Snake Bite

[suiging]

A good friend of mine's wife did not enjoy here stay with us recently as she has an irrational fear of snakes.

Our house is in-country but hardly in the wild. A gentle stroll on pathed roads to the pub by the lake had her in terror so I was told on their return to the UK.

Now TV has many thousands of members. So the simple question is how many out there have actually faced an aggressive snake and been bitten. I have seen many in 23 years in the East, but try as I might I could not convince this woman that I have never been in a position where you could honestly say I was in any real danger from one.

How about you guys?

[soundman]

Faced an aggressive snake - couple of times a year when one is accidently cornered or surprised.

Bitten - I don't think I have ever actually met someone who has been bitten by a snake.

[bojo]

A good friend of mine's wife did not enjoy here stay with us recently as she has an irrational fear of snakes.

Our house is in-country but hardly in the wild. A gentle stroll on pathed roads to the pub by the lake had her in terror so I was told on their return to the UK.

Now TV has many thousands of members. So the simple question is how many out there have actually faced an aggressive snake and been bitten. I have seen many in 23 years in the East, but try as I might I could not convince this woman that I have never been in a position where you could honestly say I was in any real danger from one.

How about you guys?

Personally i wouldn'y say that her fear was irrational, I too used to be terrified by them (and know many that are) until I came to Thailand and dealt with them.

I had over 50 encounters with snakes (mostly cobras) at my house in a coconut plantation in Koh Samui which was infested with frogs due to the gullies running down adjacent to the house.

Snakes we're everywhere in the house, behind picture on the wall, dropping through a hole in the ceiling into the bedroom, under the welder in the shed (over 2 metres that one and very agressive), under the UPS, under the fridge, under the sofa,in the laundry, absolutely everywhere over a 9 year period.

They are very dangerous, if you accidentally come across/tread on one.

The locals used to tell me stories of so and so being bitten by a cobra. None that I know of died and they all said that they cut open the flesh and sucked out the poison. Urban myth or what?

The owner of the crocodile farm was bitten one of his snakes and after failed treatment at a Samui hospital, had to be flown to BKK for some serious treatment, where he was lucky to survive.

I think the most ominous thing about a snake is it's stealth.

Regards Bojo

[Mario2008]

I saw a snake 20 cm from my feet this week, and it was more scaed then my and just tried to get away. 2 yeasr ago I had another snake in my house only 10 cm from my hand, when I wanted to get a cup behind he was lying. That snake didn't do anything either. And I can't count the close encounters I have with snakes outside the house on the road.

Most snakes simply aren't agressive and will not attack untill they see no other way out. Snake bites are very rare.

[garyh]

The best thing to do if you encounter a snake is DON"T MOVE you can yell all you want to call for help etc. They hear through the ground if you move the snake can sense it but stay still and they are not aware you are there. The fear of snakes is irrational as they will do their best to get out of your way. Also if you stomp your feet as you walk this will scare off snakes.

Edited July 24, 2009 by garyh

[garyh]

A good friend of mine's wife did not enjoy here stay with us recently as she has an irrational fear of snakes.

Our house is in-country but hardly in the wild. A gentle stroll on pathed roads to the pub by the lake had her in terror so I was told on their return to the UK.

Now TV has many thousands of members. So the simple question is how many out there have actually faced an aggressive snake and been bitten. I have seen many in 23 years in the East, but try as I might I could not convince this woman that I have never been in a position where you could honestly say I was in any real danger from one.

How about you guys?

Personally i wouldn'y say that her fear was irrational, I too used to be terrified by them (and know many that are) until I came to Thailand and dealt with them.

I had over 50 encounters with snakes (mostly cobras) at my house in a coconut plantation in Koh Samui which was infested with frogs due to the gullies running down adjacent to the house.

Snakes we're everywhere in the house, behind picture on the wall, dropping through a hole in the ceiling into the bedroom, under the welder in the shed (over 2 metres that one and very agressive), under the UPS, under the fridge, under the sofa,in the laundry, absolutely everywhere over a 9 year period.

They are very dangerous, if you accidentally come across/tread on one.

The locals used to tell me stories of so and so being bitten by a cobra. None that I know of died and they all said that they cut open the flesh and sucked out the poison. Urban myth or what?

The owner of the crocodile farm was bitten one of his snakes and after failed treatment at a Samui hospital, had to be flown to BKK for some serious treatment, where he was lucky to survive.

I think the most ominous thing about a snake is it's stealth.

Regards Bojo

Cutting the snake bite is very wrong, best treatment is immobilization and pressure bandage the effected limb/area ra.edu.au/staff/georges/snakebite.pdf

Edited July 24, 2009 by garyh

[bojo]

The best thing to do if you encounter a snake is DON"T MOVE you can yell all you want to call for help etc. They hear through the ground if you move the snake can sense it but stay still and they are not aware you are there. The fear of snakes is irrational as they will do their best to get out of your way. Also if you stomp your feet as you walk this will scare off snakes.

The fear of snakes may be irrational to those who are familiar with them. However regarding the Op's post, the woman like many tourists to Thailand and urban dwellers who haven't encountered them are petrified of snakes due to their lack of knowledge. My first encounter with a snake was almost stepping on one in Dartmoor aged 7 and running for my life. My second was seeing a cowboy getting bitten on the side of his face in a Western by a snake he was unaware of. He died by the way!) It is no surprise that big city folks fear them.

Guess we'll have to beg to differ as to whether it's irrational or not.

regards Bojo

[Dakhar]

I had a class mate of mine bitten by a snake in college.... She lived but what the snake venomon (sp) did to her arm was simply awful.

[lioness]

Cutting the snake bite is very wrong, best treatment is immobilization and pressure bandage the effected limb/area ra.edu.au/staff/georges/snakebite.pdf

Quite correct, this is the up to date method of dealing with it. The important thing to remember if bitten is to keep as still as possible, if you run for help lets say, the poison pumps around the body far quicker.

Quite amusing really I have found most UK people are terrified of snakes, but most snakes are more scared of you and unless cornered will head off in the other direction.

[sunholidaysun1]

10 years ago when Koh Chang was still a dusty tracked tropical paradise , I was returning from a trip to Bang Bao fishing village after watching the fishing boats unload the nights catch. My journey back to where I was staying was about 6km away and driving the moped through the jungle track , turned a sharp corner and in the middle of the road was a huge Cobra. He was coiled and sitting up lookinig directly at me. I slammed on the brakes and stopped dead . My heart was pounding , not knowing what to do as he was only about 10ft from me. I didnt move a muscle, scared to death that he might make a move for me but he didnt. The tongue was flickering but he decided I wasnt a threat and lowered himself back to the ground and slowly moved off into the jungle. His route was the beach huts 100 mtrs from where we had met. The size of the snake was huge , I have only seen a python in Thailand that was bigger and was in captivity .This snake in my estimation without over exagerating was between 3 and 4 mtrs long.

Since then , living here I have encountered many different varieties of snakes on my land. I dont know which ones are deadly poisoness but I treat them all as if they are. Most move off my land as fast as you can run and believe me I have chased some without getting near to them .If they were to chase me , I would be caught for sure. Some of the snakes are beautiful ,wonderful colours and shapes of head. I think most are vipers of sorts .

The banded crait is a common visitor to me , mainly as I am told by the attraction to light from my house at night. These snakes range between 1-3 mtrs long with black rings round a yellowish colour body . When you are near to them they hide their head in the coils of thier body as if they are shy to be seen , but beware of this snake , do not go near it , if it bites you , you only have about 30 minutes to get the vaccine , if not the chances are you will die. Very dagerous snake of Asia along with the Asian Viper , scary .

There are cobra's here , in all parts and not often seen , but they are watching you .

[mauGR1]

I've never seen a cobra in Koh Chang,but for sure there are huge ones.Luckily they are scared of humans.Often in the rainy season some snakes get lost and find themselves in the "civilized" area of the island.I have a small garden which the snakes visit quite often,sorry for the snake-lovers,but i killed two vipers in five years,another snake which i destryed was a quite big non poisonous one,i was sorry for it.According to some Monk whom i was asking,it's not bad karma to kill poisonous snakes,a human life is regarded to be more precious.

[Garry9999]

There are lots of dangerous snakes in Thailand, but no more than in my home contry of Australia. Be cautious of snakes, but not terrified.

Tips

1. Learn the correct first aid treatment for snake bits. (compression bandaging and imobilisation).

2. Carry a first aid kit in your car and a small one a pack back if walking in areas where snake are likely.

3. Learn to identify snakes, it's a big help to the hospital and patient if they know what bit them.

4. If bitten, don't panic, apply a pressure bandage and go to a good hospital asap, in most cases you have lots of time.

5. Never try to catch a snake, never play with a snake, most snakes are more scared of you than you are of them.

[Geekfreaklover]

A friend of mine was bitten by a pit viper recently. Lucikly it was a 'dry bite' - The snake knew that he was not potential food so didn't release any venom.

I normally work on the basis that the more colourful the snake the more venomious as a very rough guide. The banded Kait (which looks similar to the harmless mangrove snake) it to be avoided at all costs.

The largest snake I've seen was a king cobra crossing the road near the Cambodian border. must of been over 4 metres long.

[neverdie]

^^ Garry9999, Australia has a great collection of the worlds most deadliest snakes, I would much rather encouter all of Thailands snake in one pit that just a few of the Australian ones.

I have had several encounters with Inland Taipans and the Eastern Brown Snake which can really be quite aggressive.

Then you really need to keep an eye out for the Tiger, Mulga and whip snakes, all of which can potentially end your life, especially if you already have health conditions or are a child.

When considering Venomous snakes one should be most concerned about Juvenile snakes which are considered more deadly than adult snakes merely for the fact that at a young age they cannot regulate their venom like adults and commonly inject far more of it than the adult snake, which has obvious consequences.

Snakes are fine as long as you are aware of them and treat them with respect.....humans are not in their food chain. Most people that die or are biten by snakes are bitten whilst attempting to kill the snake. Leave it alone, it will leave you alone, generally.

Edited July 24, 2009 by neverdie

[Garry9999]

neverdie "Australia has a great collection of the worlds most deadliest snakes, I would much rather encouter all of Thailands snake in one pit that just a few of the Australian ones"

You may be right, but I really don't like the look of the King Cobra here.

[neverdie]

Yes, I had a baby one of those in my kitchen some months ago.

Their design is fundamentally flawed because they cant strike upwards, which is one of the reasons that snake rears up to attack. He is easily taken from behind the head.....but one needs to be very careful of the spiting variety , cause that baby can really cause you some pain.

To many thais, every snake they encounter is a Cobra

[Samuian]

Quite right the snakes try to avoid any contact with us "humans"...

as if they know they haven't got a fair chance!?

Anyone seen the grey banded krait yet - around here in thailand?

seen once a brown tiger in action in in victoria, on a camping ground -

they can move fast and yes are quite aggressive in their advances.

as a result of Ophidiophobia there are many urban myths about snakes.

..had quite e few encounters, even surprise encounters, never got bitten!

happens usually accidentally...once a tree snake(non-poisenous) "snapped'

at my hand while I was attempting to cut a branch of a tree, didn't get me,

my reflex was wonderfully fast!

Edited July 24, 2009 by Samuian

[IanForbes]

I've only been bitten once, and that was from a Tiger snake in Tasmania. It struck me as I walked past a log next to the stream I was fishing. Luckily I was wearing waders and thick socks. The short fangs of a Tiger snake barely scratched the surface of my skin. I had a rash like a bad wasp sting, but that was all. I didn't even have time to be scared.

I like snakes and venomous ones fascinate me. I've picked up a few wild cobras, but always had a forked stick to ward off their strike. I've only killed one snake and that was a Tiger snake going into a yard full of children. I've seen two king cobras in the wild and they are VERY impressive creatures. They are also very smart. And, if you are smart you will leave them alone. I've got some good video of one but the other was in thicker bush country near a stream and I was out of my safety zone if the snake decided to attack.

Taipans in Australia are far more aggressive and a nasty piece of work. They can't be trusted at all. A gal we were hiking with in Darwin got bit on the crotch area when she went behind a bush to pee. She was too embarrased to let anyone look at it and I'm not sure we could have helped her in any case. She wound up dying about 3 days later.

[IanForbes]

neverdie "Australia has a great collection of the worlds most deadliest snakes, I would much rather encouter all of Thailands snake in one pit that just a few of the Australian ones"

You may be right, but I really don't like the look of the King Cobra here.

When a King cobra rises up 5 feet off the ground to stare you in the eye it makes your blood run cold.

They aren't as thick as pythons, but some are very long. This one was supposed to be 17 feet long.

[neverdie]

What a SENSATIONAL looking snake....wish I had one like that

[redwood13]

An acquaintance was bitten in July while playing golf in Pattaya. He brought the snake to the hospital with him and they were able to identify it. I saw him 2 weeks after the event and his leg was still noticeably swollen.

-redwood

[Okidoki]

It is very unlikely to get bitten by a snake unless you tries to catch it or handle it. Have had most species in the world except some of the Australian ones. But most sorts of Cobras, Vipers, Rattlers, Adders, Mambas, etc. BTW, a good friend of mine has just been able to breed Black Mamba for the first time ever in Northern Europe. Anyone interested?

Been bitten many, many times but only hospitalized twice. All of the snakebites happened from snakes in collections when I treated them for various reasons. The first one was a Bamboo viper and that was painful...... The other one was a Gaboon viper. Also hurt alot but I was lucky and didn´t get too much venom injected.

In Thailand I have caught Cobras and a few other snakes but never been bitten except from non poisonous ones. I have enclosed some pictures and my point of views about snakes on some of my other threads in this forum. For the ones interested.

[Longbow212]

I got bitten on sukhumvit by what was probably some variety of green pit viper. It probably could not hear me coming because of the traffic otherwise it would have probably moved on.

Over 24hrs my leg swelled up to 2-3 times its normal size. Around 99% of my platelets were destroyed and I was in danger of bleeding to death, nearly had to have a platelet/blood transfusion but they could not find my blood group and by the next day my platelet count increased slightly. Spent one week in hospital and another 1-2 weeks limping around. Took a total of 4 weeks to fully recover.

Watch were you are walking at night, i carry a small key ring torch with me now.

[neverdie]

I got bitten on sukhumvit by what was probably some variety of green pit viper. It probably could not hear me coming because of the traffic otherwise it would have probably moved on.

Over 24hrs my leg swelled up to 2-3 times its normal size. Around 99% of my platelets were destroyed and I was in danger of bleeding to death, nearly had to have a platelet/blood transfusion but they could not find my blood group and by the next day my platelet count increased slightly. Spent one week in hospital and another 1-2 weeks limping around. Took a total of 4 weeks to fully recover.

Watch were you are walking at night, i carry a small key ring torch with me now.

Truely a very lucky man. I believe a few men have been biten by the Pit Viper (2 legged variety) along the stretch at Sukhumvit.....sounds like your encounter nearly ended in a funeral. Glad ur okay.

[Gary A]

Quite right the snakes try to avoid any contact with us "humans"...

as if they know they haven't got a fair chance!?

Anyone seen the grey banded krait yet - around here in thailand?

seen once a brown tiger in action in in victoria, on a camping ground -

they can move fast and yes are quite aggressive in their advances.

as a result of Ophidiophobia there are many urban myths about snakes.

..had quite e few encounters, even surprise encounters, never got bitten!

happens usually accidentally...once a tree snake(non-poisenous) "snapped'

at my hand while I was attempting to cut a branch of a tree, didn't get me,

my reflex was wonderfully fast!

We were enlarging a pond and the excavator dug up a Blue Krait. The operator didn't see it and dumped it in a dump truck. The dump truck dumped the load of dirt near where we were all standing. The snake came out of the pile of dirt. The Thais scattered and said it was a dangerous snake. I was in a position where I could have easily killed it but I let it go. I didn't know what it was until I looked it up on the Internet.

[steve73]

I found a cobra coiled up like a turd behind the gas bottle in my Thai (outside) kitchen a couple of years back. I didn't see it until I turned the gas on, and then reared up with its hood swollen. Ended up pushing/fending it out with a (very long) bamboo pole, but I was pretty worried that it was a spitter. A few days later I found a skin which measured 3.5m long, which was about the size of the snake I'd seen.

We have a python now living under a bank at the side of our pond. I didnt see the head, but the body was about 3-4 inches diameter, and kept going for at least 3m. I hear from my neighbor that its still around and waiting for me to get back to "deal with it". Meantime my chicken are dissappearing, but kittens are OK...!!

Lots of smaller ones around occasionally but fortunately the missus is comfortable sorting them out. Not tried eating one yet though.

[LennyW]

I've encountered a few snakes here, poisonous and non poisonous, 99% of the time they are off rather quickly.

By far the most bad tempered snake i have come across was a Radiated Rat Snake, also known as a Copperhead Racer.

Apparently this species is harmless to humans but jeez did he repeatedly strike out - wow, to anybody that did not know it was harmless (like me at the time!) it would be rather scary!!

I always carry my handy little book with me to identify them.

[bina]

while in thailand in a trip down some river (walking) saw two different pythons in trees. the thais ran. my (thai( husband and i tried getting closer to photo shot each of them. too dark...

worked with non poisonous and semi poisonous israeli native snakes, also the usual king/corn snakes... ran in to many of our vipers at night while dealing with goats and stuff... very big, but fairly 'JAI YEN' snakes unless stepped on or bothered. after winter 'hibernation' they are particularly nasty and venomous, but can kill a child or small adult all year, and /or cause muscle/nerve damage at best ... had one in our children's amusment park indoors, in the 'plastic balls pool'., the child that got bitten made it cause his mother, our kibbutz nurse, kept him breathing while we rushed to hospital (30 minutes drive on country mountain road), he suffered some damage to muscle tissue but is ok now.

some others here were bitten while walking in our orchards, came back home and drove to hospital. all suffered from terrible pain and tissue damage.

our black snake is aggressive and nasty, will not move away from humans if encountered on a path, and will bite, nasty but not deadly.

several other very nasty bur fortunately rarer and not too aggressive snakes, all th colour of the desert.

anon killed any snake he ever saw here, regardless of my and duaghter telling him that snakes are good, keep away rats, etc...

to thais, a good snake is a dead snake. , other wise i would have some kings as pets.

btw, not all traingular heads mean vipers, and not all poisonous snakes are vipers either. some of our snakes resemble eachother and only the pupil i.e. vertical or horizontal pupil tells u wich snake is which.

i say, if u are close enough to see the pupil, u are a bit too close to the snake in general........

bina

israel

a utube clip in hebrew but shows a beautiful israeli viper, close up of the teeth, the zig zag on the back, the face, and u can also see how slow the snake is to respond to irritation.

[IanForbes]

One thing to note is snakes are usually more common in areas with water. That is why people with garden ponds have to be a little more careful. Because I spend a lot of time fishing I'm more likely to see snakes than somebody living all their time in the city. One place to watch out for is the fishing parks where people pay to fish. Very often there is extra fish bait left on shore and that attracts rats at night. The rats attract snakes like cobras.

Thanks to Bina for including the youtube clip of the Israeli viper, and to everyone else who have contributed to this topic. We don't have any venomous snakes where I live on Vancouver Island, but we do have rattlers in the dry interior of the province.

[Heng]

Have killed more than a few, much to the dismay of many locals, typically those into superstitions in general, who believe that 'jao tee' or former owners of specific properties/areas who have died on said property, and continue to look after said property and future occupants after their death.

You see, in addition to inhabiting little houses with porcelain elephants and misc. figurines, they also like to spend time as snakes. Duh.