Poisonous Snakes Are Among The Most Feared Creatures In The Animal World

Poisonous snakes are amongst the most feared creatures in the animal world. The venom of poisonous snakes has such a lethal impact that it can induce paralysis and death in less than thirty minutes, not to mention the chances of losing eye sight if venom gets into your eyes. In spite of the risk of getting bitten in close encounters, poisonous snakes are creatures like all others but rely on their venom to survive: no snake will bite unless in defense or to hunt its meal . The rest of the negative aura surrounding snakes comes from an incorrect perception powered by ancient myths.

The venom structure difficulty is amazing: the paralysis and eventual death of the prey are caused by a smart blending of proteins and toxins. The toxin attacks the muscles, the lungs and the heart, and depending on this way of action scientists have classified poisonous snakes into kind that destroy the walls of the blood vessels and start an unstoppable hemorrhage, venomous species that paralyze the heart and, last but not least, others that only cause excruciating muscle pain. The poisonous snakes with the most frightful of reputations are corals closely followed by cobras.

The intricacies of snake venom still make the subject of comprehensive scientific studies. The only treatment for poisonous snakes bites is the immediate administration of antivenins. There are however some factors that increase or decrease the victim's chances of staying alive: thus, an identification of the snake is essential as well as the proper location of the bite. If there is too much time between the moment of the bite and the administration of the antivenin, serious health damage or even death could occur. Furthermore, Sometimes patients showed allergic reactions to both the venom and the antidote, increasing the lethal exposure even more.

Rattlesnakes cause most of the bites in the United States, yet death from such accidents is a rarity these days since medical assistance is usually very readily available. Other relatives of the rattlesnake include the water moccasin, the cottonmouth or the copperhead; they are highly poisonous snakes too that would surely mark the days of anyone who gets bitten. Snake phobia could thus be developed because of a dangerous encounter with some poisonous snakes or this excessive fear can be the result of sociological ancestral traditions that are manifest even with people who have never come across a snake in their life.

The snake is also a mythical representation not just an animal people feel afraid of. The representations of snakes in our arts and cultures draw their roots from the ancient mythical cults. On the one hand, serpents are part of ecosystems, with a well-established function in the development of certain species, and secondly they remain symbols of profound meanings. Their hunting mice and rats limits the risk of pest and prevents the over-breeding of these rodents. Yet, in the very old traditions, types of snake worshiping were part of religious rites, with the serpent representing deities, or the eternal circle of life and death or wisdom.

Many types of snake-related beliefs have been identified around the globe: for the old Greeks the snake represented the a sign of sexual potency; Mesopotamians and Semites considered this animal immortal because it shed its skin and it rejuvenated its look on a regular basis; Indians, Siamese and Burmese believe the snake to be a demon figure that is not entirely bad.