Random Things About Snake Bites (10 items)

• 

  (#1) Fer-De-Lance Venom Will Rot Your Skin To Bone

  The fer-de-lance is a species of pit viper with a reputation for being wildly aggressive and highly venomous. In Costa Rica alone, they are responsible for nearly 50 percent of venomous snake bites. Steve Rankin, a producer on Bear Gryll's Man vs. Wild, was bitten by one while scouting a location in Costa Rica.

  If you want to sleep tonight, you better not Google search what his injuries looked like. Let's just say he's lucky that he still has a foot at all.
• 

  (#2) Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes Kill Your Blood Cells

  One of the most deadly snakes in the United States, the eastern diamondback rattlesnake is not to be trifled with. Bites can be fatal without antivenom, and the way the venom works is terrifying. The diamondback's fangs are filled with a type of venom known as a hemotoxin.

  It kills red blood cells and can cause healthy tissue to rot. The pictures are pretty gruesome, so you may want to think twice before checking them out.
• 

  (#3) Black mamba

  • Organism Classification

  If you get bit by a black mamba, you're dead. That's not a joke, that's a real scientific fact. Black mamba bites are 100% fatal if you don't receive antivenom within the first three hours after the bite occurs. That's the maximum amount of time it takes for a mamba's venom to shutdown your entire nervous system, but some people die before even reaching the 20 minute mark.

  Although rare, pictures of black mambas bites are hard to stomach.
• 

  (#4) Saw-Scaled Vipers Will Leave You A Bloody Mess

  The saw-scaled viper is a solid candidate for being deemed the venomous snake species that is directly responsible for the most deaths. The bite wounds themselves are extremely gruesome. They are always accompanied by swelling and are often joined by boils, tissue rot, and thinned blood. Saw-scaled viper victims bleed a lot, and often in random spurts of hemophilic outbreaks.
• 

  (#5) The Indian Cobra Will Shut Down All Of Your Muscles, Including Your Heart

  The Indian cobra is one of the deadliest snakes in South Asia. They have a powerful venom that is fatal to humans, and it works by inflicting paralysis throughout the victim's body. Slowly, all of your muscles relax and quit working as you slump down and struggle to remain upright.

  Without antivenom, there's a good chance your heart will stop and your bite wound will look something like this.
• 

  (#6) Common Kraits Are The World's Most Venomous Snakes

  If the Indian cobra makes your muscles relax, the common krait does the exact opposite. Their venom causes the body's muscles to fire on all cylinders and lock up in a state of hypertension. Kraits are often considered to be the most venomous snakes in the world, but are not considered the deadliest as they are not responsible for the most human deaths.

  Still, the victims of these snakes look like they've seen better days.
• 

  (#7) The Common Death Adder Lives Up To Its Name

  The common death adder lives around Sydney, Australia, where it joins a host of other poisonous and deadly creatures strewn across the continent. This snake kills 60 percent of the people it bites, and it has two massive fangs that it uses to inject its liquid death into its prey.

  It can strike faster than any other snake in Australia, and its venom also causes paralysis. 
• 

  (#8) King Cobras Have The Strongest Jaws

  King cobras are one of the most famous venomous snakes in the world. They have powerful jaws that deliver the strongest biting force of any snake. The unfortunate scientist who made that discovery died an ironic death, as he was eventually killed by the venomous bite of a king cobra. It's not clear whether his love of snakes made this less or more grisly for him.
• 

  (#9) The Russell's Viper Can Mess Up You Kidneys

  In Sri Lanka, the Russell's viper is an absolute menace to society. They are responsible for nearly half of all snake bites on the island, and they can be extremely deadly. Their toxins can cause renal issues as well as paralysis, and spurts of heavy bleeding are common.

  Intense stomach pain is also another agonizing symptom of a bite from a Russell's viper.
• 

  (#10) Copperhead Bites Are On The Rise

  Copperhead bites can look pretty gnarly, but luckily they are not usually powerful enough to kill humans. But copperhead attacks are becoming more and more frequent, leaving experts puzzled as to what could be causing this increase in aggression. A bite from a copperhead is incredibly painful and takes weeks to fully heal.

  Bites are also often accompanied by excessive, localized swelling.

New Random Displays    Display All By Ranking