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"Everything has a purpose, and so is poison."
In China, the presence of many venomous snakes plays an important role in the ecological balance, but these poisonous snakes have also become the biggest potential threat to humans in the wild.
Therefore, this article will introduce five species of highly venomous snakes in China to help readers be more careful when encountering these snakes in the wild.
Cobra.
The cobra is a large, slender snake with a brownish-black body and a yellowish-white belly, and its body size can generally reach 1.5-2.5 meters.
Cobras get their name because of the oval shape of their heads, pronounced angular scales on their necks on both sides, and large, prominent eyes that give the impression of "wearing glasses".
Compared to other venomous snakes, cobras are easier to distinguish their image features, so they are called "dominant venomous snakes".
Cobras are extremely aggressive, they are capable of launching multiple attacks at the same time, and they can also whip their tails while biting people, causing serious injuries.
The venom of the cobra is mainly composed of neurotoxins and blood toxins, and the venom dose can be as high as 200mg in a single attack, and it has been found that the venom of the cobra is extremely poisonous and can kill people within minutes.
The first thing to do with cobras is to avoid wearing bright clothing, as cobras are very sensitive to color and will attack as soon as they see bright colors.
Secondly, avoid walking in the grass, because cobras hide in the grass and it is very difficult to spot, so the safest way is to use a stick to explore the way when crossing the grass to ensure that it is safe to pass through.
If camping in the wild, there is a chance that cobras will come out at night to feed, so it's best to close your tent at night and surround it with rocks to keep them out.
Even with all the precautions taken, it is inevitable that a venomous snake attack will occur, so it is important to carry a snakebite first aid kit with you and treat the bite immediately.
For cobras, their venom evolved to prey on prey, and the main component of the toxin is a neurotoxin, which can quickly cause prey poisoning coma or even death.
However, in contact with humans, cobras are relatively less aggressive towards humans, and in general, they choose to avoid humans rather than actively attack.
However, once threatened, the cobra will not hesitate to attack.
Therefore, when encountering cobras in the wild, one should try to stay calm and not panic, so as not to irritate the cobra and cause them to attack. At the same time, you should try to keep a safe distance and avoid getting too close.
Five-step snake.
The five-step snake is a small venomous snake, generally only 0.5-1 meter long, with a slender body, mostly grayish-white in color, black markings around it, a wide head, and a pair of special scales protruding from the forehead.
Five-step snakes prefer to live in humid environments and are commonly found in mountains and forests.
They mainly feed on frogs, small birds, and small animals.
Five-step snakes are not as aggressive as cobras, but their venom is extremely venomous, and the amount of venom in a single attack can reach 300mg.
The venom of the five-step snake is mainly composed of blood toxins, which can cause abnormal blood clotting, causing thrombosis, which in turn can lead to death.
Compared with cobras, five-step snakes have a shorter attack range, so when in the wild, you should try to avoid walking into areas where five-step snakes are common.
Trimeresurus.
Zhuyeqing is a small venomous snake, generally only 0.6-1 meters, and its body color is mostly light green or brown, with obvious dark horizontal spots.
Bamboo leaf green prefers to live in humid environments and is commonly found in bamboo forests and wetlands.
They mainly feed on small animals such as frogs and bugs.
Bamboo leaf greens are more aggressive, and if threatened, they will attack immediately.
The venom of bamboo leaf green is extremely toxic and is mainly composed of bioactive components.
The venom of bamboo leaf green is mainly composed of rich bioactive components, including thrombolysin, plasmin, heparin, endothelial cell proliferative factor, etc., which has strong biological activity.
These components pose a serious threat to the physiological function of the blood, causing symptoms such as bleeding and abnormal clotting in the victim.
The venom of bamboo leaf green is not only a deadly threat to humans, but also has serious effects on other animals.
The treatment after the bite of the bamboo leaf green is very troublesome, because the venom of the bamboo leaf green has an anticoagulant effect, and a large amount of blood dilution and washing is required to effectively reduce the risk of poisoning.
Therefore, when encountering bamboo leaf green in the wild, it is best to take a detour and avoid touching it.
King cobra.
The king cobra is one of the largest venomous snakes in the world, with a body length of 3-4 meters and the longest can even reach more than 6 meters.
They are stout and mostly dark brown or black in color, usually with distinct light stripes.
King cobras prefer to live in tropical and subtropical regions and are commonly found in forests and fields.
The king cobra is a very ferocious venomous snake that is extremely aggressive.
Their venom is extremely toxic, with a dose of up to 400mg in a single attack, and the venom is mainly composed of neurotoxins, which can quickly cause prey poisoning coma or even death.
Compared to cobras and five-step snakes, the venom of the king cobra is more lethal, not only because of the large amount of venom, but also because of the extreme venom.
Studies have found that the venom of the king cobra contains a variety of components, such as neurotoxins, muscle toxins, coagulant toxins, etc., which can quickly affect the nervous system, muscles, and blood circulation.
When encountering a king cobra in the wild, it is very important to stay calm.
King cobras are very sensitive to threat detection, and they will judge the threat level of the enemy through a quick reaction cycle.
Therefore, when encountering a king cobra, do not panic or act quickly and violently so as not to mistake you for a threat to them.
epilogue
Venomous snakes are one of the biggest potential threats when moving in the wild in China, including venomous snakes such as cobras, five-step snakes, bamboo leaf greens and king cobras.
In order to deal with the threat of these poisonous snakes, in addition to raising your awareness of prevention, you should also carry a first-aid kit for venomous snake bites with you and learn how to deal with first aid.
Even if we have a certain distance from poisonous snakes, venomous snakes cannot determine how much threat we are to them, so contact with venomous snakes should be kept in reasonable proportions to avoid unnecessary risks and injuries.