Danger From The Flood Emerges As Deadly Green Mambas Escape

[atyclb]

What are the chances of actually catching all of these? I hope no one has a bad encounter with these things. And shouldn't they fly the serum in from south America now as there is a good chance it will be needed soon.

I stand to be corrected but green mambas are native to East Africa so <deleted> would they be getting anti-venom from South America for....lost in the translation again....may be should read South Africa ?

Brazil has a unique institution in the state of São Paulo: the Butantã, as it is known internationally in the medical field.

Butantã not only researches and develops new approaches to treat most snake bites in the world, but it also has thousands upon thousands of different types of serum/antidotes stored and provided free of charge to any hospital worldwide.

Unfortunately, most tropical countries such a Thailand, for generations, have preferred to live with the risk of death by venom toxin than to invest in a facility to store antidotes for species known to live in the country.

If Thailand has never, never seriously in decades of terrible floods (I was here in 1995) have summoned the wisdom and know-how of Holland to rid the country of the devastating effects of the floods, what can we expect of the Thai governments in the 21th. century?

Thai hospitals do indeed stock anti-venom for indigenous snakes.

True. But who knows and is able to identify the kind of snake one is bitten by unless he is an expert. Anti-venoms are spezific. If bitten by a banded krait or a viper chances are still lowto zero, depending on the amount of poison injected, to reach a hospital in time. My friend who is running a snake farm, was bitten by a worm size baby viper 5 Years ago and suffered for 4 month in a Bangkok hospital beeing in critical condition for a week. Total cost for the treatment 400 000 Bhat. Anti venoum only works in a very short period after the bite.

At a rural hospital there is a chart on the wall with photos of the local poisonous snakes to help identify the culprit. Some of the locals might know what kind if snake it was even if in their own lingo. Agreed, transport time kills. I had pet snakes as a kid but the non-poisonous ones.

[rubl]

Be careful not to be bitten because there was no serum available in Thailand at present to counteract their venom. UNBELIEVABLE - they keep those killers and have no serum available. Mai Pen Rai - who cares, there are already too many people in Thailand....In the West, if you have such you also must have serum in case of things go bad, but in the ASIA the life doesn´t cost any. Only good snake is a dead snake!

The good news is that serum will arrive tomorrow. In the mean time try not to get bitten

BTW in Asia the only good snake is either cooked, fried, or put in alcohol for a medical drink

[DocN]

So what do we know?

Some dude had 15 deadly snakes from AFRICA in his apartment etc.

They are out there!

Along with the crocs and (as we just learned) the piranhas.

The will have the anti-venom over here by tomorrow.

Given the way most things are handeled in this country: that is a lie!

IF they have it over here, it will be 2 littel bottles and they will be stored in that snake-research- thingy.

IF I get bitten, I will die because I will never make it there on time

The Sawyer Extractor is the best thing to have, next to swiss army knife!

I love my life here!

Edited November 3, 2011 by DocN

[elcent]

I read in a twitter that the larger ones have been caught. The smaller ones are still at large

[GentlemanJim]

The question still remains, and doesn't seem to have been answered by the media, is who did the snakes belong to? We seem to be assuming here that they were part of some research project. It sounds to me as if they were owned by some dodgy geezer who had them in his back garden.

[BinDhumm]

What individual/organization would be in possession of these deadly snakes here in Thailand? If it was a research project, did other varieties of snake escape? They mention they escaped from a flooded building, did they swim out? Much more info could be given to people as to likely habitat for the snakes to go to, normal range, etc.

King cobras feed on snakes.

Is this a mating pair and their 13 babies? What is the purpose of having a supply of this snake venom? Who funded this research? Why were not funds provided to bring in the antidote as well? What do they eat and how often? Are these snakes normally at the top of their food chain? If not, who are their predators? What is the probability that they will stop breeding now that they in their element and as free as free can be?

[theblether]

I was under the impression that the majority of snakes would not survive long in cool / cold water.....................I'm also under the impression that these snakes escaped in a flood zone. I know they may have escaped into a dry zone but is it not equally likely they have perished in the water?

I'm only asking, can a snake expert enlighten me?

[k1fan100]

No panic. Relax. One should be aware, that Thailand is full of dangerous snakes. Vipers, cobras and kraits are as toxic as the mamba. Kraits are deadly within about 30 minutes. The chances to be treated in time are closed to zero. There are tenhousends of them. Everywere. THATS Thailand. 10 green mambas really do not make a difference. The chances they can stay together and breed would be near zero. Cobras feed on snakes. They will take care of them. Like all snakes mambas avoid human contact. They are only agressive when threatened.

You have absolutely NO idea what you are talking about...For one while Kraits are extremely venomous...their venom is fairly SLOW acting....It takes multiple hours for you to be in serious trouble and their is plenty of time to get proper medical attention..They are one of the deadliest snake families in the world through...equal with the Mamba family of snakes and a few others.

Your average monocolced cobra would not be able to kill a green mamba...It is to small....A king cobra is a different story but unless their are king cobras everywhere the chance of snakes killing these green mambas is very slim

Secondly...baby snakes are NOT more venomous than Adult ones and they do NOT inject more venom...Baby snakes may inject a higher PERCENTAGE of their venom than adults but they still inject a much small overall amount of venom for a typical bite because Adults have a much larger yield....It is almost ALWAYS better to be bitten by a baby snake and almost always worse to be bitten by the larger adults...Their is also new evidence that suggests that snake venom gets more toxic as the snake gets older and bigger as they begin to tackle larger prey items and need a more toxic venom to do so..

Luckily 13 of the 15 are young juvenile mambas...because they are much less dangerous to be bitten by than the adults

You fail

Edited November 3, 2011 by k1fan100

[k1fan100]

This is no laughing matter. The biggest danger here comes from self-proclaimed snake specialists that mistakenly identify one of these for the common, less venomous green tree snakes. The green mamba CAN KILL YOU and is particularly dangerous to smaller people -- the lethal dosage can be as little as 0.25 mg toxin per kg of the victim's body weight and a full-grown mamba can deliver up to 90 mg of toxin in a single bite. Translation: if you are a 60 kg human, as little as 15 mg of the toxin can kill you. Of course this is a lower limit, so no need to overly panic -- some people can survive up to 30 mg toxin per kg of body weight.

As for "local snakes having a meal of them" -- that's actually quite possible. Hopefully the cobras roaming around are hungry and not too stressed out to eat.

No wrong...No one has any idea how much mamba or any other snake venom can kill a human because the tests have NEVER BEEN DONE ON HUMANS...The snake venom tests have never been done on humans and have ONLY been done on mice...Their are also tons of snakes missing from the test( many kraits, cobras, the boomslang etc are missing from the test and have no been given an ld50 value) and having been only conducted on mice it is a flawed test...

Green mambas are very deadly...but not like the Black Mamba which is probably one of the top5 worlds most deadly snakes....If you had 15 adult Black Mambas released into Thailand then that would be a huge problems as they are very very deadly snakes...But 13 young green mambas and 2 adults is not that big of a concern..They are deadly but not like the Black Mamba which is a top 5 most deadly snake.

Edited November 3, 2011 by k1fan100

[k1fan100]

Oh dear!!!!! They are giving out the wrong information to treat a snake bite.

Firstly NEVER wash the bite area. Its the bite area that can show what type of snake bit you. Then you will know what type of anti venom should be used. The wrong anti venom can cause death. Secondly you have to put a constrictive bandage directly to the bite area and extending as far a possible up the limb. (If bite was not on a limb then its obviuos.... Your in big trouble.)

This is 1 site that has it right,

If these snakes are now loose and in the wild they should be getting the anti venom here in Thailand immediatly. These snakes are very nervous and highly aggressive. Not to mention extremely fast.

The other issue is that these snakes might thrive in the Thailand country side. This can have a massive ecological disaster for Thailand. Just look at what Burmese Pythons are doing to the Southern states of the USA.

Why would you link a website that is talking about proper protocol for snakebites from AUSTRALIAN SNAKES...Since when is a Green Mamba an Australian snakes

You Australians are annoying as hell...What works for your overrated snakes may not work for snakes elsewhere...Stop trying to preach your crap knowledge on the rest of us...

All you need for a green mamba is a ventilator...It kills by stopping your breathing temporary so just put the person on a ventilator until the venom wears off...No need even for antivenom as the venom doesn't affect your blood clotting mechanisms( like a Russell's viper) or cause any local damage..Just get the victim on a ventilator and wait it out.

Stop preaching your Australian methods for snakes that aren't australian...Your snakes are lame and overrated as it is....and I hate how Australians like to pretend they are the venom experts of the world or something...Your not and get over yourselves

Edited November 3, 2011 by k1fan100

[kimamey]

How can officials send out well equipped experts if they don't have serum?

[BinDhumm]

Oh dear!!!!! They are giving out the wrong information to treat a snake bite.

Firstly NEVER wash the bite area. Its the bite area that can show what type of snake bit you. Then you will know what type of anti venom should be used. The wrong anti venom can cause death. Secondly you have to put a constrictive bandage directly to the bite area and extending as far a possible up the limb. (If bite was not on a limb then its obviuos.... Your in big trouble.)

This is 1 site that has it right,

If these snakes are now loose and in the wild they should be getting the anti venom here in Thailand immediatly. These snakes are very nervous and highly aggressive. Not to mention extremely fast.

The other issue is that these snakes might thrive in the Thailand country side. This can have a massive ecological disaster for Thailand. Just look at what Burmese Pythons are doing to the Southern states of the USA.

Why would you link a website that is talking about proper protocol for snakebites from AUSTRALIAN SNAKES...Since when is a Green Mamba an Australian snakes

You Australians are annoying as hell...What works for your overrated snakes may not work for snakes elsewhere...Stop trying to preach your crap knowledge on the rest of us...

All you need for a green mamba is a ventilator...It kills by stopping your breathing temporary so just put the person on a ventilator until the venom wears off...No need even for antivenom as the venom doesn't affect your blood clotting mechanisms( like a Russell's viper) or cause any local damage..Just get the victim on a ventilator and wait it out.

Stop preaching your Australian methods for snakes that aren't australian...Your snakes are lame and overrated as it is....and I hate how Australians like to pretend they are the venom experts of the world or something...Your not and get over yourselves

Quite agressiv.....arent you? Look up ten snake pages and you will read 5 opinions. JAEH, GO AHEAD AND FIND A VENTILATOR in the flodd somewere in 20 Minutes. Antivenoums NEED a 100% iD of the creature. You can do? Green mambas are good swimers, like all snakes. They are exellent climbers and can hide nearly anywere. The bite of a banded krait IS fatal. Thanks for beeing so kind.

[khaowong1]

Deadly green mambas escape

THE NATION

I

Another terror from the floods emerged yesterday - the public was warned that 15 green mamba snakes had escaped from a flooded building in Nonthaburi's Pak Kret district on Tuesday night.

Officials say the highly venomous snakes include two adults - 2 metres long - and 13 one-metre-long young ones.

Anyone spotting the snakes must alert the Zoo and Wildlife Veterinary Society of Thailand via hotline 1362 or the Jor Sor 100 radio station at (02) 711 9160.

Chisanu Tiyacharoensri, vice president of the Wild Animal Rescue Foundation of Thailand, said green mambas were yellowish-green and larger than green snakes. He urged people to stay away from the snakes and be careful not to be bitten because there was no serum available in Thailand at present to counteract their venom.

Chisanu said the victim of a mamba bite would feel drowsy and could die in 20 minutes. If he or she survived, the victim would be on respiratory aid while waiting for antivenin to come from South America in two or three days.

For first aid in case of snakebite to a limb, Chisanu said the wound should be cleaned gently with soap and water, and a piece of cloth should be wrapped tightly at least 7 centimetres above the bite. A second piece should be wrapped 7cm above the first. The victim should lie down before being quickly transported to hospital.

He warned not to squeeze or cut the wound.

-- The Nation 2011-11-03

y

Ok, I did my civic duty and showed about a dozen people in my moo baan this picture and warned them, I got a 100% reaction. They all said, oohh, suay maak! My thai is not that good, but i think this means, oh thank you ajahn, you are so wonderful to bring this to our attention. :-) So, i feel safe here now. One old khun yai who owns a noodle stand, put up a sign on her stand that says, "coming soon - mambo gumbo". She said it's a delicious treat she read was a big hit in New Orleans after hurricane katrina. :-) I know i cant wait to try it.

[Kriver]

Ok, I did my civic duty and showed about a dozen people in my moo baan this picture and warned them, I got a 100% reaction. They all said, oohh, suay maak! My thai is not that good, but i think this means, oh thank you ajahn, you are so wonderful to bring this to our attention. :-) So, i feel safe here now. One old khun yai who owns a noodle stand, put up a sign on her stand that says, "coming soon - mambo gumbo". She said it's a delicious treat she read was a big hit in New Orleans after hurricane katrina. :-) I know i cant wait to try it.

That equals to "Holy Sh*t!"

It literally means "very unlucky" though.

[thenoilif]

I think possibly they meant that the anti-venom has to come from South Africa as this is where the snakes originate from. They are not foound in South America. They are far less aggressive than the famed black Mamba and are typically shy. What is more concerning is the fact that Thailand ia absolutely perfect habitat and temperature wise for these snakes and there is a real danger they will now multiply making a previously alien species endemic to Thailand. I also believe any poly valent anti serum produced for Cobra's, which is also a neurotoxic venom can be used while waiting for the mono valent mamba specific anti venom to arrive...from South Africa.

Agreed that that there should be some concern as these Little Buggers could adapt to Thailand quite nicely. The climate isn't much different than East Africa and they like to eat young birds, bird eggs, frogs, rodents, and other small mammals which are plentiful here. Why someone would bring something like that here, and then not insure it could never excape alive is beyond me.

Not sure how powerful its' venom is but his cousin, the Black Mamba from West Africa, is 5 times more potent then a King Cobra and also the fastest snake in the world, out slithering and running human. The mortality rate of a Black Mamba Bite is 100%. It has killed and adult elephant and when you compare your weight to an elephant, well, you just don't have a chance. You have less than 30 minutes left of your life if you get bit so I personally wouldn't worry about them getting anti-venom shipped in unless you can carry one in your front pocket, or get bit at the hospital that has it.

A Black Mamba once bit seven villagers in a row who were trying to kill it. They succeeded but the last villager who got bit was the last one to die. He lasted 90 minutes. Although the Green Mamba is not as aggressive, and lives mostly in trees, it is still deadly and can still bite. They don't even have any real natural predators. Instead of anti-venom they should import some Egytian Mongoose, or is it Mongeese? At lease they will eat there eggs and small ones although toe to toe with an adult they can hold there own. Interesting to see how this all develops in a few years.

Sensationalism at its finest. You should be a reporter.

First off I'm not sure why you would post statistics for the black mamba when information about the green is widely available and varies greatly from what you posted.

A few key differences are 1) mortality rate from the green mamba is not 100% and if cardiac and respiratory first aid is administered to the victim, they generally can survive long enough to reach a hospital. Now, I understand most Thai's do not know first aid but I would imagine many reading this post do. 2) Green Mambas are much less aggressive than Blacks and also are Arboreal so the first thing these guys probably tried to do is find the nearest tree to hide in. They also do not strike humans unless they are cornered or feel threatened and feel that they have no options for escape so they are not going to being sneaking up on anyone while they sleep just to bite them. 3) The venom of this snake is highly toxic but mentioning that a black mamba killed a full grown elephant, while true, is just trying to add to the sensationalism. As you may or may not know, it is very very rare for a venomous animal to deliver a large dose of venom to another animal especially humans. 4) They have other natural predators like large birds of prey, and other venomous snakes which Thailand seems to have in spades. 5) You make it sound like Mambas use their speed to chase humans. The fact is it's the other way around. They use their speed to escape from danger and like I said previously the greens will avoid humans at all cost.

As far as why these animals were in Thailand I would guess they were either part of a smuggling operation or just the pets of a curious collector. I know several individuals in the US who make it their life's passion to obtain and possess lethal animals like Elapids, large cats, blue ring octopus, etc. I could go into the psychology of it but I don't think that's important. If it wasn't for all of the red tape in the US I would imagine that it would be more common place. You would probably be shocked if you really knew what types of animals make their way through Bangkok on their way to other parts of the world.

Lastly, I have lived in Bangkok for many years and I have never seen a venomous snake so I have zero concern that these snakes will pose an immediate threat to anyone unless one of the people that they have looking for them is an idiot and stumbles upon one without any experience in handling venomous snakes. The only concern is their possible impact on the environment if they do end up making it out to the country and start reproducing.

[BinDhumm]

I think possibly they meant that the anti-venom has to come from South Africa as this is where the snakes originate from. They are not foound in South America. They are far less aggressive than the famed black Mamba and are typically shy. What is more concerning is the fact that Thailand ia absolutely perfect habitat and temperature wise for these snakes and there is a real danger they will now multiply making a previously alien species endemic to Thailand. I also believe any poly valent anti serum produced for Cobra's, which is also a neurotoxic venom can be used while waiting for the mono valent mamba specific anti venom to arrive...from South Africa.

Agreed that that there should be some concern as these Little Buggers could adapt to Thailand quite nicely. The climate isn't much different than East Africa and they like to eat young birds, bird eggs, frogs, rodents, and other small mammals which are plentiful here. Why someone would bring something like that here, and then not insure it could never excape alive is beyond me.

Not sure how powerful its' venom is but his cousin, the Black Mamba from West Africa, is 5 times more potent then a King Cobra and also the fastest snake in the world, out slithering and running human. The mortality rate of a Black Mamba Bite is 100%. It has killed and adult elephant and when you compare your weight to an elephant, well, you just don't have a chance. You have less than 30 minutes left of your life if you get bit so I personally wouldn't worry about them getting anti-venom shipped in unless you can carry one in your front pocket, or get bit at the hospital that has it.

A Black Mamba once bit seven villagers in a row who were trying to kill it. They succeeded but the last villager who got bit was the last one to die. He lasted 90 minutes. Although the Green Mamba is not as aggressive, and lives mostly in trees, it is still deadly and can still bite. They don't even have any real natural predators. Instead of anti-venom they should import some Egytian Mongoose, or is it Mongeese? At lease they will eat there eggs and small ones although toe to toe with an adult they can hold there own. Interesting to see how this all develops in a few years.

Sensationalism at its finest. You should be a reporter.

First off I'm not sure why you would post statistics for the black mamba when information about the green is widely available and varies greatly from what you posted.

A few key differences are 1) mortality rate from the green mamba is not 100% and if cardiac and respiratory first aid is administered to the victim, they generally can survive long enough to reach a hospital. Now, I understand most Thai's do not know first aid but I would imagine many reading this post do. 2) Green Mambas are much less aggressive than Blacks and also are Arboreal so the first thing these guys probably tried to do is find the nearest tree to hide in. They also do not strike humans unless they are cornered or feel threatened and feel that they have no options for escape so they are not going to being sneaking up on anyone while they sleep just to bite them. 3) The venom of this snake is highly toxic but mentioning that a black mamba killed a full grown elephant, while true, is just trying to add to the sensationalism. As you may or may not know, it is very very rare for a venomous animal to deliver a large dose of venom to another animal especially humans. 4) They have other natural predators like large birds of prey, and other venomous snakes which Thailand seems to have in spades. 5) You make it sound like Mambas use their speed to chase humans. The fact is it's the other way around. They use their speed to escape from danger and like I said previously the greens will avoid humans at all cost.

As far as why these animals were in Thailand I would guess they were either part of a smuggling operation or just the pets of a curious collector. I know several individuals in the US who make it their life's passion to obtain and possess lethal animals like Elapids, large cats, blue ring octopus, etc. I could go into the psychology of it but I don't think that's important. If it wasn't for all of the red tape in the US I would imagine that it would be more common place. You would probably be shocked if you really knew what types of animals make their way through Bangkok on their way to other parts of the world.

Lastly, I have lived in Bangkok for many years and I have never seen a venomous snake so I have zero concern that these snakes will pose an immediate threat to anyone unless one of the people that they have looking for them is an idiot and stumbles upon one without any experience in handling venomous snakes. The only concern is their possible impact on the environment if they do end up making it out to the country and start reproducing.

The poison containing ONE king cobra will kill3 Elephants , 6 Horses and 20 humans. So do not worry too much about these mambas. A big 50 kg mastif of a neighbour was fighting a king. He was bitten twice wile we were watching(we coulnt get him to stop). He died in cramps within 18 Minutes after first hit. Snake always tried to escape, but stupid dog didnt let it.

[BinDhumm]

This is no laughing matter. The biggest danger here comes from self-proclaimed snake specialists that mistakenly identify one of these for the common, less venomous green tree snakes. The green mamba CAN KILL YOU and is particularly dangerous to smaller people -- the lethal dosage can be as little as 0.25 mg toxin per kg of the victim's body weight and a full-grown mamba can deliver up to 90 mg of toxin in a single bite. Translation: if you are a 60 kg human, as little as 15 mg of the toxin can kill you. Of course this is a lower limit, so no need to overly panic -- some people can survive up to 30 mg toxin per kg of body weight.

As for "local snakes having a meal of them" -- that's actually quite possible. Hopefully the cobras roaming around are hungry and not too stressed out to eat.

No wrong...No one has any idea how much mamba or any other snake venom can kill a human because the tests have NEVER BEEN DONE ON HUMANS...The snake venom tests have never been done on humans and have ONLY been done on mice...Their are also tons of snakes missing from the test( many kraits, cobras, the boomslang etc are missing from the test and have no been given an ld50 value) and having been only conducted on mice it is a flawed test...

Green mambas are very deadly...but not like the Black Mamba which is probably one of the top5 worlds most deadly snakes....If you had 15 adult Black Mambas released into Thailand then that would be a huge problems as they are very very deadly snakes...But 13 young green mambas and 2 adults is not that big of a concern..They are deadly but not like the Black Mamba which is a top 5 most deadly snake.

One dies from it , another not. No reason to be inpolite. 20 Snakepages 10 different opinions.

[Artisi]

Seems the Black Mamba rates 6th in the worlds most venomous land snakes, if you want to talk about a really venomous snake, the Aussie Tiapan is rated No 1.

[bigbamboo]

Oh dear!!!!! They are giving out the wrong information to treat a snake bite.

Firstly NEVER wash the bite area. Its the bite area that can show what type of snake bit you. Then you will know what type of anti venom should be used. The wrong anti venom can cause death. Secondly you have to put a constrictive bandage directly to the bite area and extending as far a possible up the limb. (If bite was not on a limb then its obviuos.... Your in big trouble.)

This is 1 site that has it right,

If these snakes are now loose and in the wild they should be getting the anti venom here in Thailand immediatly. These snakes are very nervous and highly aggressive. Not to mention extremely fast.

The other issue is that these snakes might thrive in the Thailand country side. This can have a massive ecological disaster for Thailand. Just look at what Burmese Pythons are doing to the Southern states of the USA.

Why would you link a website that is talking about proper protocol for snakebites from AUSTRALIAN SNAKES...Since when is a Green Mamba an Australian snakes

You Australians are annoying as hell...What works for your overrated snakes may not work for snakes elsewhere...Stop trying to preach your crap knowledge on the rest of us...

All you need for a green mamba is a ventilator...It kills by stopping your breathing temporary so just put the person on a ventilator until the venom wears off...No need even for antivenom as the venom doesn't affect your blood clotting mechanisms( like a Russell's viper) or cause any local damage..Just get the victim on a ventilator and wait it out.

Stop preaching your Australian methods for snakes that aren't australian...Your snakes are lame and overrated as it is....and I hate how Australians like to pretend they are the venom experts of the world or something...Your not and get over yourselves

Quite agressiv.....arent you? Look up ten snake pages and you will read 5 opinions. JAEH, GO AHEAD AND FIND A VENTILATOR in the flodd somewere in 20 Minutes. Antivenoums NEED a 100% iD of the creature. You can do? Green mambas are good swimers, like all snakes. They are exellent climbers and can hide nearly anywere. The bite of a banded krait IS fatal. Thanks for beeing so kind.

'All you need is a ventilator'.........! Priceless. If one of those things bites you in BKK you're done.

[Soutpeel]

I could go into the psychology of it

Oh please do...

[rogerdee123]

How can officials send out well equipped experts if they don't have serum?

They are 'almost' well equipped.

They probably have a couple of them omelets around their necks.

[SiamRose]

The only concern is their possible impact on the environment if they do end up making it out to the country and start reproducing.

You hardly ever see snakes in Bangkok. Rats and mice, on the other hand, are everywhere. I for one would welcome a few green mambas if they could help reduce the rat population.

[ginjag]

Seems the Black Mamba rates 6th in the worlds most venomous land snakes, if you want to talk about a really venomous snake, the Aussie Tiapan is rated No 1.

Without internet confirm., the most venomous snakes in the world (top 10) are Aussies. after that there is a mixture of deadly snakes worldwide, among these are mamba's, vipers, cobras and so on.

O.K. the hot news about these snakes makes headlines, and so few compared to the thousands that will be in or around the waters of surrounds of Bkk. Including spitting cobras, King cobra, the ones that are a threat are the common venomous snakes HERE in Thailand, I have made a little study of them in my 32 years here, had them on my land, and respect many of them.

Apart from the cobra family here of all types, we have the Krait family, very venomous related to the sea snake, namely the Banded krait, evenly spaced bands(2 inch) grey-black/white, treat all kraits dangerous, then the third common one is the Keelback, one or two of this family are dangerous.

Where there are rats there are snakes-always, not to scare people but these mamba's are a drop in the ocean to the natural to Thailands OWN. Best treat ALL snakes dangerous, there will be many swimming around and looking for dry areas to sleep. We can all google and find out about them, I only have passed on the knowledge I have naturally found here.

I did contact local hospitals and asked about the Thai Kraits and cobra's,Keelbacks, the most said they do not have provisions for the anti venum as people seldom get bitten, so there is no need to stock===Shock. amazing

[vtjforyou]

So nobody has seen the snakes ?

[petedk]

The only concern is their possible impact on the environment if they do end up making it out to the country and start reproducing.

You hardly ever see snakes in Bangkok. Rats and mice, on the other hand, are everywhere. I for one would welcome a few green mambas if they could help reduce the rat population.

Well I disagree with you entirely. I see snakes on a regular basis and in fact saw a small green snake about ten minutes ago on Ekamai.

A few weeks ago I saw the biggest snake I have ever seen just outside our house. It must have been 2 metres long and it slithered away before I managed to get my camera turned on.

I don't like meeting them but they tend to disappear very quickly.

[mrfarang]

So nobody has seen the snakes ?

My wife saw one last night and she said it was "aroy mak mak" after she devoured it. Not sure if it was green, though. Couldn't see it, was so dark.

[mrfarang]

The only concern is their possible impact on the environment if they do end up making it out to the country and start reproducing.

You hardly ever see snakes in Bangkok. Rats and mice, on the other hand, are everywhere. I for one would welcome a few green mambas if they could help reduce the rat population.

I saw a Cobra in the grass behind my house in Ladprao about a month ago. Was surely 1,5 meters long. And a few months back I had a green tree-snake hanging on my window. Much smaller than the Cobra, though.

[BinDhumm]

Seems the Black Mamba rates 6th in the worlds most venomous land snakes, if you want to talk about a really venomous snake, the Aussie Tiapan is rated No 1.

Without internet confirm., the most venomous snakes in the world (top 10) are Aussies. after that there is a mixture of deadly snakes worldwide, among these are mamba's, vipers, cobras and so on.

O.K. the hot news about these snakes makes headlines, and so few compared to the thousands that will be in or around the waters of surrounds of Bkk. Including spitting cobras, King cobra, the ones that are a threat are the common venomous snakes HERE in Thailand, I have made a little study of them in my 32 years here, had them on my land, and respect many of them.

Apart from the cobra family here of all types, we have the Krait family, very venomous related to the sea snake, namely the Banded krait, evenly spaced bands(2 inch) grey-black/white, treat all kraits dangerous, then the third common one is the Keelback, one or two of this family are dangerous.

Where there are rats there are snakes-always, not to scare people but these mamba's are a drop in the ocean to the natural to Thailands OWN. Best treat ALL snakes dangerous, there will be many swimming around and looking for dry areas to sleep. We can all google and find out about them, I only have passed on the knowledge I have naturally found here.

I did contact local hospitals and asked about the Thai Kraits and cobra's,Keelbacks, the most said they do not have provisions for the anti venum as people seldom get bitten, so there is no need to stock===Shock. amazing

Just a little correction: Banded krait is triangle formed body and BLACK AND YELLOW striped. Malayan or blue Krait same, but smaler and GREY AND BLACK STRIPED! Both potentially fatal. And red headed krait, dark greenishblack red head and tail same same. ALL feed on snakes. Spitting cobra ONLY very south of Thailand. No danger of them in Bangkok. Snakes are easy to handle. Take off your flip flops, hit the ground with them hard and ANY SNAKE will shoot away like an arrow. In water carry a stick and just push them away. Snakes hate us as much as we hate them. So..... NO WORRYS!

JUST to add, there are about 30 kinds of potentially fatal snakes KNOWN to live in Thailand. Another 20 about are poisouness but not livethreatening.

Edited November 5, 2011 by BinDhumm

[ginjag]

Seems the Black Mamba rates 6th in the worlds most venomous land snakes, if you want to talk about a really venomous snake, the Aussie Tiapan is rated No 1.

Without internet confirm., the most venomous snakes in the world (top 10) are Aussies. after that there is a mixture of deadly snakes worldwide, among these are mamba's, vipers, cobras and so on.

O.K. the hot news about these snakes makes headlines, and so few compared to the thousands that will be in or around the waters of surrounds of Bkk. Including spitting cobras, King cobra, the ones that are a threat are the common venomous snakes HERE in Thailand, I have made a little study of them in my 32 years here, had them on my land, and respect many of them.

Apart from the cobra family here of all types, we have the Krait family, very venomous related to the sea snake, namely the Banded krait, evenly spaced bands(2 inch) grey-black/white, treat all kraits dangerous, then the third common one is the Keelback, one or two of this family are dangerous.

Where there are rats there are snakes-always, not to scare people but these mamba's are a drop in the ocean to the natural to Thailands OWN. Best treat ALL snakes dangerous, there will be many swimming around and looking for dry areas to sleep. We can all google and find out about them, I only have passed on the knowledge I have naturally found here.

I did contact local hospitals and asked about the Thai Kraits and cobra's,Keelbacks, the most said they do not have provisions for the anti venum as people seldom get bitten, so there is no need to stock===Shock. amazing

Just a little correction: Banded krait is triangle formed body and BLACK AND YELLOW striped. Malayan or blue Krait same, but smaler and GREY AND BLACK STRIPED! Both potentially fatal. And red headed krait, dark greenishblack red head and tail same same. ALL feed on snakes. Spitting cobra ONLY very south of Thailand. No danger of them in Bangkok. Snakes are easy to handle. Take off your flip flops, hit the ground with them hard and ANY SNAKE will shoot away like an arrow. In water carry a stick and just push them away. Snakes hate us as much as we hate them. So..... NO WORRYS!

JUST to add, there are about 30 kinds of potentially fatal snakes KNOWN to live in Thailand. Another 20 about are poisouness but not livethreatening.

We seem to be about there near on the mark with these,that banded Krait you mentioned has like a ridge back bone, I had one in the morning sun-near the wall of my home -ISSAN, inside of my walled home my dog was barking non stop, and I made a quick retreat as the snake WAS a spitting cobra, there are pockets of them here and there, and a straight 3 meter spit of venom at that. One or 2 keelback have to be respected. But that spitting cobra is around this rice area. as is the bespectacled cobra, some of the species are finding new areas and habitat. most hospitals do not have anti venom in stock--thanks for the sharing.

[steffi]

Why wait till someone has been bit to bring the anti-venom in from SA? Now that they know they are on the loose why not just bring some in now so they are prepared in case the public gets bit? I know I will get the response that TIT but seriously guys. An ounce of preparation is worth a pound of cure.....

Still haven't heard anything about the owners of the snakes and whether or not they had anti-venom either.

Edited November 6, 2011 by steffi