Venom of Snakes
The venom for snakes is used to immobilize prey and then to be able to eat them. The fangs are used to bite and then the venom is injected. Approximately 375 species of snakes are able to create venom. The potency of it can be very strong or it can be very mild. It depends on the species and the location of where they live.
The venom allows for the prey to be broken down. It turns the inside of the prey into a liquid that can be sucked up. There are species of snakes that need this to aid them with the digestion process. They have enzymes in the venom that cause the liquefaction to occur. This is why with some bites humans can end up with dead flesh.
Snake venom has been used in various experiments to try to find ways to use it for medical treatments of various health problems. So far the results are very good but there is still more testing that has to be done in order for it to really be fully understood. One such study shows that the use of snake venom could be a way to reduce the size of cancerous tumors and to prevent cancer cells from spreading.
For those snakes that release a very powerful venom there are treatments offered at most hospitals. However, such an anti venom can really only be effective if it is known which type of snake a person was bitten by. This is because their venom can be very different with the various forms of toxins found in it. There is no universal anti venom offered for snake bites.
The process of creating an anti venom for any form of snake though can be time consuming and tricky. Today the only ones that exist are for the most dangerous types of snakes in the world. There should be anti venom for it on hand in the medical facilities around areas where they are known to live.
Some people think that the snake uses the venom as a means of self defense. Yet studies show that this really isn’t the case. They primarily keep the venom as a means of being able successfully find enough food to survive.
Most rattlesnakes have venom that contain hemotoxins. The Mojave Rattlesnake have both, neurotoxins and hemotoxins. This makes them more potent and dangerous to humans because it can cause paralysis and other nervous system damage.
Each human can respond differently to the venom from a snake too. Even with those that aren’t very dangerous there are some people with an allergic reaction to them. It is wise to seek medical attention after being injected with such venom. They can help with the pain, offer an anti venom medication if one exists, and they can also help to make sure the airways don’t close up.
Some studies show that humans may build up an immunity to various venom from snakes too. Individuals that work with them often may be bitten much more often than the average person. Yet the venom no longer bothers them so they can continue to be around such dangerous snakes without it becoming as serious threat to their health.
Some animals are also known to be immune to the snake venom. They include various types of badgers. They won’t be able to be consumed by snakes that rely only on venom to kill prey. However, they can still be eaten by those that use the method of crushing prey.
