The Snake Responsible For More Deaths In Thailand Than Any Other

[jko]

Following my last post and encounter with the harmless Painted Bronzeback (Dendrelaphis pictus) I felt this topic deserved a separate mention since I almost became a bite victim myself some time ago.

About this torrid time of year, I was carrying a large tray of fresh chillies through our garden to dry them on a sunlit flat wall. Where I was placing my feet was obscured by the tray held in front of me but some sixth sense alerted me and I stopped just as I was about to step on a snake, coiled in the short grass. It was immobile however, showed no signs of life, and looking closely, I figured it was already dead.

Holding the tray to one side, I stamped my feet loudly on the ground and watched – nothing. Yep, dead, all right, I concluded, because (I had read somewhere) that snakes normally flee when they sense a human approach, let alone bang heavily on the ground a few feet away. I continued to the wall with my chillies, planning to examine the snake more closely on my way back to the house.

But my spine turned to solid ice in the heat when I returned to find it had gone...obviously very much alive. And had taken that next step - with my flip flops and bare legs...

Looking at website images of snakes on websites after my Bronzeback experience, I have now positively identified that ‘dead’ snake as a venomous Malayan Pit Viper (Calloselasma rhodostoma) which is illustrated/described here It is indeed one of the few snakes which remains motionless as you draw near. The author's statement that this snake (together with the Malayan Krait - Bungarus Candidus) "is responsible for more deaths in Thailand than any other" is backed up in a scientific paper "Factors contributing to fatal snake bite in the rural tropics: analysis of 46 cases in Thailand" here

This post is not intended to alarm (I have never heard of a snakebite fatality in the foreign community here) but to forewarn fellow members, especially parents whose young children who might, like myself, think that all snakes get out of your way quickly if you make a noisy approach. They should also be taught to give seemingly dead snakes a wide berth, and that the severed head of a decapitated snake can still bite and inject venom by reflex action - reported here.

Tread carefully.

[cardholder]

I shan't sleep tonight now !

[cmsally]

It was on a TV program about world's most dangerous snakes. It was somewhere in the top 5.

There was a woman in Malaysia who was bitten 20 years ago and her hand is still a mess. It's gross, it decays your flesh and blood and some articles say even the bone if you don't get treatment quick enough.

[buripuk]

I was insect hunting one night in Isan with a light attached to my head and nearly stood on one of these. I called the person I was with who quickly swipped it's head off with the hoe thing we where using!

He told me how dangerous it was (i felt a little bad about it getting killed) and said that's why his next door neighbour walked kinda funny like she had a stroke cause she was bitten by one.

I never realised until now how dangerous or what type of snack it was.

[pipo1000]

I think I had one of these in the new house which was almost completed.It came ranning from outside the perimeter right into the frontdoor,which was standing open and then straight into the guest toilet,where it wrapped itself around the waste pipe.

Obotor people were called,which couldn't get it out due to it's invisibillity at the back of the toilet bowl.After more than an hour,with about a dozen people from the Obotor being unsuccessful to catch it,Sawang Boriboon was called which seem to have a special department for snake catching.It took the guy,which came in a protected suit including helmet,another 30-35 minutes to get it out where after everybody could take a deep breath.

Maybe I should overthink a bit more before moving into he house,after reading this thread.

[brit1984]

I was insect hunting one night in Isan with a light attached to my head...

Sorry I am new here... are you being serious? Did you catch anything?

[Goshawk]

yep.. the Malayan Pit Viper is a nasty one alright. Found all over the country too.

That pile of wood in the corner of your garden.. The piles of leaves & vegetation around the base of your lam yai trees.. etc.. etc.. All perfect locations for them to hide.

Fairly instantly recognisable colour & patterns to them though.. certainly one to avoid.

[buripuk]

I was insect hunting one night in Isan with a light attached to my head...

Sorry I am new here... are you being serious? Did you catch anything?

yeah i'm serious. I got pretty hooked on going out at dusk into the night catching these big grass hopper things that make an awful racket. The pocked their heads out of little holes and when you got near they retreated back down their tunnel so you had to use the garden hoe thing to cut off the tunnel and then dig em out, bring em home and get them cooked up for you with sticky rice.

I aint jokin they where lush.

[jonwilly]

Yeah the female of the spices is deadlier then the male.

john

[necronx99]

Many of the Pit Vipers act in a way dangerously contrary to all the old homilies about them being more scared of you etc....

[Greenside]

Thanks for this helpful reminder. I realise now that in trying to be good citizens and not burning our leaves, we've just provided an extensive free housing project for these (and other) critters - time for a muching machine and a thicker pair of boots....

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Good to warn young children of this

As a parent I can recommend a really good educational movie that teaches kids not to mess with snakes. It's called 'Snakes on a plane' (2006, with Samuel L. Jackson)

[uptheos]

Yeah the female of the spices is deadlier then the male.

john

Are we still talking snakes?

[Beetlejuice]

Thanks for bringing this to our attention jko.

This time of year our garden floor is piled high with dead decaying brown leaves and the coloring of this snake makes it extremely difficult to see, especially at night, when I would say impossible to see.

I often venture out into the garden after dark and in future will be much more careful.

Here is a very informative website:

http://www.thailands...very-dangerous/

Thailand Snake Identification Form

http://www.thailandsnakes.com/thailand-snake-identification-form/

Edited March 30, 2012 by Beetlejuice

[Johpa]

Can anyone recall a fatality from a snake bite? I have maintained a home in the hills for 25 years now. We see lots of snakes of all varieties. But I can only recall maybe one or two stories of locals having been bit by a venomous snake over that time period, and no fatalities.

[searcher22]

I wouldn't want this to happen