Issued by HSE(TS)

Snakes and snakebitesHazard Awareness and

Emergency Response Actions

Introduction

• It is possible to see snakes in Kuwait desert areas. Some snake species are venomous and there is potential for serious health effects if someone is bitten.

• Snakes are mainly encountered in KOC West Kuwait facilities, but they could be found elsewhere too.

• Normally, snakes will avoid human contact, but they could be encountered during construction work if they are disturbed in their natural habitat.

• The snakes are known to fall into trenches or excavations at

night and then can’t escape. They could equally be found under rocks or taking shelter under construction materials.

• The following guidance is aimed to increase awareness of the various desert snakes that are around and help with the care of any bite victims.

• Normally, a snake has no motive to harm a human. They are only a threat to humans if they are actually touched or stepped on. Many snakebites are a direct result of horseplay. Almost all bites are therefore preventable.

Background

• If you fear snakes, it is probably because you are unfamiliar with them or you have wrong information about them. There is no need for you to fear snakes if you know:

– Their habits.– How to identify the dangerous kinds.– Precautions to take to prevent snakebite.– What actions to take in case of snakebite – For someone wearing shoes and trousers and

living or working in the desert areas, the risk of being bitten by a venomous snake is low compared to other common hazards.

• Nearly all snakes avoid man if possible. Even aggressive species of snakes attack humans only occasionally. Most snakes get out of the way and are seldom seen.

Some snake facts

• Venomous snakes are roughly divided into four families: elapids, vipers, colubrids and sea snakes.

– Elapids include cobras, mambas, kraits, taipans and these snakes sometimes have a neurotoxic venom.

– Viper venom is often hemotoxic, cardiotoxic or cytotoxic, meaning it causes uncontrolled bleeding, affects the heart, or dissolves skin tissue respectively.

– Colubrids have rear-mounted, grooved fangs with moderately toxic venom. These snakes are not dangerous to humans because a bite rarely causes venom to be injected.

– Sea snakes are the fourth family of venomous snakes, the hydrophiidae. Although they are extremely venomous, sea snakes are docile and avoid humans.

• Venomous snakes native to Kuwait desert areas include Vipers, the Black Desert Cobra and the Arabian Rear Fanged Snake. The desert cobra is very rare and unlikely to be encountered. The Arabian Rear-Fanged snake or Molpolon is common, but is not particularly dangerous to humans. The most significant threat is from the Desert Vipers.

Snake venom

The three most important types of toxins found in snake venom are:

– Neurotoxins - Affect the nervous system, causing breathing to stop

– Cardiotoxins - Affect the heart muscles, causing it to stop beating

– Hemotoxins - Cause the blood vessels to rupture, resulting in widespread internal bleeding

• Not all snake bites will result in envenoming. Some bites are “dry”. This is because snakes have a limited supply of venom and may prefer to use this for hunting rather than defence.

Arabian Horned Viper(Cerastes gasperatti)

• Flattened triangular head and very distinct narrow neck with thick body and abruptly tapered tail. Colour is variable from light grey and brown to yellow. Dark blotches extend the length of the back. Maximum length is about 0.85m.

• Horn-like scales over the eyes are not always present.• Uses side-winding motion, leaving J-shaped trail in sand. • The sand viper feeds at night on small rodents. It spends

the daylight hours buried up to its eyes in loose sand. • When threatened it produces a hissing sound by rubbing a

series of pointed scales on opposing loops of its body.• Venom is hemotoxic. Local symptoms include oedema,

redness, internal bleeding & areas of gangrene.

Saw-scale or Carpet Viper (Echis sochureki )

• Small in length, maximum 0.75m. Averages about 0.30 metres and rarely exceeds 0.50 metres.

• Body grey, green, or yellow-brown; white belly speckled with brown or black. Has dorsal white markings edged with black. Eyes have vertically elliptical pupils. The most reliable identification is from the arrow-shaped marking on the top of the head. This sometimes looks like a white cross shape.

• Often retreats under stones. Uses sidewinding motion.

• If disturbed it assumes an S-shaped coil position (see photo) and rubs the sides of the body together making a rasping sound. Very nervous, irritable and aggressive, quick to strike at the slightest provocation and does not try to escape.

• Bite symptoms include local pain and swelling. Venom is hemotoxic. After 10-12 hours, some victims begin to bleed from gums & later develop deep-organ or cerebral bleeding (sometimes fatal).

Notice the head marking that distinguishes this species.

Notice the white cross-shaped marking on the head of this snake.

Persian Horned Viper(Pseudocerastes persicus)

• Small to medium in length, stout bodied snake with short, slender tail. Maximum length of 1.07 metres. Head is broad and flat with narrow neck. Snout is short and blunt. Eyes are medium in size with vertically elliptical pupils.

• Horns are made up of numerous small scales, which is quite different to the Arabian Horned Viper.

• Slow moving snake. Capable of side-winding locomotion. Takes shelter in rodent burrows, rock crevices or under boulders. Relatively placid disposition. If disturbed it will hiss loudly but usually requires some provocation before striking.

• Not much is known about venom toxicity, but it is unlikely to be fatal.

Black desert cobra(Walterinnesia aegyptia)

• Medium-sized, moderately stout, desert cobra, adults usually 0.7-1.1 m long (max. 1.3 m). Body generally glossy black; belly paler. Scales smooth, hood usually not apparent, head small, not distinct from neck.

• Found in various arid habitats, including open desert; but usually at edges of desert, in oases, cultivated fields, gardens, irrigated areas, & around buildings.

• Not usually aggressive. When provoked it will hiss violently & strike. Can strike at a distance of 2/3 of its body length. Does not usually spread its hood, nor hold the front of its body up off the ground.

• Venom strongly neurotoxic, with some milder hemotoxic factors. Envenomation usually causes combination of local pain, swelling, fever, general weakness, headache and vomiting. Human deaths from envenomations have been reported.

Arabian Rear Fanged Snake(Molpolon moilensis)

• Also known as the Hooded Malpolon or False Cobra - it is not considered dangerous to humans.

• Pale brown in colour with dark spots along its back and sides, and with red eyes and round black pupils. Grows up to 1.5m

• Fangs are located at the back of its jaws, which are used to envenom its prey when captured. Bite attempts do not usually result in successful envenoming of humans. The venom is poisonous but there is little evidence of any serious health effects.

• When threatened, it sometimes raises its front body above the ground and faces its attacker with neck flattened and spread like a hooded cobra.

• The Malpolon has a dark mark on each side of the head, at the back, which distinguishes it from a cobra.

Montpellier Snake (Malpolon monspessulanus )

• Similar to Arabian Rear-Fanged Snake.

• Slender bodied snake with a long tapering tail. Can grow to a maximum of about 2.07 metres. Head is elongate and narrow, with a midline depression. Eyes are large in size with round pupils.

• Tends to flee if approached. If disturbed or threatened it hisses loudly for prolonged periods and may flatten its body and spread a small hood.

• If provoked it will attempt to bite without much hesitation.

• Tends to take refuge in burrows of lizards, mice, rabbits etc. and occupies the same site for years. An agile species which moves quickly on the ground.

• Envenoming is possible but unlikely to prove lethal.

Arabian Sand Boa(Eryx jayakari)

• Small yellow/brown snake spends most of its time buried in the sand. Cylindrical, stout bodied snake with a very short sharply pointed tail. Rarely exceeds 40cm in length. Head is indistinct from neck. Eyes are located on top of head.

• Only true constrictor in Arabia. It is not venomous but a bites may cause numerous tooth punctures, with local pain & swelling, potential for secondary infection.

Some other non-venomous snakes

Rat or Whip Snake

(Coluber ventromaculatus) • Long slender bodied snake with a

long tail. Can grow to about 1.3m. Head is moderately long and distinct from neck

• Will climb into bushes in search of prey.

Cliff or Wadi Racer

(Platyceps rhodorachis)• Slender bodied snake with a very

long tapering tail. Can grow to a maximum of about 1.4 m.

• Non-venomous, so all bites should

be “dry”.

Ways to avoid being bitten

• Although venomous snakes use their venom to secure food, they also use it for self-defence. Human accidents occur when you don't see or hear the snake, when you step on them, or when you walk too close to them. Follow these simple rules to reduce the chance of accidental snakebite: – If you find a snake inside a trench or excavation try and remove it

with a long pole or hook-shaped tool. Release it to the wild – don’t kill it unnecessarily.

– Don't put your hands into dark places, such as rock crevices, woodpiles or hollow logs, without first investigating.

– Don't step over a fallen tree. Step on the log and look to see if there is a snake resting on the other side. Look where you are walking.

– Don't handle any snake unless you are positive it is not venomous.– Don't pick up freshly killed snakes without first severing the head.

The nervous system may still be active and a dead snake can deliver a bite.

– Don’t tease or play with any snakes you encounter. Release trapped snakes back into the wild if possible.

First aid response - 1

• All snake bites should be treated as potentially lethal. Antivenin is available for almost all venomous snakes, but must only be administered by a doctor. Get the patient to hospital ASAP.

• The victim should be reassured and persuaded to lie down and keep still. Many will fear sudden death and may become hysterical. Tell the victim that 70% of snakebites are from non-poisonous species. Of the remaining 30%, only half will actually involve injecting venom. The chances are they are OK!

• If the bite is on a hand or arm place it in a sling bandage or use a piece of cloth to support the arm. In the case of a leg bite, use a splint to support both legs and bandage them together. Do not tie the bandages tightly. Keep the victim immobile.

• The bite wound should not be tampered with in any way.

• Most snake bite areas will swell. All rings or other jewellery on the bitten limb, especially on fingers, should be removed, as they may act as tourniquets.

First aid response - 2

• Most traditional first aid measures are useless and potentially dangerous. Do not use Tourniquets, cut or suck the wound or apply chemicals or electric shock.

• Administer artificial respiration if the victim stops breathing.

• If the snake has been killed it should be brought with the patient for identification, but care is required because even a dead snake can envenom. No attempt should be made to capture a live snake as it will only increase the risk of a second bite victim.

• Do not panic! The majority of snake bites are not fatal. More deaths and injuries are caused in panic states than by the snake bites themselves. Remember, some snake bites may not be venomous. Many deaths or injuries have been caused by traffic accidents on route to the hospital due to careless driving or speeding.

Thank you

HSE (TS) Team