Veratsennitsa brittle
The whole territory of Belarus
Family Veretenitsye (Anguidae).
Brittle spindle, or copperhead (local names - slіmen, slіven, myadzyanka, myadzyanіtsa) is the only representative of legless lizards in Belarus. In many regions of the republic, the population mistakenly calls the spindle “copperhead”, considering it a highly poisonous snake and mercilessly destroying it.
The nominative subspecies of the spindle (Anguis fragilis fragilis) lives in Belarus.
In general, the distribution of the spindle on the territory of Belarus is mosaic. The species is associated with forest biotopes. On the territory of Belarus, far fewer finds of the spindle were noted in the Mogilev region, where the forest cover is relatively small.
Body length with tail 23-43 cm, weight 15-35 g. Body length of spindles in Belarus is 11.5-21.2 cm (♂ - 11.5-17.4, ♀ - 12.4-21.2 cm); tail length 11.6-20.6 cm (♂ - 11.6-17.0, ♀ - 13.2-20.6 cm); head length 1.1-1.5 cm. Body length is somewhat less than the maximum for the range as a whole - 265 mm. However, it is within the range of variability of this character, noted in Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, where the total length of the spindles does not exceed 250 mm (more often about 200 mm).
The body is fusiform, elongated similar to the body of a snake. The external signs that distinguish the spindle from snakes are the presence of movable eyelids (in snakes they are fused, covering the eye like a watch glass); the scales of the ventral and dorsal sides almost do not differ (in snakes, the belly is covered with one row of strongly expanded scales). The scales of the body are exceptionally smooth. The number of scales in the middle of the body is 23-28, the number of ventral scutes is 126-145. An open auditory opening was noted in 20% of individuals.
The coloration of the body of juveniles and adults differs sharply. Young spindles are painted in silver-white and pale cream (with a golden tint) color. One or two thin dark stripes run along the ridge, which begin at the back of the head with a triangular spot. The sides and belly are bright brown or black, in sharp contrast with the color of the back. In the process of growth, the color changes: the back darkens, while the sides and abdomen, on the contrary, lighten. With age, the spindle from above acquires a bright brown or dark gray color with a characteristic copper or bronze tint, which explains the other name of the species - the sucker.
The pattern of the dorsal part of the body is subject to considerable variability. In Belarus, there are 5 types of assessment of the frequencies of occurrence of various variations of traits (phenes) and their combinations. In Belarus, 93.4% of spindles have a pattern; dark dorsomedial stripes - 18.0% (absent), 9.8% (one single), 68.9% (one double), 3.3% (three doubles); blue spots - 86.9% absent; dorsolateral solid stripes 85.2% are present. The most common combination of the dorsomedial strip (a variant of two stripes) and dorsolateral stripes (62.3%). The melanists described in other parts of the range were not found in collections in Belarus.
The most common biotopes for the spindle are mixed, birch and pine forests, alder forests, in which it prefers glades, edges, clearings, clearings, roadsides. Sometimes found in the border zones of pine forests and lowlands (floodplains of rivers and lakes, raised bogs). Quite often, the spindle coexists in the same biotopes with the spiny lizard and viviparous lizards, grass snake, copperhead.
The number of spindles is rather low: in general, for forest biogeocenoses it is 0.5 (from 0 to 50) individuals per 1 ha. The low number of spindles is evidenced by the fact that in pine forests it was found in 2 out of 77 biotopes, in birch forests - in 2 out of 26, in alder forests - in 3 out of 52, and in spruce and oak forests it was not found at all. At the same time, the population density was 0.02 individuals per 1 ha in the pine forest, 0.4 in birch forests, 1.5 along roadsides, and 1.7 individuals per 1 ha in floodplain meadows.
Unlike other lizards of Belarus, the spindle is less noticeable in nature, as it leads a rather secretive lifestyle. In addition, it is active mainly at dusk and at night in warm weather. During the day, it is more often active in cloudy weather, although there have been isolated cases of spindle activity in the midday heat at temperatures above 30°C. Sunshining spindles are more likely to be seen in the spring, when there is still not enough heat, and also after a period of cold weather in the summer. This lizard loves to go hunting after a heavy summer rain.
The spindle can make a shelter for itself in the forest floor or (more rarely) in soft soil, as it were, it twists its head into the substrate and drills with its body. It also hides under the trunks of fallen trees and stacks of logs, under heaps of deadwood, in rotten stumps, under bark, under stones, in the burrows of various small burrowing animals. Sometimes she also uses completely unusual shelters (cases are described when she hid in anthills). Ants cannot harm the spindle - the skin of the lizard is covered with strong scales, and when it crawls into the anthill, it closes its eyes.
Usually the spindle crawls slowly, making wide, uneven movements. However, while overcoming "rough terrain" (thickets of grass, bushes, heaps of stones), her movements become more energetic.
This lizard hunts for earthworms, which are abundant on the soil surface after rain. An interesting way to extract them with a string of earthen passages. Its sharp, recurved teeth allow it to securely hold slippery, writhing worms, which it slowly swallows by shaking its head. If the worm does not immediately give in, then the spindle, holding part of the victim in the mouth, stretches out in length and begins to quickly rotate around the axis of the body, until the piece of prey that it holds in the mouth comes off. In the same way, the spindles "divide" the worm, seized by two individuals from different ends. In addition, they eat a significant amount of both naked and shell molluscs. Moreover, the latter are very cleverly pulled out of hard shells. There are a lot of insects and their larvae, centipedes in the diet of these lizards. There is information about the eating of baby snakes (snakes, vipers) by the spindle. However, unlike other, more dexterous lizards, the spindle is able to catch only relatively inactive prey. This explains their "addiction" to worms, mollusks, caterpillars.
To some extent, the spindle is saved from enemies by a secretive lifestyle and the ability to autotomy, characteristic of all other lizards - breaking off the long tail that remains with the predator (hence the second part of the species name - brittle). Nevertheless, she often becomes a victim of other animals that feed on lizards - hedgehog, fox, ferret, marten, badger, birds (white stork, goshawk, sparrowhawk, harrier, red kite, buzzard, honey buzzard, short-toed eagle, owl, common owl, raven, magpie, jay). Small spindles are quite often eaten by snakes (copperhead and viper). In Belovezhskaya Pushcha, the brittle spindle makes up a significant part of the diet of such common for the region birds of prey as the buzzard and the lesser spotted eagle, while it is eaten much more often than the more common reptile species - the viviparous lizard, common snake, common viper. Such intensive persecution of the spindle is explained by its relatively low mobility, unsuitability for open biotopes, and also by its large size. Interestingly, the buzzard and the lesser spotted eagle are caught among the spindles of females (that is, the largest individuals) 2.4 times more often than males, probably because, while carrying embryos, they prefer to bask in the sun in open places more than males. .
The spindle leaves for wintering quite late - at the end of September - October. It spends winter hibernation in burrows, voids under stumps, in rotten stumps, climbing to a depth of up to 80 cm, so as not to freeze in the event of a snowless cold winter. Sometimes up to 20-30 or more individuals gather in one place. In spring, it appears in April at the same time as the quick lizard (the viviparous comes out a little earlier).
Mating in spindles occurs a little differently and more "ritually" than in real lizards. The male captures the female in the neck. Often, the female first makes attempts to escape, but then forms a woven ring together with the male. Often the male pulls the female to a more secluded place, holding her motionless body with his teeth by the neck.
Photo by Zinaida Gamulskaya, Osipovichi district (Mogilev region)
Brittle spindle or sucker(Anguis fragilis).
Distributed in the forest zone of Europe to the east to Western Siberia (up to the Tobol River). There are isolated populations in the Caucasus, northern Iran, Turkey and Algeria.
This is a medium-sized legless lizard, usually about 40 cm long, of which 2/3 is a long tail. But in the western regions of Ukraine, I have repeatedly caught spindles over 60 cm. The coloration of males and females is different. In most of the range, the spindles have a brownish-gray, gray-bronze or copper coloration of the back. In males, the color of the back and sides is almost the same, ash-gray, the belly is dark, sometimes black. On the back of the males are scattered dark spots, gray, black, sometimes bluish. Specimens from the Carpathians have large bright blue or blue spots that become brighter during the mating season (April-May).
The coloration of females is usually more reddish than that of males from the same area. Their sides are painted darker than their backs. Often, especially in young individuals, a thin longitudinal dark strip stretches along the back, starting from the back of the head. The border of the sides and belly is colored lighter than the sides. The juveniles are painted in light colors, the back is almost white with a slight bronze tint. In spindles, albinos and melanists are more common than in other reptiles of our country. Apparently, this is due to a secretive semi-burrowing lifestyle.
In the Caucasus, lizards are painted in brighter colors with a well-defined copper tint than brownish and gray specimens from the Moscow region. And in the foothills of the Carpathians, spindles, on the contrary, have a well-defined steel color, only young females have a copper tint.
In the middle lane, they are most often found in coniferous and mixed forests with moss cover. Often found in rotten stumps. In the Caucasus, it settles in humid biotopes - in meadows, along the banks of rivers, in shady gorges, on the slopes of mountains covered with Colchis forests.
They feed on earthworms, slugs, snails, sedentary insects. This is a well known fact. But I have repeatedly observed, both in nature and in captivity, the active hunting of these “sedentary” legless lizards for small snakes and lizards. So, once I observed a large male spindle (43 cm) eating a two-year-old duckling (approx. 23 cm). Another time, a female spindle ate an adult viviparous lizard. And in terrarium conditions, such predatory behavior persists. A medium-sized spindle caught and ate an adult meadow lizard. So the immobility of these tardigrades can sometimes be replaced by swift throws, and long and thin curved teeth hold not only slugs, but also much larger prey. I am writing this so that you do not repeat my mistake when I wanted to create a large landscape terrarium with several species of the Caucasian herpeto- and batrachofauna - tree frogs, crosses, meadow and rock lizards and spindles. Everything was fine until the spindle saw a meadow lizard. But I already wrote about this.
To keep a pair of spindles, a small terrarium with a volume of 30 liters or more is sufficient. Ventilation is better to do the top. The lizard suffers more from drying out than from stagnant air. This is understandable - a burrowing animal.
Coconut, peat, sphagnum can be used as soil. I use regular forest bedding soil. Pieces of moss are best suited as shelters and decorations. But you can also plant unpretentious plants (for example, tradescantia).
The optimal temperature at which I observe the highest activity is room temperature from 20 to 22. When the temperature rises, the spindles first warm up under the lamp for several minutes, then go into shelter for the whole day. In nature, spindles are found in the early morning and evening pre-twilight hours, as well as immediately after rain on cloudy days. Therefore, firstly, you can not put heating devices in the terrarium, and secondly, if you do, then turn them on for only 1 - 2 hours a day. UV lamps are not needed, this animal is burrowing and avoids ultraviolet radiation.
It is best to feed in captivity with small snails, earthworms; Mobile insects are eaten (cockroaches, crickets), but only if they are completely hungry. Long-term lizards are well trained to find and eat inanimate food - beef heart strips, lean fish. But I do not advise you to get involved in deviations in nutrition - worms and slugs should be given even to a domesticated lizard.
And of course a few pictures, but what about without them?
Spindle in a simple terrarium. Came out of the ground to warm up.
Male Caucasian spindle
Female spindle
Female spindle
male spindle
Brittle spindle - a legless lizard, outwardly similar to a snake. The body length of this lizard reaches 45 centimeters, of which about 2/3 is a flexible tail.
This creature is an example of complete limb reduction. This lizard does not have a sternum, only a sacral vertebra with small expanded ribs is preserved, and only small bones remain from the limb belts. There is no posterior transition between the tail and body. If you look at the lizard from above, it is impossible to distinguish where its body ends and the tail begins.
The entire body of the spindle is covered with brittle smooth scales, passing in longitudinal even rows. The color of the upper body has gray or brown shades, cast bronze.
Due to this ebb, the spindle also has a second, Russian name - "copper" (but it should not be confused with the copper snake). The belly and sides are light. In mature males, there are 2 rows of spots on the back, usually bluish, and sometimes dark brown. These spots are more pronounced in the front of the back. There are practically no other external signs that distinguish males from females.
Young individuals have a completely different color. They are very attractive, having a golden cream or silvery white back, adorned with one or two longitudinal narrow stripes. The lower part of the body is in sharp contrast, it is dark chocolate or almost black and, like the back, also shines. On the sides, these different colors are clearly separated from each other. Juveniles are so unlike adult brittle spindles that in the 19th century they were considered a separate species.
Among the spindles there are complete albinos, which is not so common in reptiles. Most likely, thanks to the hidden lifestyle, these unusual specimens manage to survive. Albinos are greyish-white in color with a pinkish sheen. And their eyes are red. Sometimes there are individuals completely black, they are called melanists.
The brittle spindle is distributed almost throughout Europe, lives in Northern Iran, Asia Minor, Algeria and the Caucasus. In our country, these lizards are known mainly from the European part. In the south, it lives in Ciscaucasia, and in the north in Karelia, in the east - to Tobol.
Where does the brittle spindle live and its lifestyle?
The habitat of these lizards are forests. They live in mixed and broad-leaved forests, meadows and forest edges. In addition, they can be found in gardens and fields. In the Caucasus, the brittle string lives in wooded mountainous areas, on slopes overgrown with low vegetation, as well as in forest meadows and open steppes. In the mountains, they are found at an altitude of up to 2300 meters. Brittle spindles prefer moist, shady places, sometimes often crawl out into the sun, but stay close to their shelter.
These lizards are active in the morning twilight and evening hours, and the rest of the time they rest under stones, in thick grass, in loose soil between rhizomes, under deadwood, in stumps and burrows of small mammals. In loose soil, spindles can dig holes on their own with the help of their heads.
Like many other types of lizards, spindles lead a sedentary life. Feeding allotments of representatives of the species are small, in a radius they are only a few meters. The offspring that appeared for all is also not removed over considerable distances.
Spindles are sedentary reptiles. Although these lizards have external resemblances to snakes, they are slow and even clumsy. When the spindle crawls, it bends the body and tail in a wave, but the bony shell prevents movement. These hard covers perform a protective function when the lizard climbs among stones, in thickets and forest floor, but on an open flat place, they prevent them from crawling. Spindles, like snakes, can swim, while they raise their heads above the water. But lizards do not like this activity too much, because they are quickly exhausted. They are immersed in water only when necessary.
Brittle spindles not only swim poorly, but also hunt rather poorly, because they are clumsy and have poor eyesight. Representatives of the species, unlike their counterparts, do not distinguish colors, they only weakly recognize shades of gray. But since they lead a hidden, almost semi-underground lifestyle, they feel quite comfortable. Poor vision is compensated by a high sensitivity to a variety of odors. The lizard perceives smells like a snake, with the help of its forked tongue.
How does the brittle spindle eat?
Brittle spindles feed on the same slow creatures leading a semi-underground lifestyle - and slugs. In humid places, this food is plentiful, so the lizard does not have to crawl much, and therefore their individual areas are so small.
Having found the prey, the spindle, without hurrying, sniffs it with the help of its tongue, and then begins to swallow. At this time, she periodically rubs her head against the ground, thus she erases mucus from the victim and from her muzzle. The spindle can absorb large prey for 30 minutes or more. The slippery body of the victim allows you to hold sharp, backward-curved teeth, with their help, the lizards pull earthworms out of the passages. The spindle gradually intercepts the body of the worm and takes it out of the mink entirely. If the worm cannot be reached, the lizard unscrews the already grabbed part.
Quite often, two strings grab one worm from different ends of the body and tear it in half, while they rotate with their whole body around their axis, one individual counterclockwise, and the other, on the contrary, clockwise.
These lizards even use their bent teeth to extract snails from their shells. The lizard bites into the leg of the snail and gradually intercepts it higher and higher. Sometimes the strings eat caterpillars, centipedes and wood lice. The spindles are fragile, like snakes can swallow large food, so sometimes they attack lizards, snakes and young of their own kind. A case is known when a spindle, whose body length was 29 centimeters, ate a snake 18 centimeters long. They have not observed cases of eating plant foods.
Wintering spindle
The spindles spend the winter in deep holes or passages. The depth of such shelters sometimes reaches 70 centimeters. Since it is difficult to find places suitable for wintering, several individuals gather in them, sometimes their number can exceed 30 pieces.
It is noteworthy that some spindles dig or deepen their burrows on their own. They dig the earth with their heads. The largest individuals can cope with such work, which is why they are at the depth of the chamber. The entrance to the lizard's winter lair is usually covered with earth, grass or moss. Some spindles winter together with vipers and amphibians.
The spindle is fragile, like all scaly reptiles, it sheds from time to time. But they do not completely shed dead skin, like snakes, but move dead cells to the tail, shedding them in rings.
Reproduction of brittle spindles
Not much is known about the social life of these lizards and their mating behavior, since representatives of the species contact each other in shelters. During mating, males show aggression towards each other, and real battles take place between them. The main weapons of brittle spindles are their sharp teeth, since there are no limbs. Males and females find each other, most likely by smell. Mating takes place in the spring. During mating, the male holds the female by the neck with his jaws.
Pregnancy lasts about 3 months. The female gives birth in mid-summer - early autumn. The body of babies is covered with transparent egg shells. Childbirth takes place in a secluded place. From 5 to 26 babies are born at a time, which instantly break their shells and spread in different directions. Some females even eat their newborns.
Newborn spindles feed on small soil creatures. Sexual maturity does not occur earlier than by the 3rd year of life, when the body length of the spindle reaches 25 centimeters.
How does the spindle protect itself from enemies?
These lizards are saved from enemies thanks to their hidden lifestyle, the ability to drop their tail and the available strong chain mail. In addition, spindles shoot their excrement. Young growth has its own tactics - if a threat threatens, they roll over on their back and show their dark belly. Apparently, the color change produces a surprise effect on the enemy. But these funds are clearly not enough, so spindles often become victims of other predators.
Young growth becomes prey for toads, predatory beetles (ground beetles) and snakes. The natural enemies of the spindles are, and about 25 species of various birds. And this list of enemies is far from complete. It is interesting that the spindles are most often attacked by snakes, with which people confuse them, since they have consonant names.
Often these legless lizards are exterminated by people, since in many countries there is an unfounded misconception about the dangerous poisonousness of these completely harmless creatures. If you take the spindle in your hands, it does not even try to bite.
Brittle spindles feel great in terrariums. In captivity, a record case of life expectancy of the spindle was recorded, which amounted to 54 years. At the same time, at the age of 45, this individual was still capable of reproduction. But most often brittle spindles live in terrariums for about 20-30 years.
Since these lizards lead a secretive lifestyle, they are not often seen by people, in this regard, there is not much information about the distribution and abundance of this species. In many European countries, the brittle spindle has become rare, so it is taken under protection in them.
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The brittle spindle is a lizard from the spindle family.
Habitat
Found its distribution in Europe, Scandinavia, Western Asia. In Russia, it is distributed in Karelia, in the Tyumen region, throughout the East European Plain.
They live mainly in mixed forests. But also often they can be found in gardens and fields.
Appearance
A special difference between these lizards is that it has no legs. The body length reaches 50 centimeters. Has a brown or bronze color. Females are slightly lighter than males.
brittle spindle photo
Also, males can be distinguished from females by the presence of spots and stripes on their belly. They got their name from the word "spindle", since this object resembles their body. This lizard is capable of dropping its tail.
The whole body is covered with scales, it is smooth and arranged in rows. Due to the presence of a bone shell, it is able to crawl among stones and sharp branches, thereby not injuring itself.
brittle spindle sunbathing photo
Like all scaly reptiles, it sheds periodically. During this period, dead cells move to the tail, and then they are shed. Since the lizard has no limbs, sharp teeth are considered the main weapon.
Lifestyle. Nutrition
They are secretive animals. They show their activity in the spring during the daytime. In summer, it switches to a twilight lifestyle. For the period of sleep, it hides in branches, stumps, under stones, in loose soil between the rhizomes of trees and shrubs.
brittle spindle in nature photo
Some representatives of this species prefer to create holes for themselves, which they dig with their heads. In them, the spindle hibernates. Other individuals spend the winter with vipers and amphibians. Prefers to move in shady areas. Can swim.
Feeds on earthworms and slugs. There is a lot of such food in a humid environment. Therefore, the lizard, as a rule, lives permanently in a separate territory, and does not move around the area in search of food.
reproduction
The mating season is in the spring. Pregnancy lasts approximately 3 months. Cubs are born in the middle of summer. They are covered with a transparent egg shell. For one offspring, from 5 to 25 small lizards are born. They immediately break the shell.
The snakes bite. Not only poisonous, but not particularly dangerous. The victim can be both an adult and a child who is not always able to describe the snake in detail. Similar situations often arise in rural areas, suburbs or far from populated areas. Well-prepared groups and expeditions sometimes have antidotes. It is worse for people who find themselves in the taiga corners, where there is no medical facility nearby. What if the snake bit the child? Children are often afraid to admit that they walked without permission in the wrong place, so adults do not immediately learn about a snake bite.
Panic after a snake bite
A person bitten by a snake often panics. A similar condition also occurs in the parents of children, the spouses of the victims, close relatives, etc. This is a completely natural reaction to the emerging threat.
We take no more than a minute to panic. After that, we take matters into our own hands. We understand that this is the only way to find a solution. Does not help? We convince ourselves that we need to focus. Let's try to act as if "from the outside". Soberly give yourself instructions and immediately follow them. Many people find it easier to quickly jot down a short action plan on paper and follow it. This is exactly what I do in critical situations, if there is at least one minute left.
When bitten by non-venomous snakes (we do not always know about this), the panic soon passes, as the condition of the victim does not worsen. With the bites of poisonous snakes, everything is much more complicated.
What to do with the bite of a common viper?
In the Moscow region and neighboring regions can be found. Other species are found further south. Recently (since the end of the last century), the number of vipers has been growing. The number of people affected by these snakes is also increasing. The main reason is the accident or carelessness of a person in nature.
Vipers are characterized by focal distribution. This means that these snakes accumulate in some specific places and are absent nearby. In a small village on Lake Velyo (Novgorod region, Valdai), residents at one end of the street complain about the abundance of vipers. There, snakes bask on the paths, crawl up the steps of the porch, bask in the front gardens and crawl in the vegetable gardens. There are no snakes at the other end of the village street. I did not see vipers in the forest either.
It is believed that the viper is never the first to attack a person, because. it is not food for her. However, many victims claim that there was clear aggression on the part of the snake. Often people accidentally pry a viper with a stick, toe of a shoe, or step on its “tail”.
The color of the common viper can be not only gray with a zigzag along the spine. There are also without a pattern, black, bronze, olive green, gray-blue and even bronze. The length of the snake usually does not exceed 70 cm.
Sneakers, boots and trousers made of thick fabric protect well from viper bites. In your pocket you should always have suprastin or diphenhydramine, tavegil, claritin (at least for edema). Validol will not hurt either.
The venom of the common viper of the hemotoxic type. In a person bitten by a snake, red blood cells are destroyed, the cardiovascular system suffers. There is severe pain, swelling, a blister at the site of the bite. Local tissue necrosis is not excluded. There are shock and vomiting. Over the next three days, the lymph nodes become inflamed. The bite of a common viper is not considered fatal, but experts are increasingly talking about some change in the composition of the poison, which leads to serious consequences.
Many instructions drawn up by reputable organizations indicate that after a snake bite, it is necessary to immediately limit the mobility of the affected limb, fix its position, “immobilize the limb”.
Some experienced snake catchers, strong and healthy adults, sometimes act differently. Let's make a reservation right away that doctors categorically object to such a risky practice. The victims immediately work intensively with the bitten hand or foot and take a little (a stack) of vodka as a vasodilator. Everything is done to ensure that the poison spreads through the body faster, there is no localization. Drink plenty of fluids (water, tea with lingonberry leaves is better) or use another diuretic (watermelon) to help the kidneys remove the poison faster. In their opinion, it is easier for the body to cope with the received dose of poison when the blood has spread it throughout the body. Itching, swelling, dizziness decrease after a few hours. In case of clouding of consciousness, vomiting and violent allergic reactions, it is necessary to seek urgent medical help. In these cases, serum will be needed, which must be administered as early as possible.
Often groups of tourists and members of various expeditions take serum with them. You need to know in advance how to store it and how to enter it. The antidote can cause allergic reactions that cannot be removed without medical attention. You need a specific serum, and not "from all snakes." Serum in our time is usually bought via the Internet, it rarely appears in pharmacies.
Applying a tourniquet to the bite site is very dangerous. this often ends in tissue necrosis. You can not cauterize the wound, make cuts, bleed. It is even worse to chip the bitten place with a solution of potassium permanganate (there are also such recommendations). All these measures cause a lot of further serious problems.
There are conflicting opinions about whether viper venom can be sucked out of the wound? Many doctors object to this method, because. there are wounds, sores, etc. in the mouth. This method is popular among the people.
If you follow the instructions, then the victim should be given plenty of fluids to drink, but not alcohol. It is urgent to deliver him to the nearest medical center or hospital, where they can inject anti-snake serum.
Unfortunately, doctors are increasingly complaining about the lack of an antidote serum, which is necessary to save the victims.
Common viper. Photo source: Wikipedia
Not all snakes are venomous
Let's make a reservation right away: any unfamiliar snake is potentially poisonous. This is the only way to avoid disaster. Even experienced snake catchers fall for tricks. Among the snakes there are those that do not have a dangerous poison.
I took the snake from the guide and, squeezing the mouth from the sides with my fingers, forced it to open its jaws. There were no long teeth. Instead, several rows of frequent, small teeth were visible along the edges of the mouth and palate. (A. Nedyalkov "Dangerous paths of a naturalist")
We have all heard about the common snake, the snake, the copperhead and the yellowbell. These snakes and legless lizards sometimes bite, but do not have venomous teeth.
The bite of non-venomous snakes can also cause trouble. These animals rarely attack humans, but when defending they are able to bite until they bleed. Result: discomfort and fear (the snake bit!). In addition, snake venom is a strong allergen, and the wound is a channel for infection.
Already ordinary bites rarely
Terrible to insects, small reptiles and even small mammals, the yellowbell is completely safe for larger animals. The only means of defense that he uses against a person is the anus, in which he looks like an ordinary grass snake. When he is seized, he wriggles his apparently very hard body so deftly that he will always be able to spray a person from head to toe with his terribly smelly droppings. This, however, he is content with, because, for a completely incomprehensible reason, he never uses his very strong teeth against a person. (A. Bram “Animal Life, Volume III)
Yellowbelly. Photo source: Wikipedia
Output
The bite of the common viper is really dangerous, and not the snake, snake, copperfish and yellow-bellied, although their bites in self-defense can be painful. Fear, allergic reactions, infections and other troubles are possible. This is in adults. Children who have been bitten by any snake or legless lizard need help or advice from a health facility. The reaction of their body is unpredictable, up to severe consequences.
In all cases, don't panic. Find out where the nearest medical facility is located before you travel. Specify also phones of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Ask in advance how to explain to the person receiving your call at number 112 that it is very important to urgently contact the rescuers. It is useful to know where you are in order to accurately indicate the name of the settlement or the coordinates of the area.
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