Why snake venom kills so quickly?

Imagine walking barefoot in a grassland. With each step, you feel the soft grass and the wet soil beneath your feet and you relish in the freedom of being in nature.

Even though this soothing experience may sound nice, it can turn into a nightmare with the single bite of a sneaky creature: A snake. As elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes, snakes are among the deadliest animals in the world.

There are more than 3,000 snake species 600 of which are venomous, and they are found almost anywhere on the planes except for very cold places such as Antarctica or Greenland.

Snakes use different means to kill their prey. Non-venomous snakes, ranging from garter snakes to pythons, kill their prey by swallowing them whole or strangling them to death.

Venomous snakes, on the other hand, use venom which is produced in their glands. Snake venom is made up of a complex combination of enzymes and non-enzymatic proteins. Snakes use it to immobilize the prey and predigest their tissue.

There are two types of snake venoms: haemotoxic and neurotoxic venom. Neither of them is pleasing for the prey. Unfortunately, humans suffer from snake attacks, and the number of people dying or becoming disabled because of these snake bites is not low. Luckily, there are antivenom cures for these kinds of attacks.

Snakes live in almost every part of this planet, and like every other animal, they have their ways to hunt prey and survive for the next day. If you want to know more about venomous snakes and how snake venom kills so quickly, be sure to check our video!

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