A complete guide to snake venom

Whenever the word venom comes into the mind most of the people think only about snakes. Yes snake is the most feared animal in the world today. When ever a snake bites most of the people dies due to the fear only.In this hub I will discuss about the snake venom. Its types and its constitutes also its usage. The main purpose of these hubs is being making people aware that snakes are not your enemies but moreover they are your friends. And snakes are off course required in the Food Chain.

Snake venom is made up of a complex mixture of chemicals called enzymes. There are many anomalies for it but it is made up from enzymes. Almost all venoms are composed of approximately 90% proteins. Snake venom is the weapon given by nature to the snakes for their safety. Snake venom is very much useful in the medical industry.

Snake venom is generally divided into two types according to its effect hemotoxicity and neurotoxicity.

Hemotoxic venom affects the blood and also organs and it causes a breakdown or inflammation in the body. Hemotoxic bites are the most screeming and painful because it affects breathing and it starts paining and tissues start to die. Rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottomouths are examples of snakes that contain mainly hemotoxic venom.

Neurotoxic venom, as per the name indicates, affect the nervous system, leading to everything from seizures upto death. Neurotoxic bites are the most deadly and dangerous. Cobras, kraits , sea snakes and coral snakes are examples of snakes that contain mainly neurotoxic venom.

Some snakes are combination of both becoming more dangerous for anyone who suffers from that snake bite.

 How snake venom works

There is two types of the venom so there are two answers of how the venom works. One venom works affecting the nervous system and other type works affecting the blood and organs.

Where venom is produced inside snake

The venom is never produced in the fangs of the snake. Generally the venom is produced in to the glands which are located in the head of the snakes. The glands are of two types False venom Glands and True venom Glands.

False venom glands doesn’t mean that they cant produce venom, they do produce venom but their position is such that the snake needs to hold the animal continuously to keep the venom spray intact.

True venom glands doesn’t require continuous holding of the animal instead they can be used once for a short time only.

Now the question is how snake delivers the venom to the animal?

There are four methods for the same,

Aglyphous snakes

Aglyphous snakes are also called as grooveless snakes, because they lack any groove in their teeth for venom to run down. Instead the venom drips down the teeth from any available opening essentially saturating the maxillae. For envenomation to occur the snake must chew on it's prey which leads to consume lots of time.

Proteroglyphs snakes

Proteroglyphs snakes are also called as front groove snakes. These snakes the groove has goes very deep that both sides of the groove overlap each other forming a channel for the venom to flow. So the effect is ,when the snake bites down, the glands of the snake get squeezed and a stream of venom flows into the prey.

Solenoglyphous snakes

Solenoglyphous snakes are also called as pipe grooved snakes.These snakes fangs have the groove so deep now that the outside of the teeth completely cover it resulting into formation of a pipe for venom to enter.

Opisthoglyphous snakes

Opisthoglyphous snakes are also called as rear grooved snakes. There fangs have a groove running on the lateral side of the fang by which venom is directed into the prey.

You should be thinking how a venom can be useful for a human, when it kills it.

The most helping use of the snake venom is the creation of antivenom. Yes the snake antivenom is created from snake venom itself, thus resulting in saving of thousands of life a month.

Beside this the snake venom is used in treatment of breast cancer as well as the stroke victims and also it can help in heart attack treatment. Venom is also used in the medicines of blood pressure. So in all snake venom is very helpful for the man kind.

So think twice before hating any snake.

If you want more information on the snakes please reffer to my other hubs.Do’s and Don’ts when a snake bites and most poisonous snakes.