The majority of snakebites occur on the hands, feet and ankles. Rattlesnakes usually avoid humans, but about 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes in the United States each year, with 10 to 15 deaths, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Most snake bites occur on a limb, so legs, feet, arms and hands are most commonly affected. If you've been bitten on a limb, applying a pressure immobilisation bandage can stop the venom moving through your lymphatic system.
In the lower extremity, 1751 (16%) snakebites occurred in the knee or lower leg, whereas 3351 (30%) of snakebites occurred in the ankle or foot.
The most common venomous snakebites are caused by the following snakes: Pit vipers. These include rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouth (water moccasin) snakes.
Humans are not prey and snakes tend to detect them by the mechanisms above and will mostly move out of the way if possible. If one is cornered however or inadvertently trodden on or rolled on in sleep it may bite defensively.
You can usually tell if the snake is about to strike by watching their tail. The positioning of the tail is what will eventually give them leverage and more lunging power. The snake will slowly move its tail into a tighter position and may even prop its tail up against something nearby to give it more leverage.
Keep the bitten person still and calm. This can slow down the spread of venom if the snake is venomous. Seek medical attention as soon as possible. Dial 911 or call local Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
The Eastern brown snake is responsible for around 60% of deaths caused by snakebite in Australia.
The black mamba, for example, injects up to 12 times the lethal dose for humans in each bite and may bite as many as 12 times in a single attack. This mamba has the fastest-acting venom of any snake, but humans are much larger than its usual prey so it still takes 20 minutes for you to die.
But while there are only a couple of deaths each year, it's estimated there are about 3,000 snakebites in Australia annually.
Snakes are most active at night and during early morning and late evening hours, the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension says. One of the most common species of snakes isn't venomous at all.
The thickness of snake chaps can help determine how hard or easy it is for snake fangs to penetrate. Material like thin denim is super easy to sew, yet also easily penetrable. On the other hand, Cordura nylon and kevlar are stronger materials that are hard to penetrate.
"Including the brown, tiger, black, taipan, death adder and certain sea snakes and all these snakes are found in Queensland," Mr Farry said. "Most Australian snake bites are associated with minimal local pain and bite marks can be easily missed."
Elapids, which all deadly Aussie snakes are, have short little fangs, and these fangs have far less penetrating power than vipers such as rattlesnakes. Most Aussie snakes can't effectively bite through denim, whereas American snake boots, for example, are made of kevlar, and will deflect a .
Snakes are most likely to bite when they feel threatened, are startled, are provoked, or when they have been cornered. Snakes are likely to approach residential areas when attracted by prey, such as rodents.
The killer of the most people
The saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus) may be the deadliest of all snakes, since scientists believe it to be responsible for more human deaths than all other snake species combined.
Many people think that the venom kicks in instantly, but it can take between 20 minutes and 72 hours to die if left untreated. In one case, it took up to a month. But with just a few actions you can delay the process considerably, says Rasmussen, who has studied snakes for 30 years.
Viper. Most painful of snake bites. Sometimes fatal.
The most venomous and deadly snake in the world is the inland taipan. They're found in remote areas of Queensland and Southeastern Australia. They also spend most of their time in semi-arid outback environments. This is why they aren't commonly encountered by people.
Some snakes such as eastern brown snakes are active during the day, others prefer to hunt in the evening, while some species are more active at night during the hotter months.
Snakes can bite you underwater, but usually only if they're provoked or if they feel threatened. In the Tropical Journal of Medicine and Hygiene, researchers studied 100 sea-snake bite patients who visited a local hospital. They found that over 80% of patients were fishermen who had been in the water.
Yes, they can. The good news is that not all snakes have fangs strong enough to go through rubber boots. When snakes strike and the fangs sink into their target, they don't necessarily know whether they've broken skin or pierced a boot.
If a venomous snake bites you, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately, especially if the bitten area changes color, begins to swell or is painful. Many emergency rooms stock antivenom drugs, which may help you.
The inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus) is considered the most venomous snake in the world with a murine LD 50 value of 0.025 mg/kg SC. Ernst and Zug et al. 1996 list a value of 0.01 mg/kg SC, which makes it the most venomous snake in the world in their study too.