Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Poisonous Snakes of North America
• Method 2 of 4: Poisonous UK snakes
• Method 3 of 4: Poisonous Snakes of India
• Method 4 of 4: The World's Most Dangerous Snakes - Australia
• Tips
• Warnings

Snakes have caused an explosive mixture of fear and curiosity in people since the very first humans appeared on Earth. There are many legends about them. And although less than a third of all snakes are venomous (unless you live in Australia, where there are as many as 65% venomous snakes!), You should never forget the saying "forewarned is forearmed." Care should be taken with any snake, even if the bites of non-venomous snakes are not painful.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Poisonous Snakes of North America

1. 1 Know the types of snakes. There are four types of venomous snakes in North America: snakes, rattlesnakes, coppers, and coral snakes.
   • Shitomordniki... They have oval pupils, and these snakes range in color from black to green. There is a white stripe on the sides of the head. They can often be found in or near water; however, they are also adapted to life on earth. Young snakes have a bright yellow tail. Such snakes, as a rule, live separately, so if you see two snakes peacefully adjacent to each other, then these are most likely not snakes.
   • Rattlesnakes... They have a ratchet on their tail. Some harmless snakes mimic rattlesnakes by rustling their tail against the leaves, but only rattlesnakes have a button-like rattle at the end of their tail. Rattlesnakes also have a triangular head and oval pupils, like cats.
   • Coppers... These snakes are similar in shape to the moth snakes, but much brighter: their color varies from copper-brown to bright orange, silver-pink and even peach in color. Young individuals also have yellow tails.
   • Coral snakes... Beautiful but deadly snakes. Many snakes are similar to coral snakes, including non-venomous snakes such as the striped king snake. Coral snakes are painted brightly - in black, yellow and red. They have a yellow head with a black stripe on the nose. You can distinguish the coral snake from other snakes of a similar color if you look closely at the color: in the snakes, red stripes are surrounded by yellow, while in other snakes they are surrounded by black. However, coral snakes rarely attack people, they are usually non-aggressive. For example, the Arizona coral snake has never killed anyone, and only a few deaths have been reported from the bites of the eastern coral snake.
2. 2 Pay attention to the color of the snake. Poisonous snakes in the United States are more often colored. Monochromatic snakes are mostly harmless. However, shitomordniki are poisonous, so you should not rely only on color. In addition, some keep poisonous snakes in terrariums, and when meeting with such an escaped "pet" you need to be on your guard.
3. 3 Pay attention to the shape of the head. Non-venomous snakes have a spoon-shaped head, while venomous ones have a rather triangular head. This is due to the presence of glands that produce poison (however, this is not so pronounced in the coral snake).
4. 4 Note the ratchet on the tail. Is there a ratchet? This is a rattlesnake, it is poisonous. Some harmless species have learned to mimic, but they can nevertheless be distinguished, since their tails do not have the characteristic "buttons" of a ratchet.
5. 5 Pay attention to the snake's thermal sensor. Some venomous snakes in the United States have a small depression between the eye and nostril - a hole (hence the name "pit snakes"), with which snakes capture the warmth of small animals, which helps them in hunting. Coral snakes do not have such a hole.
6. 6 Pay attention to mimicry. Some non-venomous snakes pretend to be venomous by mimicking them. So, rat snakes look like rattlesnakes, and harmless king and striped king snakes are similar to coral snakes.
   • If you are unsure if a snake is venomous, always assume it is venomous and behave accordingly. Be careful, however, try not to kill snakes - firstly, it may be illegal, and secondly, the destruction of non-venomous snakes can lead to an increase in the population of venomous snakes and rodents.
7. 7 Learn to spot a water snake. It has elliptical pupils, while non-venomous water snakes have round ones. In any case, do not touch the snake and let it crawl away or swim away calmly.

Method 2 of 4: Poisonous UK snakes

1. 1 Watch out for the viper!Vipera berus, she is an ordinary viper, has a characteristic V- or X-shaped pattern on the head. She also has narrow vertical pupils, dark zigzag stripes on the back, and dark ovals on the sides. The color of the dark areas ranges from gray to blue and black (most often). The light areas are usually light gray, although they can be brown or brick.
   • The viper can be found anywhere in the UK, but most often in the south. Viper bites are painful and require immediate medical attention, but are generally not fatal.
   • Vipers usually do not attack unless disturbed. If they have a choice, they will prefer to stay away from the person.

Method 3 of 4: Poisonous Snakes of India

1. 1 Watch out for the Big Four. There are many species of snakes in India, many of which are venomous. The so-called "Big Four" snakes are widespread and highly venomous.
   • Indian cobra... Imagine a snake charmer and a snake rising from a basket. Have you presented? Most likely, your imagination drew an Indian cobra.
     • The length of the Indian cobra ranges from 90 to 180 cm, it has a wide head. Behind the head is the so-called hood, to which this type of snake owes its well-known frightening appearance.
     • The color of the Indian cobra depends on the region. In the south of India, cobras are colored from yellow to brown, while in the north they are darker, from dark brown to black.
     • Cobra is rather shy and will prefer to crawl away, but, being provoked, will attack. If a cobra attacks, she does it very quickly - and sometimes even several times. Large cobras can almost gnaw, emitting maximum venom.
     • If you are bitten by a cobra, seek immediate medical attention. In India, many people die from cobra bites.
   • Indian krait... These snakes range in length from 1.2 to 2 meters. They have a flattened head slightly wider than a neck, a rounded nose. The eyes are small, completely black.
     • The body of the kraits is black, with single or double milky-white stripes. The scales are hexagonal, the caudal scales are undivided.
     • Krayts are nocturnal snakes and can be found in dark, dry places during the day. During the day they are timid and non-aggressive, but at night, if provoked, they will attack.
   • Russell's Viper... Another name is the chain viper. It is a large snake, its body is colored brown with shades of red and yellow. On the body of Russell's viper, you can see three longitudinal rows of eye-like spots of dark brown with black color, starting from the head and reaching the tail, gradually decreasing. The spots on the sides are smaller and rounder than on the back.
     • The head is triangular, with a pointed nose, noticeably wider than the neck. Two triangular spots are also visible on the head. Pupils are vertical, tongue is violet-black.
     • Russell's viper venom is dangerous enough for a bitten one to immediately seek medical attention. If you provoke the snake (rather than just stepping on it), it will warn you with a high, piercing whistle.
   • Sandy Efa... The second most common viper species in India after Russell's. The size of individuals of this species varies from 40 to 80 centimeters. Coloring from dark brown to red, gray, or a mixture of these colors. There are also light areas on the body - light yellow or light brown, with which dark lines are intertwined.
     • The sand Efa provoked to attack becomes very aggressive, begins to make a sound with scales, somewhat similar to the sound of a saw. If you hear this sound, don't hesitate - the sand efa is one of the fastest attacking snakes in the world!
     • If you are bitten by a sandy efa, get help. Sometimes she bites without poison, but only a doctor can tell for sure.

Method 4 of 4: The World's Most Dangerous Snakes - Australia

1. 1 Desert taipan. He's Taipan McCoy, or small-scaled parademanship. Taipan has a reputation for being the deadliest snake on the planet. No other snake produces such a dangerous poison; however, so far there is no data on the death of people due to these snakes.
   • In length, these snakes can reach almost 2 meters, their color varies from dark brown to light straw. In winter, the color is darker than in summer. The snake's head looks almost black.
   • The habitat of the desert taipan is Queensland, South Australia and the borders of the Northern Territory.
2. 2 Eastern brown snake. Unlike the most poisonous snake - the desert taipan - the eastern brown snake is responsible for the majority of snakebite deaths in Australia. Like all snakes, this species will prefer flight to attack, but if provoked, grabbed or stepped on, the snake will most likely attack.
   • Such snakes are more than 2 meters long; they are also very fast, especially on hot days. The body is narrow, the color varies from tan to gray or dark brown. The belly is lighter in color, there are dark orange areas.
   • These snakes are found in eastern Australia, from the desert to the ocean. They prefer open plains, pastures and woodlands.
   • If you are bitten by such a snake, seek medical attention immediately!

Tips

• Remember: snakes are much more afraid of people than people are of snakes. The only reason snakes bite is if they are very frightened or perceive the person as a threat, especially when it comes to poisonous snakes. Be careful when hiking.
• Look carefully around and under your feet, make a lot of noise. Let the snake go out of your way voluntarily!
• If you are in North America, be aware that the poisonous coral snake and the harmless striped king snake are found there, which are very similar to each other. Remember: those in whom red touches yellow are dangerous (the mnemonic rule: "red-yellow - you will be dead"). Those with red touches black are harmless. However, remember that this is a rule Eastern North America only!
• Do not put your feet and do not grab with your hands if you do not see what exactly you are stepping on or grabbing onto. In fact, many climbers are bitten by snakes because of this.
• Search the Internet for information about snakes found in your area. Knowing the snakes you live with in your neighborhood is never a bad idea. If there are a lot of snakes in your area, then a field guide at hand will not be in the way.
• Do not touch a snake unless you know if it is poisonous, and never keep poisonous snakes as pets.
• Wear boots or boots, thick socks, and tight pants (not shorts) when traveling to an area where venomous snakes live. Field biologists often wear rubber boots up to the knee.
• Because of fear, many snakes inject a lot of poison into a person at once. Of course, adult and seasoned snakes know how to control themselves, but their bites do not become less poisonous from this.
• If you see a snake near your home, tell your neighbors about it, especially if you think it may be poisonous. So people will be vigilant and will not leave children and pets unattended.
• If you encounter a snake, try not to disturb it and slowly step back. Try to walk on low grass to avoid stepping on the snake.

Warnings

• You should not peer into the eyes of a snake, trying to guess whether it is poisonous or not. Cobras, black mambas, and many other venomous snakes have round pupils, and many non-venomous snakes have elliptical pupils. You should not approach an unknown snake just because its pupils are round - this does not mean that it is not dangerous.
• Many venomous snakes in the United States are endangered today. It is illegal to kill these species. However, in many states it is generally forbidden to kill any wild snakes. Find out what the environmental legislation of your country and region says about snakes.
• Snakes that appear to be non-venomous can turn out to be venomous, and vice versa. Make sure that you you knowwhat snakes are found in your area.
• Not chase snakes and do not get too close to them to determine what kind of species it is, unless you already know with one hundred percent certainty that this snake is non-venomous. Most snakes will choose to do without your company.