The May Day holiday is approaching, so be careful when you choose to go out in the countryside! There are 100,000 snake bites in China every year.

What are the common serpents in Guangdong? What should you do if you were bitten by them?

Photo: Xinhua

5 vipers are the most common in Guangdong

The most common vipers in Guangdong Province are green bamboo snake, coral snake, cobra, king cobra and the long-nosed pit viper. Among them, 70% of the injuries were caused by the green bamboo snake. The coral snake is one of the most poisonous snakes, and 0.4 mg of snake venom may cause death. A king cobra contains a huge amount of poison, and the venom of one of these snakes can kill 20 adults.

How to judge a viper in the wild?

It may be a viper if the snake’s head is large and triangular, the head has venom glands and fangs behind the eyes, the tail is short and pointed, or there is a ring of patterns on the body.

In addition, some snakes are originally non-venomous, but may produce slight toxins in their teeth due to their eating habits, such as the Red-necked slotted snake.

What to do if being bitten by a viper?

1. Seek medical attention as soon as possible within 4 hours after being bitten, and take pictures, or get a good description of the snake if possible.

2. If you can't go to the hospital right away, you should rinse the wound with clean water repeatedly, and then bandage the wound near the proximal part with a bandage, cloth and other elastic cloth. The bandage should be tight enough to reduce the blood flow but not too tight to avoid compressing blood vessels and causing tissue necrosis

In addition, do not use your mouth to suck venom or cut through the wound with a sharp object, which may accelerate the absorption of venom.

Attention

When traveling on May Day, you should try to wear thick shoes and trousers for protection when you are in rural suburbs, and you can wear a hat to prevent snakes on the trees. It is best to bring a trekking pole to let the snake go around. Parents with children need to take good care of their children.

Author | Alice

Editor | Steven, Jerry