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Snakes can bite when defending their territory. But not every snake is deadly. Here’s how you can tell a poisonous animal from a non-poisonous one.

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It is better to stay away from any snake, no matter what it is. But this article will help you quickly determine how dangerous an animal is in front of you

When the weather is warm, we tend to spend more time outdoors, walking in parks, lying on the fresh green grass, picnicking or hiking. But it is very important to remember that not only people are awake after hibernation – you can easily find various insects, lizards and even snakes in the grass. And not all of them are safe. Here are some tips to help distinguish a poisonous animal from a non-poisonous one.

This article is for informational purposes only. If you are bitten by a snake, go to the hospital immediately, even if you think it is not poisonous.

Which snakes are non-venomous

There are a large number of non-venomous snakes in the world. Only a quarter of the total number are poisonous. These include the families of already-shaped, asps, and the subfamily of the pit-headed ones from the viper family. The subfamily of sea snakes is also venomous.

Non-venomous snake families include:

• Colubridae are the most diverse family of snakes, including most non-venomous species such as king snakes and snakes. Despite the fact that, for the most part, already-shaped ones are not poisonous, there are also so-called “false snakes”. These have long teeth and furrows for draining poison. They are not located in front, like in other snakes, but behind the jaw.

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• Mole rats or blind snakes (Typhlopidae) – includes snake species that live in the soil and feed on ants. They are more like worms, their length does not exceed 76 centimeters. On the surface, they are rare, lead a burrowing lifestyle.
• Boidae – includes snakes such as boas and anacondas. They live in the tropics and subtropics. They are known for their size and special way of killing. Giant snakes wrap their bodies around their prey and choke them to death. But not all of this family are huge. The sand boa, for example, reaches a length of no more than a meter.

It is important to note that not all snake species within each family are venomous or non-venomous. Some families, such as the alreadyiformes, may include both poisonous and non-poisonous species.

How to tell a venomous snake from a non-venomous one

Look at the head of a snake al. This is close to the truth, but one more nuance should be borne in mind – many snakes, even non-venomous ones, have conical and triangular heads by nature. Venomous snakes, on the other hand, must have venom sacs that look like fleshy bumps on the sides of their heads. Therefore, if you see a snake with a pronounced triangular head in front of you, it is better to stay away from it.

Look at the pupils

If you pay attention to the pupils of the snake in question, it is likely that the venomous snake will have elliptical pupils, like a cat. Non-venomous snakes will have round pupils.

Hole between eyes and nose

Most vipers have a small hole in their head located between the eyes and nose. This is the so-called sensory pit, which serves to absorb heat. Try to find out if the snake you are looking at has this hole. If you can’t see it well from where you are, don’t try to get close to the snake.

Coral snake

There is a species of snake that is an exception to all rules. Coral snakes have a small, rounded head, no sensory pits, and round eyes, like non-venomous snakes. But this type of snake has a bright color. Pay attention to how red, yellow and black alternate. If red goes next to yellow, you are probably looking at a coral snake, which is venomous. Also look at the snake’s head – it should be black.

What to do when encountering a snake

If you go out into nature, remember that a snake encounter can happen. Before sitting on a stump or a fallen tree, it is better to look around, but in no case do not check the hollows and voids under the roots with your hands.

If you do spot an animal, freeze. Give her time and opportunity to leave. As a rule, the snake will not show aggression, but will try to crawl away. If the snake does adopt a hostile posture or is preparing to attack, slowly back away. Do not move abruptly and do not make loud noises.

It is not necessary to turn your back to the reptile, defend yourself or put your hands out. If you have a stick in your hand, hold it in front of you. The snake will not attack or chase a person, it can only hiss and lunge towards the threat. But if you try to grab it or step on it, the snake will bite.

It is not worth running away for the reason that you may well accidentally step on another snake. The main thing is to remain calm, control your movements and even facial expressions. If a snake has already been spotted, it is almost harmless compared to one that you cannot see.

Also don’t touch a dead snake. The poison in her body may well retain its properties. Remember – even newly hatched snakes are poisonous.

What to do if you are bitten by a snake?

There are not many poisonous snakes in Russia. However, the viper is distributed almost throughout the entire territory of our country. There is a risk of meeting muzzle, tiger snake or gyurza. In general, it is the gyurza that is the most dangerous snake in Russia. It is difficult to meet it, since it is listed in the Red Book, and is distributed throughout the territories of the Far East. In any case, you need to know what to do if you get bitten by a snake.

Wrong actions after a snakebite can be a big problem or even cause complications. When bitten by a poisonous reptile, there is a long and severe pain and swelling. The skin around the bite will have a reddish-blue color. After 20-30 minutes, shock phenomena appear. So, the skin turns pale, the head begins to spin, vomiting and nausea roll in. The pulse becomes weak and frequent, and the pressure decreases. At times, a person who has been bitten by a venomous snake may faint. Convulsions and arousal are also not excluded.

Immediately after the bite, the victim should be kept in a horizontal and comfortable position. If possible, place it in a convenient and protected from bad weather place. Do not let the bitten person move on their own, this will slow down the spread of the poison.

Injured limbs must be immobilized. If the bite hit the arm, bend it, and if it hit the leg, tie it to a healthy one and bend at the knees, slightly lifting it up.

The bite itself must be disinfected and then bandaged. As the edema spreads, you need to weaken it. The tourniquet should not be applied above the bite site. This will worsen the condition of the victim. Moreover, gangrenous phenomena may appear, and the likelihood of death will only increase.

« This is complete nonsense that poison can be stopped somewhere. One of the enzymes contained in viper venom causes tissue necrosis. If you apply a tourniquet, the likelihood of necrosis will increase, gangrene will begin – and you will have to amputate the part on which you applied the tourniquet. Any intoxication is measured as a milligram of poison per kilogram of the body weight of the bitten. I believe that with a snake bite, the whole body should “work”, and not the part where the snake bit you. Let the poison dissipate. General poisoning will be more noticeable, but in general it will pass much faster and easier »

Alcohol and coffee aggravate the condition when bitten by a venomous snake. It slows down the removal of poison from the body and enhances its effect. But what should be given more is tea, broth and water. Active consumption of water will help to remove the poison from the body.

Other tips for venomous snakebite:

• If medical attention is not available, suction of the venom can be tried. You need to start doing this right away, after 3 minutes the poison will already penetrate into the surrounding tissues and the action will be useless. To do this, you need to gather the skin around the bite into a fold and squeeze it so that drops of blood appear. It is necessary to suck it out with short and sharp movements. The content must be spit. Continue up to 15 minutes. In this way, from a third to a half of the poison can be removed.

• No need to cut the wound in unsanitary conditions, especially in nature. The chance of getting an infection inside is very high. This should absolutely not be done.
• The procedure is not dangerous for the suction (if there are no open wounds in the mouth). It is not possible to spit out all the poison, but once it enters the stomach, it loses its activity. Rinse your mouth with water or a weak solution of potassium permanganate, however, should be.

10 poisonous plants that can be found in Russia

Rights and safety while traveling

07/24/20

Be careful when photographing against the background of that bush with unusual flowers. Perhaps he wants you dead.

Olga Kashubina

talked to an ecologist

Author profile

So that your vacation or weekend does not end in the hospital, I will tell you about the most poisonous plants that are found in tourist places in our country. Meet – and be careful.

How to quickly recognize a plant

To find out the name of the flower, download the Google app (iOS/Android), click on the colored square in the search bar, and point the camera at the plant.

As a result, the system recognizes the plant and displays its name. See how it works.

Sosnovsky’s hogweed

What it looks like. Herbaceous plant 1-4 m high. The leaves are large, pinnately dissected, each leaf can grow up to a meter in diameter. The flowers are white, inconspicuous, collected in giant umbrellas. The fruits are quite large, dry. It blooms all summer, bears fruit until the end of September.

Hogweed can often be found in meadows, forest glades, in settlements, along roads, on the outskirts of fields, in parks. It can be confused with other, non-poisonous members of the umbrella family

Where it grows. In all regions of Russia.

Which parts of the plant are dangerous. The whole plant is poisonous, especially the sap and pollen. If swallowed, they can cause swelling of the larynx and esophagus.

If the juice gets into the eyes, it can lead to loss of vision due to severe corneal burns. If the juice gets on your skin, you won’t feel anything right away. But if within a few days after contact this part of the body is exposed to direct sunlight, the skin will become inflamed. Extensive burns may appear: with blisters, ulcers and white scars after healing.

In severe cases, after contact with hogweed, a person develops chills, dizziness, headache, and fever.

How to help. If hogweed juice or pollen gets into your eyes, or if you swallowed them, go to the hospital immediately. If the juice gets on the skin, rinse it with water and cover the affected area with clothing or cloth. Hide your skin from the sun for two days.

Seek medical attention if blisters appear on the affected area. If this is not possible, treat hogweed burns in the same way as normal, shallow burns. Apply cold compresses to the affected skin, you can smear it with healing aloe vera gel or antibiotic ointment if the inflammation increases. If the burn is very painful, take ibuprofen or paracetamol.

Belladonna belladonna

What it looks like. Herbaceous plant 1-2 m high. Demoiselle has high straight, branched, thick, succulent stems of green or dark purple color.

Leaves are large, elliptical or ovate, dark green or brownish above and slightly lighter below. The flowers resemble a bell with five petal ends, solitary, small, drooping, dirty purple or yellow. The fruits are black berries that grow in pairs like cherries. There are both single specimens and belladonna thickets on the edges and clearings in the forest, on roadsides.

Demoiselle flowers from June to September, fruits from July to September Demoiselle flowers from June to September, fruits from July to September

Where it grows. In the North Caucasus and the Voronezh region. The belladonna is found in beech, oak, fir and hornbeam forests, sometimes at altitudes up to 1000 m above sea level.

Which parts of the plant are dangerous. The whole plant is poisonous, especially the fruits.

Poisoned more often when eating berries. But holding belladonna leaves, flowers and fruits in your hands is also dangerous: you can get poisoned by touching your face or eyes with your hands.

You can also get poisoned by belladonna honey: nectar-gathering bees are insensitive to its venom. Honey from the flowers of the plant has a red-brown dark color and a bitter taste.

Demoiselle poisoning appears 10-20 minutes after the poison enters the body. Dryness and burning appear in the mouth and throat, swallowing, breathing and speech become difficult, the heartbeat quickens. People who have been poisoned by belladonna complain of vision problems, photophobia, and flashing “flies” before their eyes.

Severe poisoning is manifested by complete disorientation, strong motor and mental agitation, convulsions. Body temperature rises rapidly, severe shortness of breath develops, lips turn blue, blood pressure drops. Demoiselle poisoning can lead to death.

How to help. At the first symptoms of poisoning, you should immediately go to the hospital. The same should be done if a child ate a belladonna berry, even if he does not complain about his well-being.

Before meeting with the doctor, you need to wash your stomach: drink two glasses of water and induce vomiting. After – take activated charcoal or other sorbent according to the instructions.

Four leaf crow’s eye

What it looks like. Herbaceous plant 30-45 cm high. The stem is straight and thin, in the upper part four or five leaves are collected in a ring on short cuttings.

Leaves ovate, pointed at apex, with three longitudinal veins. Flower large, solitary. The berry on each bush is always the same – spherical, about a centimeter in diameter, shiny, black, with a bluish tint. Crow’s eye blooms in May, bears fruit in August.

Crow’s eye grows in shady forests on moist soil, in ravines, bushes Crow’s eye grows in shady forests on moist soil, in ravines, bushes

Where it grows. In the Northern, Northwestern, Central regions, the Volga region, the North Caucasus, the Urals, the south of Western and Eastern Siberia.

Which parts of the plant are dangerous. Whole plant, especially berries, which may be confused with blueberries or bilberries.

The use of the leaves, roots and fruits of the crow’s eye can disrupt the functioning of the nervous system and the heart. The most common symptoms of crow’s eye poisoning are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, convulsions, dizziness, paralysis, respiratory failure and palpitations, up to cardiac arrest.

How to help. Drink two glasses of water and immediately induce vomiting. Then take activated charcoal or any other sorbent and be sure to seek medical help. While waiting for the doctor, if possible, provide the patient with peace.

Common ash tree and Caucasian ash tree

What it looks like. Ash-tree golostyolbikovy is also called burning bush. This is a herbaceous plant 40-80 cm high with lush leaves and large white or purple flowers collected in brushes. The fruits of the ash tree are inconspicuous, in the form of red cones. Flowering from May to June, fruiting from August to September.

Ash is often confused with non-poisonous plants and collected in bouquets, which is very dangerous.

Ash tree grows in sunny glades, on roadsides, hills, in river valleys, on the Black Sea coast Ash tree grows in sunny glades, on roadsides, hills, in river valleys, on the Black Sea coast

Where it grows. Caucasian ash grows in the North Caucasus, the Urals and the Volga region.

Which parts of the plant are dangerous. Whole plant, especially flowers and pollen.

If you crush the sheet in your hands, it may cause burns. Eating fruits leads to poisoning. Inhalation of pollen provokes allergies and can cause burns to the mucous membranes of the nose and throat.

At the moment of touching a flowering ash tree, a person does not feel anything, but after 12 hours the skin in this place turns red, itching and burning appear, sometimes blisters, later an ulcer may form at the site of the blister. The temperature rises, weakness appears. Damage to a large area of ​​​​skin is life-threatening.

How to help. Wash the affected area with soapy water, take an over-the-counter antihistamine for allergies, and seek medical attention.

Castor bean

What it looks like. Shrub with reddish thick cranked stem up to 2 m high. Leaves are large, with teeth along the edge. Flowers are inconspicuous, collected in large brushes.

Fruits in the form of a ball or an elongated box, reminiscent of chestnuts. The seeds are ovoid, convex, with a variegated shiny skin, they can be confused with beans or beans.

Castor oil is often used for landscaping areas near private houses and in summer cottages

Where it grows. In the North Caucasus, Central, Ural districts, the Volga region, in the south of Western and Eastern Siberia and in the vicinity of Vladivostok.

Which parts of the plant are dangerous. Leaves, fruits and seeds. Leaves can cause burns, fruits and seeds – severe poisoning, up to death. Symptoms are similar to ordinary poisoning: nausea, vomiting, pain and burning in the esophagus and stomach, diarrhea, headache and drowsiness, convulsions are possible.

How to help. Rinse the stomach several times, take activated charcoal or other sorbent according to the instructions, warm the person and urgently seek medical help.

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Artemisia ragweed

What it looks like. Herbaceous plant up to 2 m high. The stem is straight, resembles a panicle in the upper part. The leaves are dark green above, light green below, velvety to the touch. Flowers inconspicuous, yellow-green. Young plants resemble marigolds, adults – wormwood.

Ambrosia blooms from July to October, begins to bear fruit in August.

Ambrosia grows in fields, along roads and railways. Often it is brought into new territory with soil – construction sites and other places of human activity

Where it grows. In the Volga region, in the North Caucasus.

Which parts of the plant are dangerous. Ambrosia pollen. During the flowering period, contact with it can cause severe allergies even in a person who did not suffer from allergies before.

This is manifested by lacrimation, runny nose, sneezing, rash, asthma attacks, fever. If you live or walk near ragweed blooms for two to three weeks, you can get asthma, which is difficult to treat, or even die.

How to help. Take an antihistamine immediately after contact with the plant. If symptoms persist, seek medical attention.

Track your pollen

If you’re allergic, track ragweed bloom times through these sites and apps. This will help you plan a trip to another region and not suffer.

Pollen Club

AllergoTop

PollenInfo

Pollen Patrol

Black cohosh

What it looks like. Herbaceous plant up to 70 cm high. The leaves are light green, pinnate, pointed, with a serrated edge. The flowers are small, white, collected in oval tassels.

The fruits are small berries, green at first, turn white as they ripen, then turn red. Can be confused with viburnum or mountain ash.

Voronet blooms in June – early July, bears fruit in August – early September.

Voronets can be found at the edge of a coniferous or mixed forest. The plant is often used in landscape design

Where it grows. In the Northern, Northwestern, Central, Ural regions, in Siberia, in the south of the Far East, in Kamchatka, Sakhalin.

Which parts of the plant are dangerous. Whole plant, especially fruits. After use, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and in severe cases, convulsions occur.

How to help. Gastric lavage, take activated charcoal or other sorbent as instructed, and seek medical attention.

Wolfberry

What it looks like. Shrub up to 1.5 m high, with few branches and dark gray or yellowish-brown bark. At the end of flowering, small oblong leaves appear – they are densely located on the shoots.

Flowers and fruits – like those of sea buckthorn – grow directly on the branches. Flowers pink, fragrant. The fruits are bright red, oval, juicy, the size of a cherry stone, with spherical shiny seeds. Wolfberry blooms in April – early May. Fruits in late July – August.

Wolfberry grows in coniferous forests Wolfberry grows in coniferous forests

Where it grows. In the North-Western, Central, North Caucasian, Volga, Ural regions and in Siberia.

Which parts of the plant are dangerous. Bark, leaves, flowers and fruits.

If you try to break a wolfberry twig, pieces of its bark will remain on your hands. Their inhalation causes sneezing, runny nose, cough, and if it gets into the eyes, conjunctivitis begins. But most of all you can get poisoned by berries.

In case of poisoning, salivation and burning in the mouth begins. Then nausea and vomiting occur, and later diarrhea. The victim loses a large amount of fluid, suffers from weakness, dizziness, and convulsions may occur. Wolfberry venom irritates the stomach and intestines so much that ulcers can appear on their mucous membranes. Blood clotting is also impaired, so blood clots appear in vomit, urine, and feces.

How to help. Skin and mucous membranes should be washed with water after contact with the plant. A person who has eaten berries needs to urgently wash his stomach, take an enterosorbent or a drug from the group of antacids – drugs that reduce acidity in the stomach. Then seek medical help.

May lily of the valley

What it looks like. Herbaceous plant up to 30 cm high. Leaves are large, oval in shape, usually two, rarely one or three. There are no leaves on the stem of the flower. The inflorescence is a rare raceme of 6-20 flowers. Lily of the valley flowers are white, on curved pedicels, with a strong pleasant aroma. The fruit is a red berry.

Lily of the valley blooms from May to early June, bears fruit from late July and throughout August.

Lily of the valley can be found in the forest and on forest edges, in ravines, less often in meadows Lily of the valley can be found in forests and on forest edges, in ravines, less often in meadows

Where it grows. In all regions of Russia.

Which parts of the plant are dangerous. Whole plant, especially fruits.

Children are at risk: they can get poisoned even with a few berries. In case of poisoning, dizziness, vomiting, tinnitus appear. Other symptoms: dilated pupils, increased heart rate, abdominal pain, convulsions, drowsiness and severe weakness. Symptoms of adult poisoning are less pronounced.

How to help. Rinse the stomach with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or salt, take a sorbent, such as activated charcoal, and seek urgent medical help.

Bittersweet nightshade

What it looks like. Shrub with stem woody at the base, up to 2 m long, which can cling to other plants. The leaves are small, pointed at the ends. The flowers are purple, collected in brushes. The fruits are red, bittersweet berries.

Nightshade blooms from late May to September, bears fruit from June to October.

Nightshade can be found in damp areas in the forest, among shrubs, along rivers and lakes

Where it grows. In the Northern, Northwestern, Central regions, in the Volga region, in the North Caucasus, the Urals and in the south of Siberia.

Which parts of the plant are dangerous. Whole plant, especially fruits. The main symptoms of poisoning are: abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, depression, shortness of breath, in severe cases, a person falls into a coma and may die.

How to help. Rinse the stomach, take activated charcoal or other sorbent according to the instructions, seek immediate medical attention.

Remember

1. Do not touch or pick the stems, leaves or flowers of plants you are not sure are safe. It’s better not to even sniff – especially if you are prone to allergic reactions.
2. Do not buy or eat honey from unverified sellers.
3. Note the appearance of dangerous plants if they are found where you live or vacation.