How to protect yourself from venomous snakes?

The law of nature says that the strong beats the weak, the fast reaches the slow, the big frightens the small. However, every law has its exceptions. Exceptions to this law are venomous animals. Mostly amphibians and invertebrates are venomous, but some mammals can also be venomous: platypus, some species of moles. Thanks to the venom a small spider can defeat a huge mammal. Snakes are probably the first animals that come to the mind when we talk about venomous animals. And venomous snakes of Armenia are no exception.

Since ancient times snakes have taken their special place in the culture of people. They had their permanent significant role in myths, legends, and different religious stories. The snake was the object of worship, also the embodiment of demonic forces, a “beast” whom the hero must defeat. Of course, all legends and folklore originated for a reason, but in this article let’s talk about the scientific side of the issue.

Every year on our planet about half a million people are attacked by a venomous snake, and about 30-40 thousand of them die.

Snakes never attack people first. In fact, they avoid people. Snakes bite only for self-defense when people accidentally step on them or simply when they get too close. This especially happens when a snake mom protects her eggs.

Often during hot hours, snakes hide under the bushes, stones, between rocks. A hiker or a farmer can walk very close to a snake and not notice it. In this case, the bite is the natural response of the snake, so it is mostly a human’s fault. Usually, snakes warn of their presence by reproducing a distinctive hissing sound. They make this sound with the help of their scales. There is a species of vipers called rattlesnakes, which have a modified bell on the edge of the tail, consisting of scales. The rattlesnake wags its tail and makes a characteristic rattle sound, due to which the snake got its name.

Snake venom and its action

Snake venom is a yellowish, clear liquid produced by the glands of poisonous snakes. In the dried state, snake venom retains its toxic properties for decades.

Snake venom is divided into three main groups:

Neurotoxin

Affects the nervous system of the victim. Nerve impulses from the brain and spinal cord stop to reach the heart, lungs, muscles. The victim is paralyzed and can’t move. Usually, the victim dies from suffocation or cardiac arrest. Snakes armed with neurotoxin are most of the cobras, led by a king cobra, and most of the sea snakes.

Hemotoxin

Affects red blood cells, destroying them. As a result, blood coagulates in the vessels, hemolysis occurs, hemoglobin is separated from the blood plasma, which is why the body’s nutrition is disturbed. All this leads to death. Snakes with hemotoxic venom are the majority of vipers, including four types of vipers found in Armenia, some cobras, and a tropical rattlesnake.

Cytotoxin

Cytotoxic poison is probably the worst of all three. Cytotoxin kills the affected cells, the victim begins the process of necrosis. In other words, the venom helps the victim to “digest” before the snake swallows it. In the end, the victim turns into a jelly mass, which helps the snake to swallow and already digest it inside. Snakes with cytotoxic poison – black mamba (one of the most dangerous snakes in the world) and some cobras.

However, the snake can often be armed with several types of venom at once, which makes it more deadly.

All four venomous snakes of Armenia belong to the viper family. Venomous snakes of Armenia are Armenian viper, Armenian steppe viper, Darevsky’s viper, and blunt-nosed viper.

Despite the fact that all four snakes are venomous, the blunt-nosed viper is the most dangerous for humans. It is armed with strong hemotoxic venom, which kills even an adult. The blunt-nosed viper can be found almost in every region in Armenia, except the Gegharkunik region. It is common in foothill and low mountain regions, in steppes, semi-steppes, semi-deserts, and woodland.

Local poisoning

Right after the snakebite, the pain is still not severe, but in 10-15 minutes a strong burning pain begins. The affected area swells, venom begins to spread. The volume of the limb can double in size.

The most dangerous are bites in the neck and head, since edema can block airways, and a person may suffocate.

These were local poisonings.

General poisoning

Viper venom acts on red blood cells, destroying them. The victim begins to feel dizziness, nausea, vomiting, thirst, dry mouth, diarrhea, general weakness, drowsiness, nosebleeds, sometimes even temporary blindness. The victim is in a very serious condition called shock.

First aid

If a nonvenomous snake bit you, wash the wound and treat it with iodine, then bandage the wound. In 99.9% of cases, everything ends without any complications.

If a venomous snake bit you, then you need to do the following:

• First, you need to retreat, as the snake can try to re-attack and bite again.
• Keep calm and do not panic. This applies to both the victim and the first aid provider. Remember, no one dies of a snake bite immediately. In the case of the venomous snakes of Armenia, you will have several hours until the venom begins to act. It means you will have enough time to help the victim and take them to the hospital.

• If there are other people nearby, ask someone to call for help. Be sure to note the time of the bite.
• Start to suck out the venom immediately. This is a difficult task, but remember, that in 5 minutes of extraction you can get rid of half the poison.

How to suck out the venom?

To suck out the venom, fold the affected area and press on it so that drops of blood appear from two bitten wounds. Then suck out as much blood as you can within 10-15 minutes. Constantly spit out accumulated blood. Finally, rinse your mouth with water. Keep in mind that through the blood of a victim various diseases can be transmitted to you: hepatitis, AIDS and so on. Also keep in mind that if there is an open wound or damaged tooth in your oral cavity, then venom can harm you too. But do not panic, since the poison acts only when it enters the bloodstream. So, if you accidentally swallowed part of the sucked venom, your stomach will not be in danger.

If for some reason it is impossible to suck out the venom, then press on the area around the wound within 5 minutes, to make the blood flow out of the wound. Do not press directly on the wound! This method will also allow us to remove some of the venom. Stop pressing when the blood stops flowing from the wound.

Lay the victim

• Place the victim in a safe, lateral, embryonic position.
• Do not let the victim move a lot, or make sudden movements, or shake the affected limb. Also, do not let the victim try to catch and kill the snake.
• The affected limb must be placed below the level of the heart so that it is more difficult for the blood to flow to the heart.
• Disinfect the affected area with hydrogen peroxide.
• After the disinfection dress the wound with a sterile bandage. Do not ever try to tourniquet the area above the bite, this will only harm the victim.

The victim must not move

• The victim must make a minimum of movements, otherwise, the venom will spread faster throughout the body. If the victim is forced to move, he has to do it as carefully as possible, without panic and sudden movements, not to expose himself to additional stress.
• Try to calm the victim, because, in a nervous, irritable state, the heart beats faster and helps the venom spread faster throughout the body.

• Remove all tight clothing and jewelry: watch, rings, bracelets, tight clothes, as the edema can quickly develop and spread.
• Give the victim a lot of liquid: water, natural juice, mineral water.
• Keep an eye on the victim’s consciousness, breathing, heart function, or pulse.

How to perform first aid?

During a snake attack, people mostly die not from the bite itself, but from improperly performed first aid.

Therefore, when performing first aid, remember the following:

• Do not put the tourniquet above the bitten area.
• The tourniquet is useless in this situation. It also can worsen the condition of the victim. A tourniquet can force doctors to amputate a leg or arm to save the victim.
• Do not cover or try to cut the wound open. This leads to bleeding, which worsens the victim’s condition. In addition, nerves, arteries, tendons can be damaged, and the wound can begin to fester.
• Do not burn the area around the wound with hot metal or match. This method does not help and creates wounds that heal very slowly.

• Do not put ice on the wound. This can lead to frostbite, and in general, will be a waste of time. And in such cases, time is the most important resource.
• Do not offer alcohol to the victim.
• Do not give strong medicine to the victim. They will not allow to correctly assess the situation when doctors will examine the victim in the hospital.
• The only analgesics that can be given to the victim are Analgin and Paracetamol.

How to avoid snake bites?

1. Snake bites are more likely to occur in spring, when, after waking up from hibernation, snakes are hungry and actively hunt.
2. Venomous snakes are nocturnal. On a hot day, they hide in the crevices of rocks, in the nests of rodents, in abandoned buildings. In the evening they go hunting. Nonvenomous snakes are active during the day.

What if you saw a snake first?

• First of all, do not be afraid. You can look at the snake, but don’t touch it and don’t try to kill it. Give the snake an opportunity to leave. If the snake doesn’t move, retreat yourself. You need to go in the opposite direction, with slow steps. Do not run.
• As we have said, the snake hears the vibrations and fluctuation of the earth. So, if you walk in places where there are snakes, take a heavy piece of wood and with each step hit it on the ground.

• Most often, snake bites happen during the berry or mushroom picking, collecting firewood, cutting the grass, during the overnight by the fire, and so on. Therefore, before you start picking berries or mushrooms, hit the grass several times with a wood stick.
• During hiking, you must wear high hiking boots made of thick leather, hiking pants with protective layers, and gaiters. This combination of clothing should provide good protection against vipers.
• Be careful when you walk in rocky areas, through bushes, tall grass; be careful when you stand on a fallen tree or stump. On hot days snakes hide in these places.
• One more advice – do not touch the head of the newly killed snake, even if it is separated from the body. Nerve impulses remain in the separated head for a long time, so a bite can still happen.

Almost all large medical institutions in Armenia have the serum, which is a sufficient antidote to blunt-nosed viper, Darevsky’s viper, and steppe viper. The venom of the Armenian viper is different in composition. This can cause complications because before you enter the appropriate antidote, you need to find out which snake has bitten you?

That’s why, if possible, it is important to describe to doctors what kind of snake it was. You cannot kill a snake, because all snakes play an important role in ecology and most of them are listed in the Red Book. Darevsky’s viper is critically endangered.

Do not kill snakes! To avoid accidents, simply warning the snake about your approach is enough. If you walk in a big group, in one line, you will almost completely protect yourself from a collision with a snake.

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