bite is clearly visible, and the bite wound itself is usually associated with severe pain. If the affected person’s consciousness is clouded after being bitten by a snake, a doctor should be consulted immediately. This may result in severe fatigue, headache or fever. Therefore, after a snake bite, an emergency doctor should always be called immediately or the hospital should be visited directly. The affected person should also move away from the snake if possible.
