POISON APPARATUS IN SNAKES

POISON APPARATUS IN SNAKES

Identification of poisonous and Non-poisonous snakes

Poison apparatus in snakesOpisthoglyphous fangs are found only in the colubrid family, which includes many venomous and non-venomous species. This type of fang is located at the back of the maxilla with groove present posteriorly Most rear-fanged snakes are harmless to humans, but a few, like the boomslang, can be deadly.Solenoglyphous fangs belong to the viper family, which includes pit vipers like rattlesnakes and true vipers .This type of fang is fixed to a short maxilla and is attached to the jaw by a hinge, so they can be folded up against the roof of the mouth when not in use. This folding action allows vipers to have the longest fangs of all venomous snakes, with some reaching over two inches long. Types of fangsProteroglyphous fangs all belong to the elapid family, which includes cobras, mambas, sea snakes, and coral snakes. This type of fang is fixed to the front of the maxilla with groove present anteriorly .

Incidence of snake bite

Snake bite

Snake VenomVenomis highly modifiedsalivacontainingzootoxinsthat facilitates immobilization and digestion ofprey, and defends against a threat. It is injected by uniquefangsafter abitebut some species are also able to spit.The venom or poison is used to kill the prey and for defence.Venom is honey coloured and odour -less fluid.It is a complex mixture of powerful enzymes or organic compounds. It contains : Proteinases - causes tissue destruction Hyaluronidase increases tissue permeability to increase the spread of venomPhospholipases attacks cell membranesPhosphtases attacks ATP moleculesBasic polypeptides blocks neuromuscular transmissionVenom causes a variety of patho-physiological effects including local tissue damage

Neurotoxic venom affects central nervous system which produces paralysis and respiratory distressThey prevent transmission of nerve impulse - causing muscle paralysis, respiratory failure and death by asphyxiationEx: venom of cobra,krait etc Haemotoxic venom that acts by lysing erythrocytes. Venoms of this kind have a proteo-lytic action. They produce swelling, cardiovascular damage, and eventual necrosis. They also disrupt blood clotting and in the process of destroying the blood's functionality, severely damage internal organs and other body tissues, which can be extremely painful. The immediate cause of death in such cases is usually blood and plasma loss from the intravascular to the extracellular space, creating edema Ex: venom of viper

Snake antivenin is a biological product that typically consists of venom neutralizingantibodiesderived from a host animal, such as a horse. The host animal is hyper-immunized to one or more snake venoms, a process which creates an immunological response that produces large number of neutralizing antibodies against various components (toxins) of the venom. The antibodies are then collected from the host animal, and further processed into snake antivenin for the treatment ofsnake bite.Anti-venin consists ofantibodies, they bind to the venom and chemically change it to something that can not interact with the body, thus neutralizing its effects.

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