Elapid Snakes

Species of elapid snakes are among the most feared of the serpents, and each year many people die after being bitten by these animals. This is especially true of certain tropical countries, particularly in India and tropical Asia, and in parts of Africa. For example, thousands of fatal snake bites occur each year in India alone. Wherever elapids and other poisonous snakes occur, there is a tangible risk of snake bite.

However, in many places the magnitude of the risks of a snake bite are grossly overestimated by people. Except in the case of unusually aggressive species of snakes, it is extremely unlikely that a careful person will be bitten by a venomous snake, even where these animals are abundant. In the greater scheme of things, snake bites may be deadly, but in terms of actual risk, snakes are not usually very dangerous. This is especially true in North America, but somewhat less so in some tropical countries.

However, any bite by a poisonous snake should be treated as a medical emergency. First-aid procedures in the field can involve the use of a constriction band to slow the absorption of the venom into the general circulation, and perhaps the use of incision and suction to remove some of the poison. Antivenins are also available for the venoms of many species of poisonous snakes. Antivenins are commercially prepared serums that serve as antidotes to snake venoms if they are administered in time.

It is regrettable that so many poisonous snakes—and harmless snakes—are killed each year by people with fears that are essentially misguided and overblown. Snakes are a valuable component of natural ecosystems. Moreover, many species of snakes provide humans with useful services, for example, by preying on rodents that can potentially cause great damage in agriculture or serve as the vectors of human diseases.