What is the name of the snake breeding place? Snakes of Russia

If you are interested in finding out which snakes on the territory of the Russian Federation pose the greatest danger or, on the contrary, are relatively harmless, then all the information is here!

First of all, it should be said that about 90 species of snakes live in Russia! Many of them are poisonous, while others are undeservedly considered as such. But the question is actually serious and in order to increase your chances of survival, it’s worth understanding this issue! And so, let's start our TOP, starting with harmless (or rather low-dangerous) snakes and ending with the most poisonous, most dangerous snake in Russia!

The video version of the article can be viewed here (the text is continued below):

However, let us agree that we recommend searching for even more information about snakes on the Internet, reference books or other sources (in particular, detailed details about the color varieties of one species, how to distinguish one snake from another, whether this or that is found specifically in the area of ​​interest to you) snake, etc.). This will be useful and you will further increase your survival rate! We wanted to present you with a more complete picture of those poisonous and non-venomous snakes living in Russia! Here we describe snakes that live specifically in our country, but remember that there is always a chance of an unexpected meeting with the most exotic representatives in any geographical area as a result, for example, of escaping from a terrarium or smuggling...

ORDINARY

In our country there are three varieties of real snakes (out of 9 known in the world), the most common of which is the common snake! In appearance, common snakes are often confused with vipers, although it is very easy to distinguish a common snake! The snake has two bright spots (orange or yellow flowers), located near the head.

The size of the snake is quite large and can reach sizes as much as 1.2 meters (some sources indicate 2.05 meters), although specimens measuring 0.8 - 0.9 meters are more common. Naturally, it is NOT poisonous or even aggressive! In case of danger, it prefers to “run away”; for defense it uses a special secreted secretion - a rather smelly liquid. He can also pretend to be dead, quite skillfully by the way. He may try to scare him by hissing and lunging at the offender. But even this good fellow can be provoked to bite, and if you managed to bring the snake to such a desperate attempt at self-defense and it bit you, then there is already something to worry about!

Since it is not poisonous, its growth cavity, unlike its poisonous relatives, is, to put it mildly, not sterile. The mouth cavity of snakes is a real garbage dump. There is a high probability that some kind of unpleasant infection will get into the bite wound, which can lead to blood poisoning or gangrene if the bite wound is not treated with disinfectants. This should not be neglected! Below is a photo of the habitat of the common grass snake.

WATER SNAKE.

As is clear from the name, the entire life of a water snake is connected with water (in general, all snakes love water and, most often, are found near reservoirs or in damp places), this snake feeds mainly on fish, and even frogs. In Russia it is found mainly in the Crimea, Ciscaucasia and Southern Volga region; the entire habitat is also shown below.

Unlike the common water snake, the water snake does NOT have the characteristic bright spots on its head, and therefore, even more people think that it is a poisonous snake (people think that no spots means a viper! This is not true!). And although it is NOT poisonous, it is quite difficult for an especially unprepared person to distinguish it! Pay attention to the eyes of the snake, remember all snakes are diurnal snakes, so their eyes have a round pupil, unlike vipers for example (night snakes) which have a vertical pupil, like cats. The water snake is much longer than the ordinary one and its usual length is 1.3 meters, and the maximum is about 1.6.

It’s good that in case of danger, this one also tends to hide, after which it hides at the bottom of the reservoir! In defense, he is also capable of biting (in cases where the situation is hopeless, for example, you stepped on a snake without noticing (this generally applies to all snakes, it is better to make a lot of noise so that the snake has the opportunity to hide). The bite is quite painful. The wound also requires careful antiseptic treatment.

COLCHESIAN SNEAK.

The Colchis grass snake is a medium-sized snake (up to 1 meter), non-venomous and very common, it is found infrequently. In Russia, this snake can be found in the Krasnodar Territory, where it is listed in the Red Book. The color of the Colchidonian is coal black on top, white under the head, and black spots on the bottom giving way to white. In behavior, the Colchian snake is similar to other snakes, and of course you should not be afraid of it, offend it or provoke it to bite.

COMMON COPPER.

A non-poisonous snake from the snake family (although some sources claim that copperheads still have poisonous teeth, but are located deep in the mouth and serve as an aid for swallowing food. It also says that the poison itself does not pose a serious danger to humans, but In addition, for a poisonous bite to occur, you need to push your finger quite deeply into the copperhead’s mouth. small sizes and she herself is not capable of biting in a way that would involve her poisonous fangs. Widely distributed throughout the European part of Russia, in many regions it is listed in the Red Book (for example, in the Bryansk region). It has a short length, usually less than 0.6 measures, but in some cases grows up to 0.9.

From the bite of this snake, only small wounds with droplets of blood will remain, but of course they should also be treated with an antiseptic to prevent infection (this general rule for all the bites from not poisonous snakes). A lot of snakes of this type dies due to their extermination by humans, due to the myth about the poisonousness of this snake, as well as the inability of humans to distinguish between species.

LEOPARD SNEAKER

Found in Crimea from the Karadag Mountains to the city of Sevastopol inclusive. Represents rarest species, on the verge of extinction. Its diet is similar to other snakes. It has a reputation as a good pet due to its ability to effectively deal with mice and rats. Is NOT a poisonous snake.

FOUR STRIPED CLIMBING SKID.

Quite large, non-poisonous (usually 1.5 meters, in rare cases 2.6) In Russia it is found in the Crimea, the Caucasus, the Rostov and Astrakhan regions, the Krasnodar Territory. Uses suffocating techniques, hunts mainly on rodents, gophers, is capable of swallowing a hare whole) loves to destroy bird nests (even in birdhouses), thanks to its excellent ability and love for climbing trees. When in danger, it imitates the behavior of a rattlesnake: it hisses, shakes the tip of its tail and lunges, but if it manages to notice danger from afar, it prefers to move away.

PALLAS SKID (SARMATIAN SKID)

The Pallas snake (or scientifically Sarmatian) is also quite large (1.3 - 1.8 meters). In Russia, it lives in the Volgograd region (where it is listed in the Red Book), the Astrakhan region, the North Caucasus, the Rostov region, the Krasnodar and Stavropol territories. If you catch it or step on it, it will certainly try to bite you, and the bite of the Sarmatian snake will be quite deep. Not poisonous. It behaves like a four-striped climbing snake.

YELLOW-BELLY SNEAKER (CASPIAN SNEAKER)

Large (2.0 in rare cases 2.5 meters) NON-poisonous, but very aggressive, when a person approaches, he is more likely to attack (rather than run away), if the latter comes close enough, he curls up and then jumps out one and a half to two meters, at aiming it right in the face. The bite upon contact is quite painful, but does not cause much harm to health. The yellow-bellied snake (or otherwise the Caspian snake) in the Russian Federation is distributed throughout the steppe territory of the European part, found in the Crimea, in Krasnodar region listed in the Red Book.

CAUCASIAN VIPER

Let's start getting acquainted with poisonous snakes! The Caucasian viper is a very beautiful snake, it is poisonous, but it is still believed that the bite of such a snake is not fatal to humans, but is quite capable of causing serious health problems (complications), so of course medical assistance is required! This snake is found in the Caucasus.

COMMON SPIDER MOUTH

The cottonmouth is able to capture the thermal radiation of its prey. Dimensions reach 0.69 - 1.1 meters. The venom of the copperhead, like the venom of vipers, has an effect on the blood, but it also contains neurotoxins that can cause paralysis of the respiratory tract (accordingly, the venom of the copperhead affects the nervous and circulatory systems). The bite itself is very painful and is accompanied by severe bleeding. To avoid death (a few cases are known), seek prompt medical attention. medical assistance, usually after 5-7 days complete recovery occurs. In the vastness of Russia it is found from the Salsk steppe in the lower reaches of the Don and Volga in the west, to the Primorsky Territory in the east.

STONE MOUTH

The venom of the stone muzzle is similar in its effect to the venom of the common muzzle. The size of the snake can reach approximately 0.8 meters, sometimes more. In our country it is found in Primorye, the south Khabarovsk Territory And Amur region.

USSURIAN COLLECTIVE

The smallest representative of poisonous copperheads (usually no more than 0.68 meters), found in Primorye, Khabarovsk Territory and Amur Region, was also seen in Kunashir. Despite the painfulness of the bite for humans, fatalities are practically unknown, as with other copperheads.

TIGER SNACK.

The only way to meet this snake in Russia is at Far East. The tiger snake can be classified as a poisonous and quite dangerous snake, however, this snake can be either completely non-venomous or have poisonous properties (cases of deaths are known). Ultimately, it all comes down to the food the snake eats. Namely, special toads whose skin contains steranes (bufodienolides), when saturated with such food, the salivary glands of the snake are filled with the same substances. It is interesting that if he has already accumulated a sufficient amount of these poisons, he will behave much more boldly and aggressively (he will defend himself) than someone who has not consumed such toads (he will prefer to quickly crawl away). Grows up to 1.1 meters long!

STEPPE VIPER

The steppe viper usually does not exceed a length of 0.7 meters, like its brothers from the genus of true vipers, it also poses a danger. However, in Lately the populations of these predators are declining due to human destruction of their habitats (they are literally on the verge of extinction), by plowing the land for crops. For humans, the bite of this poisonous snake is dangerous, but it is believed that it is not as serious as the bite of an ordinary viper (however, more detailed information We did not find out about the difference between the poisons, so we also do not recommend joking with this snake; it is also known that there were a few fatalities from bites). In Russia, this poisonous beauty is found in the Crimea, in almost the entire steppe and forest-steppe zone of the European part of Russia, as well as in the steppe regions of the Caucasus.

VIPER

Well, here is another dangerous snake, called the common viper! Its bite can kill a person, but ultimately there are not many fatalities and they can rather be called rare cases, but they do happen. According to data from online sources, in 70% of cases no symptoms occur at all, or the victim feels a burning pain in the bite area; with more serious intoxication, symptoms such as increased sweating, chills, dizziness, diarrhea, tachycardia, pale skin, nausea, vomiting appear. . At hypersensitivity the symptoms are much more serious, you can lose consciousness, a convulsive and comatose state appears, blood pressure drops significantly and heavy bleeding occurs, and kidney failure develops! From all this a person can die. It is believed that 166 mg of viper venom is enough for a fatal outcome (less may be enough for children and the elderly), while larger individuals of these snakes are capable of injecting 6 times more, namely about 1000 mg!

With treatment, usually the negative consequences go away in two to four days, but with improper treatment they can last up to a year! It is also worth noting that in terms of size, it is relatively small big snake(usually its length does not exceed 0.65 meters, but throughout history individuals as long as 0.90 meters have been observed). The viper lives for 15 (and according to some sources, up to 30) years. And the main enemy of the viper, besides humans, can also be called hedgehogs, which very skillfully hunt snakes.

TRANSCAUCASIAN GYURZA

The Gyurza is rightfully considered the most dangerous snake in Russia! It weighs about 3 kg and is about 2 meters long (it can also jump 2 meters when attacking a victim)! It is this snake that has the most powerful poison, second in strength only to the cobra. The venom of the viper is much stronger than the venom of the viper, which ranks second (although it could be given the first, it is very common), because to a large extent, the lethal outcome from the venom of the viper is more caused by allergic reactions to this poison of a particular person than by the strength of its effect (although Of course, it also plays a big role, plus the viper needs to be injected with more poison than the viper) in contrast to the viper’s poison, which takes lives precisely with its strength. In one bite, approximately 50 mg of poison is injected and this is enough. If you do not provide timely assistance to the victim, the person will die within 2-3 hours. In the territory Russian Federation you can find it in the North Caucasus. Nevertheless, this snake is rare and is included in the Red Book of Russia.

Dear readers, if you find any inaccuracies in our article, please let us know so that they can be corrected! We will also be glad to receive additions from your side and stories of encounters with snakes in wildlife. We will tell you what to do if you are bitten by a snake, or how to minimize the possibility of bites in one of our next articles. Thank you for your attention!

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The island of Queimada Grande, also called Snake Island, is one of the most dangerous places for traveling the world. Located off the Brazilian coast, the island includes about 445 km 2 of forest, and its main danger is that it is home to hundreds of thousands of different snakes, including poisonous ones.

Queimada Grande Island - a deadly natural wonder

This incredibly dangerous one is located about 32 kilometers off the coast of Sao Paulo in Brazil. Many locals are aware of its existence, but there are only a few who have dared to set foot on the most dangerous island in the world, Queimad Grande, and come back alive.

Not every adventurer will risk his life to admire the deadliest snakes in the world, capable of melting human flesh with their venom. Indeed, Queimada Grande, or Snake Island, is considered so life-threatening that Brazilian authorities have banned visitors from visiting it. Interesting fact is that there is another Snake Island in Brazil, located in Rio de Janeiro, but without snakes.

History of Snake Island

According to one theory of the origin of the island, 11 thousand years ago the sea level rose significantly and separated a piece of land from Brazil. The snakes remaining there, despite the favorable climatic conditions, found themselves in a very difficult situation (in terms of food), which probably affected the lethality and bloodthirstiness of their future descendants.

Abandoned in complete isolation, the snakes continued their lineage, and were fed by migrating birds that used the island (Queimada Grande) as a transit point during their seasonal travels. Many snakes are excellent tree climbers, so it is not difficult for them to obtain food by hunting birds. From time to time, snakes themselves become prey, mostly young individuals. Cormorants flying in attack the baby snakes, while avoiding the adults.

Not a good place to stay at all

The island is called forbidden due to the fact that there are 5 per 1 m2 of area, according to the legends. Perhaps this fact is a little exaggerated, but, nevertheless, it is still relevant to real indicators. Queimada Grande is an island where snakes are the rightful owners of the territory, and it is better for people not to appear here.

If you observe the island from the water, you can see whole balls of snakes calmly basking in the sun on the coastal rocks. If you really wanted to, you could try to evict these reptiles from the island. But the fact is that many of them are on the verge of extinction, and the island of Queimada Grande is the only place where they can be found, so all measures are being taken to protect and protect them, despite the fact that they themselves are also able to stand for myself.

Island bothrops - one of the best on the planet

Despite the attractive appearance, the island has nothing in common with a paradise. The only building in this uninhabited place is a lighthouse built in 1909, which now operates autonomously. Of the thousands of species of snakes on the island, the most dangerous is the island jararaka (island bothrops). This is one of the deadliest snakes in the entire world. Its bite causes necrosis of muscle tissue. Due to the incredibly strong poison, for example, an animal the size of a small mouse dies in 2 seconds.

Effect of the island bothrops bite on humans

Bothrops is a very fast, strong and poisonous reptile. Its poison is dangerous not only for animals, but also for humans. Survivors of the bite tell the most creepy stories after an encounter with a snake. The fact is that the bitten areas are literally corroded, and the human flesh falls off in whole pieces, and large blood losses also occur, and the person experiences acute pain. After several deaths, attempts to inhabit Queimada Grande (the island of poisonous snakes) stopped.

Unsuccessful attempts to inhabit Snake Island

At the end of the 19th century, several businessmen from the city of Sao Paulo tried to colonize the island. The plans of the entrepreneurs were to set up extensive banana plantations in this area, burn out forests and destroy creeping reptiles. But the true owners of the island showed the colonialists who was boss here. Once on the shore, the hired workers were immediately attacked by snakes, from which even high rubber boots could not save them. This round ended in favor of the reptiles.

After some time, colonization was continued by a more prepared group. Work clothes were made according to special technology and protected well from snake bites. However, another unaccounted problem arose here. Queimad Grande (Snake Island), whose inhabitants are photographed in horror, is characterized by a very hot climate, and workers had to make a cruel choice: be bitten or die from suffocation. In such a rubberized suit in the heat, people’s hearts simply could not stand it.

They even tried to burn the island, which was hampered by periodic precipitation. After unsuccessful attempts to recapture the island from the snakes, ownership of it returned to the state. A lighthouse was built on the partially liberated territory, which, however, does not mean that shelter can be found here, but warns that looking here is unsafe for human health, which does not stop curious tourists who want to at least from a distance look at the snake-infested island.

“Something unprecedented: this spring, on my property in Povarovka, outside Zelenograd, several vipers and snakes were discovered at once, and not somewhere in the backyard, but right on the entrance path leading to the house,” complained my colleague Alexander Alekseev. And another friend, who has a dacha in the Pskov region, said that a neighbor was bitten by a viper, no medicine was found at the village health center, and he had to be rushed to a hospital in Pskov. “It seems that the snakes have multiplied and there are so many of them that they simply do not allow people passage,” my interlocutors concluded.

Is this true or not? And in general: how to protect yourself from uninvited strangers at your summer cottage and avoid an unwanted meeting in the forest? We asked these questions to specialist herpetologist, candidate of biological sciences Inna Shiryaeva, asking her to comment on the most common misconceptions about snakes.

Myth 1

"Snakes don't allow passage"

There is nothing like that, we are not talking about any “invasion,” says Inna Shiryaeva. - Quite the contrary: we are seizing more and more new areas for gardens and dachas and invading those places where until recently the snakes felt calm. I would like to note: snakes are not at all as dangerous as many people think. They don't "specially" attack anyone. On the contrary, having met a person, as a rule, they try to hide and crawl away.

Why is there talk about the supposed mass reproduction of snakes? In nature, snakes are tied to wintering places: where they can hide, for example, in areas of old quarries, where there are many cracks in the limestone rocks. In spring they are active, so encounters with them occur more often. When snakes come out of winter with the onset of warm weather, you can indeed find several vipers nearby. And with snakes, it’s not uncommon to see a tangle of several, sometimes up to two dozen, individuals. This, of course, affects impressionable people.

But with the end of the mating season, snakes spread over a large territory, and meetings become rare.

Myth 2

“If you kill them, others will crawl in. If you take them away, they will come back.”

You can't kill snakes. And the point is not only that the common viper is listed in the Red Books of many regions, but also that it is a useful predator. They feed on mice, participating in the regulation of their numbers. And mice, which many people forget, carry many infections that are dangerous to humans. Therefore, in some respects, being in the vicinity of snakes is even beneficial for us. If you already meet a snake, there is no need to kill it, there is no heroism in that. It's best to take it to another place. She won't come back.

Another precaution to prevent new snakes from crawling in is to establish basic order in your area and surrounding area. Garbage and waste dumps near the garden village invariably attract mice, and this is the favorite food of vipers. Heaps of broken bricks, fragments of slate and other building materials can also, in principle, attract them.

Warm compost heaps can be favored by snakes - they sometimes use them for laying eggs. Vipers, by the way, do not lay eggs. Their cubs are born in a thin transparent shell, which almost immediately breaks, and the small snake is released into the wild.

Myth 3

"The viper is a very dangerous snake"

Let's start with the fact that in Central Russia the common viper is the only poisonous snake. It comes in different colors: black and lighter, gray or brownish, with a characteristic zigzag pattern on the back. In some regions - the southern regions, the Caucasus, southern Siberia, and the Far East, you can find other poisonous species: steppe and Caucasian vipers, copperhead vipers and even vipers.

You can't kill snakes. These are useful predators, they feed on mice and control their numbers

As for the central areas, the snake is most often found here: it can be recognized by two bright (white, yellow, orange) spots behind the head. It is absolutely safe. The non-poisonous copperhead also often suffers from fear of snakes - it was named so for the metallic shine of its scales. The legless spindle lizard is often confused with a snake.

Stories about a deadly viper bite are an exaggeration. The bite can indeed pose a serious danger to small child, a small dog. As a rule, there will be no great harm to an adult if he does not have an individual allergic reaction to snake venom. But if there is an allergy or severe chronic diseases, complications can indeed arise, including anaphylactic shock. Then no urgent medical care a person may die.

There are no statistics on mortality from viper bites in Russia, but, for example, in England over the past 50 years, only 7 deaths from snake bites have been recorded, and in Sweden - none, despite the fact that more than 600 people were bitten by a common viper.

Precautionary measures

You won’t find a viper in a deep forest; they live closer to open places: on the edges, clearings. This is where you need to be especially careful.

Thick shoes and wide pants will protect you from being bitten if you accidentally step on a snake.

You should have an antihistamine (anti-allergic) medicine in your first aid kit and give an injection in case of a bite.

The bite site is treated with an antiseptic. You cannot cut the bite site so that blood with poison comes out, or suck out the blood with your mouth, or tie a tourniquet around the injured arm or leg. The incision can become infected. And when the limb is pulled, the local effect of the poison increases, and necrosis may occur.

The victim needs rest, plenty of fluids, and medical care.

South of Sao Paulo, there is the picturesque green island of Queimada Grande. A variety of fruit trees and exotic plants grow here. flower plants. However, it is impossible to see all this beauty with your own eyes today, since the government of the country has banned visiting the uninhabited island. And there is a good reason for this - the green oasis is home to many poisonous snakes. The bites of some of them can kill a person in a matter of minutes.

Snake Island

Scientists have established that about 11,000 years ago, the island of Queimada Grande separated from mainland Brazil due to rising sea levels. Today its area is 0.4 km 2, its height above sea level is 200 meters. The island is home to a wide variety of plants.

The fauna is represented mainly by snakes, of which there are from one to five individuals for each square meter. Scientists obtained these figures as a result of many years of research and observation of local fauna. Most of the reptiles that inhabit Queimada Grande are poisonous.

The island is uninhabited and visiting is prohibited today. Local residents create a wide variety of legends about this place, and often call it “Snake Island” or “Island of Death.” These days only scientific expeditions visit Queimada Grandi, for which this unusual place is a unique open-air protected serpentarium.

Where did the deadly snakes on Queimada Grandi come from?

According to one legend, poisonous reptiles were specially brought to the uninhabited island by pirates to guard hidden treasures. This version is just a beautiful fairy tale.

In fact, the island of Queimada Grande became the domain of snakes quite naturally. Poisonous reptiles are found in almost all regions of Brazil. On Queimada Grande, their incredible number is due to natural factors. There are no predators on the island, and snakes appear to be at the top of the food chain. Having no natural enemies, these reptiles reproduce in incredible quantities. The inhabitants of the uninhabited island feed mainly on migratory birds that regularly fly here.

The most dangerous resident of Queimada Grandi

A wide variety of poisonous reptiles live on the uninhabited island. The most dangerous among them are considered bothrops or spear-headed snakes. When they bite, necrosis of muscle tissue occurs, the possible development of renal failure, hemorrhages in the brain and intestines. A person bitten by such a snake has minimal chances of survival.

After being bitten by bothrops, a laboratory mouse dies within 2-3 minutes. These reptiles are quite aggressive. They can quickly climb the trunks and branches of trees and bushes, and then suddenly attack their prey. Exist different kinds bothrops, but most of them have a natural color that allows the deadly predator to blend in with tree bark or leaves. Precisely because large quantity these snakes today Queimada Grande is the most dangerous island in the world.

Who lights the lighthouse on Snake Island?

The only man-made structure on Queimada Grandi is the lighthouse. This structure ensures the safety of ships passing by. Once upon a time, a lighthouse keeper lived permanently on the island. According to legend, this worker and his family died from snake bites.

Many Brazilians believe that poisonous reptiles sneaked into the house at night and attacked sleepy people. Back in the 1920s, the lighthouse was automated. Today it operates without the daily supervision of workers. Since those times, the island of Queimada Grande has again become uninhabited. And only once a year, employees of the Brazilian Navy visit the snakes’ property for a short period of time to carry out preventive maintenance of the lighthouse.

Legends of Queimada Grandi

Even in our age high technology Most people in Brazil are superstitiously afraid of the snake island. Many believe that visiting this place entails inevitable death. Popular among Brazilians are stories about people accidentally or in search of thrills caught on the island of Queimada Grandi. Snake Island did not leave any of these unfortunates alive.

A popular legend is about a fisherman who landed at Queimada Grandi in search of fruit. The man was instantly bitten by the snake, and all he had time to do before dying was to climb back into his boat. They also talk about entire scientific expeditions that disappeared during the exploration of the snake island.

Tourist potential of the island

The country to which the island of Queimada Grande officially belongs is Brazil. The local government has given this site special status since 1985. The picturesque island could be transformed into a luxury resort. But today you can visit it only with a special permit, which is issued exclusively to scientific organizations.

Tourists are invited to admire the snake island from afar during boat trips. Sometimes unofficial secret excursions are organized to Queimada Grande, the island of poisonous snakes. This is a very serious risk to the life and health of tourists, as well as a violation of the current legislation of Brazil.

The island regularly hosts Scientific research, some teams of scientists even film documentaries here. It is much safer to admire the scenery of Snake Island while watching a movie in a comfortable environment. And during your vacation, visit some other, less dangerous attractions in Brazil.

According to experts, in the near future the population of poisonous snakes in the Moscow region may increase significantly. If such assumptions come true, there will be a serious danger for residents of the region and their pets.

Is there any reason to worry about the increasing population of venomous snakes? Which species living in the Central Region poses the greatest threat? How to behave if bitten? And what to do if a poisonous reptile bites your pet? Russian veterinarian-herpetologist, Doctor of Veterinary Sciences, leading herpetologist at the Moscow Zoo Dmitry Vasiliev will answer these and other questions.

Recording an online conference

Opening speech by Dmitry Vasiliev:

Hello, our topic will concern poisonous snakes of the Moscow region. This topic has been popular in recent years. There is probably a tendency for people to encounter venomous snakes more frequently and the number of bites to increase. But since I do not have reliable information, it is not published in the open press, it is difficult for me to say whether the number of bites has increased. But we at the Moscow Zoo receive many calls asking for advice or to drive snakes away from the site. There are traditionally many such calls in the spring.

Alexei:
Are fears about an increase in the population of poisonous snakes in the Moscow region justified?

Dmitry Vasiliev:
I cannot answer this question accurately, because since 1993 there has been no accounting of the number of poisonous snakes in the Moscow region. After the serpentarium system was destroyed, the Moscow serpentarium caught about 10 thousand snakes a year. But I see no reason why the number of snakes should increase now, since 20 years have already passed. But the fact that a certain number of snakes are not seized each year should have led to some increase. The second reason is that marshy, edge areas suitable for snakes are allocated for dacha development. Therefore, meetings have become more frequent, which also leads to an increase in the number of bites. Nowadays it is quite difficult to help yourself on your own, and serums are not available in most hospitals. Therefore, the severity of poisoning by snake venom has also increased, although the poisonousness of snakes has not changed since then.

Emma:
In which areas of the Moscow region will there be poisonous snakes?

Dmitry Vasiliev:
Apparently there already is. Traditionally, we consider the Savelovskoe direction, Konakovo, and Verbilki to be very serpentine places. Also in the Shatursky direction, in the Dmitrovsky district. Between platforms 119 km and Tempi I had to catch 40 vipers in 30 minutes, this was about 8 years ago. As for other areas, vipers can be found everywhere, but they prefer specific biotopes. There are people who have never seen a snake in their entire lives. In spring and autumn they can only be found in wintering areas; they exist for many years. As a rule, females disperse nearby, up to 800 meters from the wintering site, and males migrate up to 11 kilometers. And they return, they have a homen, and they crawl to the places where they spent the previous winter.

S ergey Olshin:
Hello! Please tell me, are there snakes in the Mozhaisk district of the Moscow region?

Dmitry Vasiliev:
Yes, sure. They are also in the Mozhaisk region. It’s just that in a western direction, especially near rivers, snakes are more common than vipers. But this area is not famous for its abundance of snakes.

Hope:
What is the most poisonous snake found in the Moscow region?

Dmitry Vasiliev:
It must be said that in the Moscow region there are only two species of snakes, the common viper and the common viper. The mythical copperhead, which is actually a non-venomous snake, is practically never found in the Moscow region. But the fact is that the viper is capable of creating about seven color variations, there are black, blue, green snakes, in general vipers can be very beautiful. And often people mistake them for another snake. But a little further south, in the forest-steppe zone, these are Kursk, Voronezh, Lipetsk, the Volga region, Togliatti - the Nikolsky viper is found there, it is always black, and its venom differs from the venom of an ordinary viper, including it contains cardiotoxin. Therefore, its poisoning is more severe. It is always black, but these vipers differ in appearance, and in areas where coniferous or mixed forests are common, Nikolsky’s viper is not present.

Nikolay:
Good afternoon Are there plans to take into account the number of snakes in the Moscow region?

Dmitry Vasiliev:
This question is difficult for me to answer. The census of the number of snakes was traditionally carried out by the Institute of Nature Conservation and divisions belonging to the Roszdravhota system. They assessed the number of venomous snakes and issued catch quotas when the serpentarium system existed. It is difficult for me to say what is happening now, since the zoo does not belong to this system. But as far as I know, people who tried to revive the serpentarium in the Moscow region and get quotas for catching vipers were unable to do this; the refusal was motivated by the fact that the number of vipers had not been studied. I don't think this will change in the near future.

Semyon:
Under what circumstances is the risk of being bitten by a snake especially high?

Dmitry Vasiliev:
It is easy to be bitten by a snake where there are many of them, that is, in traditional wintering areas for snakes. High concentrations of vipers are typical for the spring and autumn months. The risk also arises in the summer, when snakes migrate, and due to the heat they try to hide in shaded places, so they can be found in the forest or on garden plots. You can get bitten if you fumble with your hand where nothing is visible. Most often this happens when it is stepped on. Therefore, if you know that there are a lot of snakes in a given place, then of course you need to take precautions, and you should be glad that poisonous snakes are not the main disaster for our country, unlike, for example, the island of Martinique, which residents left several times because of these problems.

Svetlana:
Tell me, due to increased summer temperatures recent years, have the snakes undergone any changes? Perhaps the poison has become stronger... Tell me, is this possible?

Dmitry Vasiliev:
Hard to tell. If the toxicity of mushrooms is really related to temperature and certain mutations, I have not heard this about snakes. But I admit that in extreme heat the venom may be more concentrated if the snakes are dehydrated. This is what we observed and laboratory conditions. But at the genetic level, no changes occur. It’s just that snakes have begun to appear more often in places where they were not previously, and their contacts with people may become more frequent.

Andrey:
Good afternoon From the dacha to the nearest settlement It's quite a long drive. What measures should you take on your own if you are bitten by a snake?

Dmitry Vasiliev:
Since this concerns a whole pool of questions related to bites and their treatment, let me expand the answer. A poisonous snake bite can be viewed from three perspectives and causes three main actions that doctors have to deal with. Firstly, there are local consequences of the bite, such as pain, rapidly developing swelling, bleeding from the bite site, tissue necrosis and lymphangitis, inflammation of nearby lymph nodes. Incorrect treatment can have a very negative impact and intensify this symptom, for example, applying a tourniquet bandage, cutting the wound, or introducing traumatic chemical agents such as potassium permanganate. These symptoms always occur if a poisonous snake bite occurs, and go away on their own, usually within three days. Secondly, symptoms of general poisoning appear, which is much more dangerous and has a worse prognosis. For example, severe headache, vomiting, diarrhea, bleeding from mucous membranes, clouding and loss of consciousness, heavy sweating, sensation of flashing light in the eyes, rubber light in the mouth, neurotoxic symptoms. If they appear within an hour after the bite, it is better to treat such patients in a hospital. And there are very fast, hurricane reactions associated with allergies and anophiloxia. Such, for example, as Quincke's edema. Most often, with shock or allergic reactions, a very rapid collapse occurs, that is, a drop in pressure, loss of consciousness and rapidly developing swelling of the mucous membranes of the mouth and nasopharynx. Typically, anophylaxis is typical for people who work professionally with snakes and have a history of snake bites, or for people prone to allergic reactions. As a rule, death from a viper bite is associated precisely with anaphyloxia, that is, its poison is not strong enough to cause the death of an adult. Therefore, with normal poisoning, without an allergic component, we have a lot of time to get to the hospital and recover. If the picture of poisoning develops with an analytical component, then this can be very serious and the consequences can occur in a matter of minutes. The second part of the question concerns measures - bites most often occur in the leg or arm, the poison usually reaches the nearest lymph node and lingers there. Therefore, it is best to hang the arm, as if it were fractured, at the level of the heart, but do not squeeze it with a tourniquet. If the bite occurred on the leg, then you should calmly walk to the treatment point. The person should be put to bed and given an antihistamine, preferably one that does not have a drowsy effect. Next, you need to give some kind of painkiller that does not affect blood clotting. You need to drink plenty of fluids, maybe with a diuretic effect like linden tea, and calmly go to the hospital. As a rule, a hospital is not needed, it’s just that many medical procedures that are used in the treatment of snake bites - administration of serum, anti-shock therapy - are strictly medical procedures and cannot be performed at home. For example, if you have anti-snake serum stored in your refrigerator, and in the event of a bite, one of your relatives administered this serum, and the person died from anaphylactic shock, then the person who did this may be prosecuted. And in the hospital they will do an allergy test and call the resuscitation team if anaphylactic effects develop. This is one of the reasons why serums are not sold in pharmacies to the public.

Elena:
Are there any “improvised” ways to slow down the effect of the poison after a viper bite?

Dmitry Vasiliev:
After a bite, two things are allowed - immobilization (suspension) without applying a pressure bandage, and suction of the poison, which is absolutely safe even for a person who has wounds on the lips or caries. But as we said, the most important thing is to keep the limbs in a motionless position. The poison remains unchanged in the blood for up to 10 days, and if it is sucked out, it is very quickly inactivated by saliva and digestive enzymes.

Vlentina:
Good afternoon How does a viper bite affect large animals such as cows?

Dmitry Vasiliev:
It must be said that the strength of the poison is assessed by such an indicator as a semi-lethal dose, LD 50, which is milligrams per body weight. Therefore, the larger the animal, the weaker the effect of the poison, although there are exceptions, for example, camels are more sensitive to poison than people or sheep. The mechanism of action remains the same. As for dogs, the poison, for example, has a stronger effect on large breeds of the Molossian type. Conversely, it has a rather weak effect on hunting dogs, including dachshunds.

Dmitriy:
What to do if a snake bites a dog? How to understand that it was a poisonous snake that did this? How much time do you have to act?

Dmitry Vasiliev:
Dogs are about as sensitive to viper venom as humans. As a rule, they receive a bite in the area of ​​the nasolabial triangle, that is, when they sniff a snake. Swelling quickly develops and the symptom of dysphagia occurs when the dog is unable to swallow food or water. In hunting dogs, symptoms of poisoning spontaneously disappear after about 6 hours, which does not exclude further complications from the bite, usually associated with the kidneys. In large dogs, a severe clinical picture of poisoning may develop; the animals lie down, groan, pathologies of the heart, murmurs, wheezing, and pulmonary edema may be detected. Treatment, of course, should be carried out in a hospital. As a rule, we have about 5-6 hours to deliver the animal to the hospital.

Relax:
What to do when you are bitten by a snake while on vacation in nature? And you don’t understand whether it’s poisonous or not! What is the difference between the bite of a poisonous snake and a non-venomous one?

Dmitry Vasiliev:
We covered the first part of the question in previous answers, but as for whether the bite occurred from a poisonous or non-venomous snake, a person will understand very quickly. A viper bite is an extremely painful thing. It's easy to tell whether a fly or a wasp bit you. When bitten by a poisonous snake, pain occurs almost instantly, and you can feel how it spreads through the blood. The intense burning sensation occurs instantly, and you can feel the burning sensation spreading along the bitten limb. In addition, the swelling develops very quickly, and within half an hour it significantly exceeds the swelling caused by a bee or wasp sting.

Evgenia:
Now the most poisonous snake found in middle lane- common viper. If the climate becomes warmer, is it possible that viper, cobra, etc. may appear in our region?

Dmitry Vasiliev:
The question is logical, because many southern species are expanding their range to the north due to warming. Let's say a swallowtail butterfly appeared in the Moscow region. Or the ringed dove, a bird native to the south, has expanded its range by more than a thousand kilometers in the last 10 years. I don't know if this will apply to snakes, because butterflies and birds are more mobile creatures. And the nearest habitat of the viper is about 2.5 thousand kilometers. But, say, Nikolsky’s viper could crawl a little to the north.

Alexander:
Good afternoon. Please answer, is it possible for snakes and vipers to live on a limited plot of approximately 40 acres (a large garden plot). There is no reservoir nearby. There is no open border with forest or steppe, i.e. The site is surrounded by residential buildings with plots. Hedgehogs live on the site.

Dmitry Vasiliev:
The common snake and the common viper prefer different biotopes and are not usually found. But this does not exclude the possibility that they may meet during migration. But, as a rule, they cannot live and exist normally in one place; they prefer damper places.

Galina:
Hello, Dmitry Borisovich! Please tell me, besides the viper, are there other types of poisonous snakes in the east of the Moscow region? If so, what do they look like? Do non-venomous snakes bite? Thank you.

Dmitry Vasiliev:
No, up to the Ural Mountains and beyond, nothing but the common viper is found.

Dumbmode:
Good afternoon, Dmitry. I would like to learn from a specialist a little more about the so-called “serums” against snake venom. There is an idea among people that such a serum can, for example, be taken with you on a hike and applied to a bite. It is also interesting to learn details about the bite mechanism itself - why it makes no sense to suck out the poison or cut the wound. Thank you in advance.

Dmitry Vasiliev:
So, as for anti-snake serums. These are not vaccines, these are serums, they are obtained in biofactories, the method is quite simple, a horse or mule is injected with a gradual increase in the dose of poison, inducing immunity. Then this blood is separated, plasma is isolated from it, dry serum is usually stored for 5 years, and liquid serum - 3 years. In case of a bite, it is usually administered intravenously, along with 5% glucose. And here two difficulties arise. Firstly, it’s difficult to put an IV on yourself at home. Secondly, a person can have a very strong reaction to the horse serum, even stronger than the poison itself, and the person can die from the serum itself. Therefore, serums are usually administered in a hospital setting, and first an allergy test is carried out by injecting a small amount of serum under the conjunctiva of the eye or intradermally, and the size of the resulting tubercle and its color are assessed. The serum is then slowly injected by drip under control, and in case of adverse reactions, the intensive care team is called. In addition, anti-snake serum, like all hyperimmune drugs, should be stored in the refrigerator. All this excludes or greatly limits its “home” use." As for the mechanism of the bite, I read about such an interesting experience: the fur of a guinea pig was shaved on both sides, and a simply tinted saline solution with methylene blue was injected on one side, and on the other side - diluted snake venom, also tinted with methylene blue. So, the area of ​​​​the spread of the stain where the poison was was a hundred times larger than where it was just a saline solution. This happens because snake venoms contain hyaluronidase, an enzyme that enhances the spread of venom in the tissues. Therefore, after a bite, the poison disappears very quickly from the point of local injection, and cutting and suction has almost no effect, this allows you to remove no more than 15% of the poison. In my opinion, this rather has a psychological effect, because doing nothing at all is even worse.

Elena:
Will there be serum in hospitals? Who is responsible for this? After all, after a black viper bite, help must be provided within 30 minutes!

Dmitry Vasiliev:
I don’t know anything about this now, unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, because I haven’t been in the hospital with bites for a long time. The serum was always available at the Poison Center of the Sklifosovsky Institute of Emergency Medicine and other large hospitals. But I can’t say what’s happening now. Recently, at least at the beginning of the two thousandth, the only place where the serum was produced was Stavropol. Whether it is produced now and how it is distributed to hospitals is unknown, but you can look it up on the Internet. Our entry into the WTO should ease this issue, because all of Europe uses whey from two European producers, French and German.

Maria:
Good afternoon We have country cottage area in the Tula region, and recently many vipers have appeared in dachas. Tell me how to protect your area from their invasion, what snakes don’t like and how to behave when bitten?

Dmitry Vasiliev:
Unfortunately, attempts to create effective means, repelling snakes, such as chemical repellents, or ultrasonic emitters - have not yet been crowned with real success. In pastoral countries they traditionally use a hair lasso to surround their camp site. But poisonous snakes are not at all deterred by the smell of a person; they calmly climb into the tent. Therefore, it is most effective to remove all debris from an area that can serve as a hiding place for them. Snakes, especially during wintering, are attached to places that have deep niches, burrows, and that do not freeze during frost. These can be the ruins of old houses, heaps of construction waste, compost pits, heaps of branches, etc. In a well-equipped, well-mown area there will be no snakes, at least permanently. Which does not save us from the opportunity to meet some random migrant. Usually snakes are active and visible during the early morning and late evening heat, that is, between 8-10 am and after 6 pm. If we can find a place where snakes are regularly found or places where they crawl out, as faded snake skin is called, then these places should be reclaimed, that is, the holes should be filled up, construction garbage remove, and so on.

Konstantin:
Good afternoon. The question is this. There are waterfowl in the Russian Federation, although maybe they are all waterfowl and not only in the Russian Federation. If the snake is poisonous, can it bite while in water? I mean, can it bite in water (vipers, cobras, etc.)? Thank you.

Dmitry Vasiliev:
It must be said that vipers swim quite reluctantly, only if they are forced to do so. Therefore, meeting a viper while swimming is unlikely, although I know of one reliable case of a bite in the water. If this happens, it is when trying to throw the snake away or grab it. The fact is that in order to bite, the snake needs to take a certain position; in order to throw the front third of the body forward, this requires some kind of solid support. However, if you drive 600 kilometers to the south, where you can already find a water snake, which, unlike an ordinary snake, is colored differently and does not have the characteristic orange spots on the head - you can hear a lot of stories about dangerous water or even sea snakes, which in fact turn out to be water snakes, naturally, not poisonous.

Closing words from Dmitry Vasiliev:
I would like to wish everyone good luck, summer is a wonderful time of year, and you shouldn’t complicate your life with thoughts and worries about what has not yet happened. Once again I want to emphasize that among our many national problems, snakes are far from being in first place.