Do snake snakes bite painfully? Snake: the difference between a snake and a viper, types, behavior

Already- a snake belonging to the class of mammals. Many of us are terribly afraid of snakes, but should we be afraid? common snake? Is it dangerous for humans and does it have poison? Today we will answer these questions, and also touch upon the snake’s habitat and find out what it eats in nature, and we will start with its characteristics.

Description of a common snake

Snake length 1 meter, but some individuals grow up to 1.5 meters. His main and characteristic peculiarity– bright spots on the back of the head. They can be orange, yellow and whitish. Quite rarely, only black snakes or faint spots are found, so it is quite easy to recognize the snake. Leather snakes are dark gray, black or light gray in color. Gray individuals may be distinguished by dark spots. Belly The snake is light with a dark stripe from tail to neck. snake body slender, and in some individuals you can see paired brushes, but not in all. Eyes the snakes are round, but there are snakes with " cat eyes». Tail much shorter than the body, about 3-5 times, with a varied shape - sharp, steep, rounded. Visible throughout the body scales, some individuals have smooth skin, others have noticeable ribs. The snake has teeth on the top of its mouth, several teeth increase as the throat opens, some teeth small and motionless, in others they bend, there is also a forked language. Lifespan of a common grass snake in nature about 20 years, at home the figure remains the same.

Is the common snake poisonous and is it dangerous for humans?

Generally, snakes safe for humans. They do not know how to bite, but can scratch the skin, and if there is a bite, it is insignificant. Yes and ordinary When he sees a person, he tries to hide as quickly as possible; he flees rather than attacks. But if they are caught by surprise, they hiss and turn their heads as if they want to bite, but they rarely get bitten, and the bite itself heals very quickly. Already- a calm snake, but for the purpose of protection, it can shoot a white-yellow liquid from its teeth, which has an unpleasant odor, and if it does not scare away the observer, it opens its mouth and relaxes its body, feigning death. At this moment, you can see drops of blood from the throat, or he will simply regurgitate food out of fear. But if snake don't touch it, but you won't have to see all this.

WHAT DOES THE COMMON SNACK EAT, WHERE DOES IT LIVE AND KEEPING AT HOME?

What does the common grass snake eat in nature?

Snake's main diet- amphibians and fish. It feeds on frogs, tadpoles, and toads. In addition, snakes eat lizards, their eggs, mice, rats, moles, other rodents, insects, small birds, their eggs and chicks, bats, small squirrels, and even their own kind or other snakes. Already swallows prey whole because it does not have teeth or other devices to tear prey. If the lunch is small, then he will quickly finish the meal, but if the prey is large, he will have to deal with it for several hours, and after such a meal he can go without eating anything for two days. He can do without food for a long time, but without water, and in hot weather, it is easy to find snakes near water bodies. On land really stalks its prey, can sneak up on it for a long time in the water, and then suddenly pounce.

Habitat of the common grass snake

Snakes can be found near bodies of water, under a bridge, near a lake or pond. In addition, they like to settle next to people, choosing quiet and secluded places, such as a basement, haystack, cellar, barn, in the roots or hollows of trees, in the garden, in firewood, in a pile of stones, in a vegetable garden and even in a pile of garbage . Snakes They love warm bedding and live next to poultry, laying their eggs there, but they will never go near large animals.

Habitat of the common grass snake– almost all of Russia, eastern Primorye, the borders of the Komi Republic, the border of Karelia. Almost all of Europe, and some individuals snakes found in Africa, Central, South and North America, Australia, Asia, Cuba, Indonesia, Philippines, Japan, Oceania.

VIDEO: ABOUT THE CONTENT OF THE COMMON SNACK

IN THIS VIDEO, YOU WILL SEE AND LEARN HOW TO CORRECTLY KEEP A COMMON SNACK AT HOME

Meeting a snake is a pleasant event for few people. In rare cases, reptiles bite a person in defense, however, not in all cases this poses a threat.

Most members of the snake family do not pose any danger, but there are some species with which you need to be extremely careful. Many people know that a snake bite will not cause harm, but whether this is true or not, the reader can find out by reading this article.

This type of snake is found everywhere, preferring to settle on river banks, marshy areas, forests and field plantings. It is a frequent visitor near villages and summer cottages, where it lives in little-used agricultural buildings or garbage heaps. It, like any other reptile, is attracted by the presence of food, so there are more snakes where small rodents, lizards, frogs and toads are found.

Snakes are diurnal animals; at night they mostly stay in shelters. Since they have no poison and are quite weak, they are hunted by small mammals, for example, hedgehogs, cats, foxes, snakes and others. The size of reptiles depends on gender - females are slightly larger than males and can reach up to a meter in length.

Note. The longest snake seen in the forests of Russia reached almost three meters in size.

They reproduce in early summer, hiding the laid eggs in burrows. Animals love warmth; they can often be found basking in clearings, stumps, and various heaps.

IN sunny days The reptiles are quite active, hunt among herbaceous vegetation, avoid meeting people, and upon contact, as a rule, flee. Snakes are good swimmers and can long time carry out underwater, for example, water snakes are good at catching fish.

In spring and autumn they are less active due to cold air. In winter, several individuals gather, forming clubs, trying to find shelter under stumps and in hollows, but they can also be under floor niches, in basements, if these rooms are rarely visited by people.

Difference between vipers (black - Nikolsky, gray - steppe) from snakes (water and common)

The color of the common grass snake can vary from light gray to tarry, so it is not surprising to confuse it with a viper, which often happens during an unexpected encounter. But distinguishing the first from the second is quite simple.

Just pay attention to the distinctive characteristics below:

The presence of yellow or orange spots on the back of the head, but this only applies to the common grass snake (see photo in the table below).
Snakes, unlike venomous snakes, do not have a triangular head shape because they do not have venom glands. The head is oval, does not stand out much and blends smoothly into the body.
All grass snakes have round eye pupils. Among the representatives of vipers they are cat-like - narrow and vertical.
Color. Snakes are distinguished by a shiny tint, while vipers are matte (with the exception of Nikolsky’s black viper).

Table. Types of snakes in Eurasia:

Name and what it looks like	Main differences	Distribution area	Danger to humans
	There are two yellow or orange spots on the head, the color ranges from gray to black	Temperate latitudes of Eurasia. Found everywhere except in big cities.	Can bite, not poisonous.
	Unlike the above, representatives of this species do not have yellow “ears”, instead there is one black V-shaped spot. Snakes are usually olive-colored with dark, large dots arranged in a checkerboard pattern.	Europe (south), Transcaucasia and Central Asia. Lives near bodies of water where it hunts.	Can bite, not poisonous.
	The front part of the body resembles the color of a tiger, the main part of the body is green with black stripes. Poisonousness depends on the food: if an animal eats a lot of toads that have toxin in their skin, then the snake is poisonous and can attack, otherwise it is less aggressive and tries to run away.	Primorye, Khabarovsk region, Korea and Eastern China.	There are toxins, but they are not lethal. If the bite is deep, the poison will enter the bloodstream, which will cause a reaction in the body similar to a viper bite.

Danger to humans

Of the three species presented in the table, the tiger snake can be dangerous; the rest, although they can bite, do not contain poison. All these snakes can live close to a person, but they themselves never attack first.

The most common individual is one that has two yellow spots or “ears,” as people most often say. This is the most widespread species, representatives of which are found in significant numbers in forests and coastal areas.

The animal avoids humans, and when they meet, they try to hide. If he fails to do this, then most likely he will take a defensive position - he will curl up in a half ring, hiss and throw himself.

In this case, you are more likely to get a bite. If his actions are not successful, the animal will begin to pretend to be dead, turning its belly up, opening its mouth wide, and will lie motionless for some time, and then again try to run away.

The snake is easy to catch. To do this, you can lightly press it down with a stick or grab it by the tail. As soon as he calms down and stops behaving aggressively, you can pick him up.

Please note. The common one has an unpleasant, persistent odor. When caught, it releases even more foul-smelling substances, and it is also possible for the snake to defecate on a person. All this is natural defense mechanisms, produced by nature. Without soap, it will be difficult to get rid of the smell, which must be taken into account if you want to play with the animal.

In the water, until it is picked up, it will not be able to bite, since there is no support for this, but if it ends up on the shore or is clutched in the palm, then the animal, depending on its disposition, can cause trouble, which does not happen often. In all cases, the snake bites a person through his fault. If you do not touch the reptile, then it will not attack.

Peculiarities of tiger snake behavior

The pattern of behavior of representatives of this species is similar to its relatives, but with the difference that its aggressiveness will depend on its nutrition. Toxic substances poisonous frogs, which an individual feeds on, can accumulate in the glands, so the more such animals in the diet, the higher the degree of aggression.

When encountered, the tiger snake takes a defensive position, hisses, and a small hood is blown out in the chest part of the body, like a cobra. These snakes have small teeth, unlike vipers and other dangerous crawling reptiles, they do not have poisonous fangs.

When bitten, as a rule, the front teeth penetrate the skin, which does not cause significant harm, but if toxins from the back teeth enter the bloodstream, severe swelling, dizziness and nausea develop. Essentially, the symptoms will be the same as with a viper bite, however, fatal outcome unlikely. In this case, the victim should move less (preferably lie down), drink as much fluid as possible to reduce the concentration of harmful substances and remove them from the body as quickly as possible.

Important. Administration of antidote in the form of serum is recommended only in exceptional cases, for example, when bitten by small children, weak old people, or if a person develops a severe allergic reaction. For healthy person this will not be necessary because the medicine itself is a foreign protein, which can provoke an increase in the negative reaction.

If the clinic does not have serum against tiger snake bites, the patient will be prescribed symptomatic therapy:

anti-inflammatory drugs;
analgesics;
diuretics;
medications to eliminate the negative effects of poison on internal organs, which the doctor prescribes according to indications.

As a rule, negative manifestations do not last more than three days, the affected person recovers completely within 4-5 days.

Common grass snake bite

The yellow-eared snake is not poisonous or aggressive. To get a bite, you need to try hard, because when a person approaches, she makes herself visible (hissing, warning stance) and tries to hide.

An animal rarely bites, as a rule, if it is in pain, or the person’s behavior is extremely careless. Even if you are already caught and treated gently, a bite most likely will not occur. But if a reptile is treated roughly, it will begin to defend itself, which is natural.

If you do get bitten, then characteristic symptoms appear:

small marks remain on the skin;
blood will be released depending on the depth of the wound; if the snake makes a jerk or a sharp twist when biting, then the wounds may be deep and bleeding is possible;
slight redness of the skin around the penetration of the teeth;
Swelling and itching are possible, which is quite rare.

Usually there is no need to do anything, since the person is in nature, as a rule, in this case there is nothing at hand. You can apply a cloth to the skin, and once the bleeding stops, use celandine or plantain leaves.

If the victim has access to medicine or is at home, first aid instructions will be as follows:

Rinse skin clean water. You can use soap, preferably baby or laundry soap.
Dry the wound with a sanitary napkin and treat with hydrogen peroxide or rub with a swab dipped in a 70% solution of ethyl alcohol;
If you have ice, applying it to the bite can reduce inflammation and pain. Instead of ice will do any frozen product wrapped in a clean cloth or plastic bag.
After all procedures, lubricate the skin around the wound with a cotton swab dipped in iodine and apply a bactericidal patch.

As a rule, this is where the troubles end. Complications are possible when an infection occurs, which may be due to dirty skin or the penetration of microbes present on the snake’s teeth.

In this case, the following symptoms develop:

the skin around the wound becomes very red and warms up;
an inflammatory process develops, there may be suppuration or bad smell;
a temperature appears, which depends on the degree of the negative process;
Signs of dyspepsia and intoxication may appear.

If these symptoms occur, you should immediately go to the hospital to provide medical assistance to the victim.

How to Avoid a Bite

To avoid causing harm to a person, you just need to not touch him.

To do this, you should be careful when being in natural conditions:

do not walk barefoot on tall grass, especially along river banks or wetlands;
do not pick up branches and leaves with bare hands;
when picking mushrooms and berries, you need to use a stick to rake the forest floor;
do not create on garden plot garbage heaps of trimmed cultivated plants that lie for a long time without disposal;
fight frogs and rodents;
Do not provoke the discovered animal with a stick or other objects, trying to get a better look at it.

Important. The surest way to encounter a snake is to move a few meters away from it. A snake or another reptile never attacks first, but only for the purpose of its own protection.

Conclusion

In Eurasia you can find three types of snakes: common, water and tiger. The latter has toxic substances, and its bite in rare cases can be toxic, like a viper.

Snakes are usually very peaceful; in order to show aggression, they need to be provoked (inflicted pain or forced to defend themselves by improper behavior). Medical attention may be required if you are bitten by a tiger snake. In other cases, it is enough to disinfect the wound and apply an antiseptic plaster. If an infection occurs, it is recommended to go to the hospital.

Already is a fast and agile snake. There are signs by which you can distinguish a grass snake from a viper. Experts and terrarium owners talk about the intelligence of snakes, but advise remembering that not all snakes are harmless.

Common snake, photo by Marek Szczepanek

How to distinguish a grass snake from a viper?

Eyes. The pupils of snakes are round, while those of vipers have the shape of a transverse “stick”. Characteristic feature Most snakes have well-developed eyes:

They have a round oval or vertical pupil, like a cat's, and often have a brightly colored iris, usually in good harmony with the overall coloring of the body. Snakes, which search for their prey mainly by sight, have greatly enlarged eyes adapted to react to moving objects (Animal Life, Volume 5).

So: the pupils of snakes are round, and those of vipers are in the shape of a stick, which is located across the body.

Coloring. The coloring of snakes is varied. Among them there are snakes of dark olive, brown, brown and even almost black color. Some snakes have variegated skin with bright patterns. It is possible that this is the protective nature of the coloring, the desire to imitate poisonous snakes. The snake family is numerous. Therefore, in order not to confuse the snake with poisonous snake, you need to know the characteristics of exactly those species that are found in a particular area. Let's consider three types of genus Snakes (Natrix) subfamilies Real snakes (Colubrinae).

Common snake “It is well distinguished from all our other snakes by two large, clearly visible light spots (yellow, orange, off-white) located on the sides of the head. These spots have a semi-lunar shape, and are bordered in front and behind by black stripes. There are individuals whose light spots are weakly expressed or absent. The color of the upper side of the body is from dark gray to black, the belly is white, with irregular black spots” (“Animal Life”, volume 5).

Perhaps this advice from a famous snake catcher will help someone:

It was quite simple to distinguish a snake from a viper: the snake has yellow or red spots on its head, similar to ears, and its body is monochromatic - dark gray or black. Vipers do not have “ears” on the head, the body is gray or red, and a zigzag stripe stands out sharply on the back (A Nedyalkov. Naturalist in search).

Water snake painted differently. This snake differs from the ordinary snake, although it often coexists with it.

The color of its back is olive, olive-gray, olive-greenish or brownish in color with dark spots located more or less in a checkerboard pattern or with narrow dark transverse stripes. Often happens on the back of the head dark spot, having the shape Latin letter V, pointing towards the head. The belly is yellowish to reddish, mottled with more or less rectangular black spots. Occasionally there are specimens completely devoid of a dark pattern on the body or completely black (“Animal Life”, volume 5).

Zmeelov A. Nedyalkov warns that it is dangerous to rely only on the color of the snake’s skin. One day, a viper taught him a lesson that could end in tragedy:

I didn’t yet know that there were vipers painted solid black, and I almost paid a heavy price for my ignorance.

I was walking through the forest one day after rain and saw a black body stretching across the path. large snake. The snake's head was hidden in the grass. The black body means it's not a viper, but... I really needed a big one, so I bent down and, without any precautions, took the snake by the body with my bare hand. The snake hissed. Snakes usually do not hiss when picked up. My catcher’s reflex kicked in, and with my other hand I grabbed the snake by the neck so that it couldn’t reach me with its teeth. I look and her pupil is in the shape of a stick. Viper!

What saved me from being bitten was that the viper was very chilled after the rain, and chilled snakes are rather sluggish and clumsy (A Nedyalkov. Naturalist in search).

Tiger snake , which is found on Far East Russia (as well as in Northern China, Korea, Japan), painted brightly and elegantly:

The back is dark green or dark olive in color (occasionally blue specimens are also found), mottled with more or less clear black transverse stripes or spots, gradually decreasing in size as one approaches the tail. In the anterior third of the body, the spaces between the black spots are painted a bright brick-red color. Under the eye there is an oblique black, wedge-shaped stripe, with its apex facing downwards, another black stripe runs from the supraorbital shield to the corner of the mouth. There is a wide black collar on the neck, or there is one triangular-shaped spot on each side of the neck. Upper lip yellow, large, black eyes (“Animal Life”, volume 5).

Smell. Snakes have one more difference from other snakes. Alarmed snakes smell disgusting:

The snake waved its tail and doused me with a stream of whitish, stinking liquid. The stench was terrible: a mixture of garlic fumes and some kind of chemical substance. I almost vomited, but I still threw the snake onto the shore. For an hour and a half I rubbed my skin with soap, sand, and alcohol, but I couldn’t remove the smell (A. Nedyalkov “Dangerous Paths of a Naturalist”).

It is believed that in those places where snakes are found there are no vipers. This is a misconception:

In addition to vipers, snakes were also found near the ditches. They say that snakes are at enmity with vipers and kill them. I have seen more than once how a grass snake and a viper lie side by side and calmly bask in the sun. And I never saw them fight (A. Nedyalkov “Naturalist in Search”).

Types of snakes

There are many different snakes, but the most common in our country are these three species.

(Natrix natrix ) is found in Europe (except for the Far North). It is a black or dark gray snake measuring up to 1.5 m (usually 1 m, females are noticeably larger than males) with two yellow or bright orange spots on the sides of the head. The snake can be found in overgrown bushes near water, in wet forests and in the swamps. The common snake sometimes settles near people’s homes: in heaps of garbage in the yard, in sheds, stables, cellars and poultry yards. It often hangs onto chickens and ducks or crawls into stables and barnyards. The snake even lays eggs here that resemble those of a pigeon. A dinner egg is filled with a yolk inside, surrounded by a thin layer of white. The eggs are covered with a leathery shell. The female lays eggs bound into “beads” by a gelatinous substance. Oviposition can be found in manure heaps, in a heap of dry leaves, damp moss or in loose soil. There can be 15 - 17 eggs (less often up to 30 pieces). About three weeks pass, and the cubs are born. The length of a snake that has just hatched from an egg is about 15 cm. It is capable of eating worms, snails and various insects.

The common snake spends the winter on land: it hides in old burrows made by mammals, climbs under tree roots, etc.

Water snake (Natris tesselata) lives in the southern regions of Russia, as it is more thermophilic than the common one. There are many such snakes in the Volga region and on the Don. The water snake is often seen in Crimea (especially on the Kerch Peninsula). These snakes stay near water, not only fresh, but also salty. They swim well (even in big waves) and dive. They feed on frogs, tadpoles, small fish (gobies) and even shrimp. Less often small mammals and birds. To make it easier for the snake to swallow the fish, the snake holds it in its mouth and swims to the shore. There it finds support for its body, sits comfortably near it, and then begins to swallow its prey. These snakes hide from the heat underwater. Snakes sleep in dry grass, in hay, climb into rodent holes, and under stones. In the morning, water snakes slowly crawl onto the banks of rivers and reservoirs. Snakes hibernate under rocks, in crevices and in dense bushes.

Already brindle (Rhabdophis tigrina) in Russia it is found in the south of the Far East (Primorsky Krai, near Khabarovsk) in damp areas near water, in forests and meadows. They are seen even in cities. The length of the snake is about 110 cm. The snake feeds on frogs, toads, small rodents and fish. This snake is considered conditionally venomous, as its poisonous teeth are located deep in the mouth (on the back of the maxillary bone).

For humans, tiger snake bites, usually inflicted by short front teeth, pass without a trace. However, in cases where the bite is inflicted by enlarged posterior maxillary teeth lying deep in the mouth, and into the wound in large quantities saliva and secretions from the upper labial glands enter, which can lead to severe poisoning, not inferior in severity to that from the bite of real poisonous snakes (“Animal Life, volume 5).

Snake nutrition

Snakes are excellent swimmers and often find food not only on land, but also in water. The diet of snakes mainly consists of small vertebrates: amphibians and reptiles. However, there are lovers of rodents, birds and fish. Frogs are a delicacy for snakes. He catches them in the water and on the shore. A hungry snake swallows several small frogs at once. In the water, it also hunts tadpoles and fish.

Watching him eat is unpleasant. He swallows frogs alive, just as some people swallow live oysters. The discrepancy between the sizes of the frog and the snake makes the process of eating a terrible sight - big mouth snake with a small head, thin body, in which a swallowed frog sticks out with a terrible knot... As a child, I was once caught with such a knot on my neck. I poked it with a stick - a live and unharmed frog jumped out from inside, it was still crawling, but it was completely white: the stomach juice of the snake had discolored it (Hans Scherfig “The Pond”).

The snake is said to hypnotize its prey. Externally it looks exactly like this. A. Nedyalkov saw with his own eyes how the frog obediently approached the snake:

I have been told many times that snakes hypnotize frogs. But this time the “hypnosis” did not take place. To see everything better, I pulled away a branch of the bush. The frog noticed the movement of the branch and made a desperate leap, turning over its head in the air. He continued to lie motionless. Looking closely, I saw that from time to time he threw out a forked tongue from his closed lips. I didn’t bother the snake and returned to my place. About five minutes later, near the same bush, the frog purred again. I approached the bush again. He was already lying in the same place, and the frog was purring again and approaching him. She did not jump, but, carefully moving her paws, crawled the way soldiers crawl on their bellies. This time I did not move the branches, and soon the frog approached the snake at a distance of twenty centimeters. Suddenly it rushed towards the frog and grabbed it by the end of its muzzle with its mouth. The frog struggled, but could not escape. Moving his jaws, he grabbed her tighter and tighter. The frog no longer purred, but desperately scraped the snake’s head with its paws. The snake's jaws kept moving and moving. The frog's eyes were already at the very edge of its mouth. I felt sorry for the frog, and I pushed the snake with the end of the grabber. He didn’t immediately let go of his victim. Only after I squeezed his neck quite hard with my grip, did he open his mouth and the frog escaped. She immediately jumped into the grass, and then slid into the thick of the bush... I don’t think he hypnotized the frog. Most likely, she noticed his moving tongue, mistook this tongue for a worm, wanted to eat this worm and herself became the prey of the snake (A. Nedyalkov “Naturalist in Search”).

Handmade

Snakes have been kept in captivity since the time Ancient Rome. Then they caught mice. Nowadays, there are also hobbyists who keep snakes at home. They advise designing the terrarium as a “forest + pond”. It is advisable to feed snakes with frogs and live small fish. Snakes are considered intelligent snakes that can get used to humans. This is what Hans Scherfig recalls about something he already knew in his book “The Pond”:

He was so sweet and friendly. A real pet snake that was not afraid of people. He even got rid of the old one bad habit- hiss and emit an unpleasant odor when you touch it. Frightened snakes smell like garlic.

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The snake is one of the types of snakes that do not belong to the poisonous group. However, the bite of a snake that attacks a person when its life is threatened causes the development of a complex symptomatic picture.

Most often, the reason for a snake attack is the inappropriate behavior of the person harassing the snake - touching the reptile with a stick, trying to anger it in every possible way.

Sometimes it happens that, being in the habitat of reptiles - a pond, in swamps, a person does not look at his feet, stepping on a snake. Children are often bitten when they try to grab the snake, and in defense of itself, the reptile bites its offenders.

The only species of snake that is poisonous is the tiger snake; its bite can cause death without timely assistance.

The habitat of the tiger species is Korea, Japan.

Snakes are fairly peaceful snakes. They calmly coexist with people, will never attack first, preferring to crawl away or pretend to be dead. The only thing a snake can do to scare you is its feces, which it releases when threatened, which is characterized by a foul odor. Often this reptile releases its feces onto humans.

Warning that it may attack, the snake begins to hiss loudly, sticking out its tongue. If you leave her alone at this moment, the matter will be limited to such threats.

The poisonous tiger snake behaves in the same way, with the only difference that when bitten it releases poisonous substance, which is enough dangerous toxin for the human body.

Many people often confuse a harmless snake with a viper, whose bite provokes severe symptoms. If a snake has bitten and the victim is not sure what it was, it is recommended to take the victim to the hospital as quickly as possible and describe to the doctor exactly what the reptile that attacked the patient looked like.

Having seen on my summer cottage or a snake in the water, many begin to panic, thinking that they are about to become a victim of a poisonous bite. There are a number of characteristics that can be used to distinguish snakes from other species of reptiles. These include the following:

oval head shape;
shiny scales;
presence of yellow or orange spots on the head;
round eye shape.

Despite the presence of teeth in the oral cavity, there are no sacs with poison there. The bite of this type of snake does not pose a danger to humans; the only thing that can happen is that if the wound after the attack is not properly treated, an infection can get into it, causing an extensive inflammatory process. Most often you can encounter a snake during the day, since the reptile sleeps at night.

The main source of food is frogs and small lizards.

Your name this type The snake got its name thanks to its color similar to the fur of a tiger. Along its entire length, the reptile has muted orange stripes. Lives in China, Japan and Korea. At its core, it is not aggressive look snake, but if it feels threatened, it will attack. The degree of poisoning depends on which teeth the reptile used to bite the skin.

If the skin is pierced with short teeth of the front row, there will be no particular intoxication, since in this case the secretion, which contains toxic substances, does not appear. As in the case of a simple snake attack, the only thing that can happen is that the wound from the teeth gets infected.

If it is grabbed by the teeth located in the back jaw, the poison begins to rapidly enter the wound along the grooves from the teeth. Intoxication in this case will be very strong and without treatment will lead to death.

Symptomatic picture with poisonous bite tiger snake is the same as in most cases of attacks by venomous snakes.

First of all, the central one suffers nervous system and vegetative functions of the body. Paralysis gradually appears, leading to disruption of the functioning of the heart muscle, causing heart failure, sudden cardiac arrest and death.

The only treatment method is the introduction of a special serum.

If she is not in the hospital, complex drug therapy is carried out to remove the toxin from the body. Anti-inflammatory and painkillers are prescribed medicines, drugs to relieve spasms and normalize the functioning of all internal organs and systems.

In order to avoid becoming a victim of a tiger snake attack, you must follow simple safety measures while in the habitat of these reptiles - look carefully around, do not touch the snake crawling past, do not put your hands in a pile of stones or holes.

Symptoms of a bite that are insignificant in intensity can only be observed if a person has a tendency to allergic reactions.

Clinical manifestations of a snake bite:

teeth marks on the skin in the form of several reddish dots;
slight bleeding from the wound site, which, in most cases, goes away on its own, without any assistance;
itching on skin, similar to the consequence of a mosquito bite;
minor swelling (optional symptom).

People who have been victims of snake attacks compare the feeling of a bite to the feeling of a cat digging into your skin.

A more serious clinical picture is observed when attacked by a tiger snake. A person shows signs of poisoning:

In most cases, complex symptoms after a tiger snake bite appear in children and people prone to allergic reactions.

In this case, the victim must be taken to a medical facility, since complications may develop; medicine knows cases of death.

If bitten by a snake, the victim, despite the fact that he was the victim of a non-venomous attack, needs first aid. First of all, you need to take the following actions:

Wash the wound thoroughly under running water using soap, preferably laundry soap.
Treat the wound with antiseptic drugs - hydrogen peroxide, Chlorhexidine.
If swelling develops, you need to apply a cold object to the skin. This can be ice or a piece of frozen product, previously wrapped in a towel, so that there is no frostbite of the soft tissues, which provokes necrosis. If there is no ice, you can use a towel soaked in cold water, it must be constantly dipped again.

After this, the wound can be lubricated with iodine. In the future, if a person works in the garden and constantly gets his hands dirty, the wound can be covered with a bandage soaked in antiseptic and healing ointments or creams.

Contact for medical care necessary in case of symptoms such as increased body temperature, severe fatigue and lethargy, extensive swelling at the site of the bite, redness of the skin. These signs indicate that the wound has become infected and must be treated with antibiotics prescribed only by a doctor. In other cases medical treatment not required.

How not to behave when bitten by a snake? It is strictly forbidden to cauterize the wound site. Firstly, this is an absolutely useless procedure that will only cause harm by causing a painful burn on the body. Secondly, there is no longer any poison that would need to be pulled out of the wound.

The incision will cause severe swelling and redness.

How to protect yourself from snake bites?

Despite the fact that this type of snake does not pose a threat to human health and life, a reptile bite will not please anyone. Eat simple ways avoid an unpleasant meeting. He will never attack a person who poses a danger to him. When meeting a snake, it will prefer to crawl away; if it is already in the water, it will swim as quickly as possible and further from the person. Often the reptile pretends to be dead so that it will not be touched.

How to protect yourself from the bite of a non-venomous reptile? If a grass snake is crawling nearby, you should not throw stones at it, poke it with a stick, or run after it, trying to grab it. In the best case, the snake will crawl away as quickly as possible, but if you drive it into a corner, it can attack, biting quite painfully and unpleasantly.

You can step on a snake and then you cannot avoid being bitten on the leg. This happens in cases where a person walks near a pond in tall grass or in the reeds, where the snake spends most of its time. When going to such places, you need to wear high boots; the shoes should cover your entire foot.

It is best to hold a thick stick in front of you, loudly move the reeds and other vegetation with it, and knock on the ground. Already, hearing extraneous vibrations, he will hasten to retreat.

Snakes are reptiles that are safe for humans and have many enemies in nature.

They are eaten by hedgehogs and are often attacked by cats and dogs. A snake will never be the first to attack a person and will do everything possible to get away faster. The bite is not dangerous and requires only local treatment with antiseptic drugs.

Any complications after the attack are already provoked by infection or individual allergic reactions, which happens extremely rarely. Only dangerous tiger species reptiles, their habitat is limited to Japan and Korea. Meeting them can cause severe intoxication of the body due to a poisonous bite, which often leads to death.

Many people are interested in whether it is poisonous or not. If so, which species are dangerous and where are they found? And also first aid for a snake bite. There are several types of snakes, but in our area only the most common snake, the Common Snake, is mainly found. These snakes are buttery green in color with dark stripes, have round eyes and reach approximately 100-130 cm in length. They usually live near water and wetlands. Snakes eat insects, small fish, frogs, and rodents.

Common snake

Eggs are laid in early summer, and the young emerge closer to autumn. People are mostly no longer attacked; this is done by vipers, which are very similar to them and for this reason they are often confused. There were, of course, cases when he bit a person, but these bites are not dangerous even in mating season. Most often, for the purpose of self-defense, these reptiles emit a foul odor or pretend to be dead. Thus, it is clear that ordinary snakes are in no way dangerous to people and they are not poisonous. But there is still a species whose bite can take a life.

Tiger Snake

Yes, exactly Tiger Snakes poisonous. If their saliva enters the human blood, poisoning will occur, the symptoms of which are similar to those of a viper bite. This snake also reaches about a meter in length, and its physique is similar to ordinary snakes. The only thing that distinguishes it is that under the skin of its back, behind its head, it has about 19 pairs of nuchodorsal glands; they are visible from the outside as small ridges on the skin. There are two teeth in the mouth, which are greatly enlarged, bent back and separated from the rest of the teeth by a gap.

Tiger snake

They are the ones who bite through the prey. The Tiger Snake lives in Korea, Eastern China and the islands of Japan. But several years ago he was noticed in Russia, in Yaroslavl region. Then this news caused a lot of panic among local residents. They were afraid to go out into nature, walk in forests and parks, because in our country there is not even an antidote for this snake. There were also deaths. Scientists biologists said that this species crossed with ordinary snakes and therefore multiplied greatly. But it seems that in 2017 nothing was heard about Tiger Already. Most likely it became extinct in our climate, so there is nothing more to be afraid of.

First aid for a bite

If, nevertheless, someone is unlucky and he meets a Tiger Snake on his way, which bites him, then he needs to immediately call a doctor, and until he arrives:

Take a horizontal position and try not to move;
Let someone take care of sucking the poison out of the wound. This can be done using a rubber bulb, syringe, pipette. But if they are not at hand, then you can do it by mouth, if there is no damage to the mucous membrane;
Treat the wound with alcohol;
Bandage it tightly;
Drink plenty of water.

But even despite whether a person has been bitten by a poisonous person or not, it is still better to immediately contact a specialist to be absolutely sure that there will be no consequences.