Blunt Nosed Vipers. Have a care!

slatnumber7


Joined: 25/08/2010
Posts: 299

Message Posted:
26/05/2011 09:41

I thought I'd share this on the forum to maintain peoples awareness of this particular snake.



Yesterday afternoon about 5pm I came across a Blunt Nosed Viper that was laying in dappled shade amongst some dried leaves on a sharp bend of road near where I live. The snake was about 1 metre 30 cms or so long and had a girth of about the size of a mans forearm. There were some sparrows feeding on the road nearby which were probably it's intended prey.



I was staggered at how well it blended in with the shade and the leaves where it was laying. These snakes are capable of moving extremely fast and are highly venomous, should anyone chance upon one of these the best advice is to back away slowly and not make any sudden movements.



(There are some useful photographs and information on a post by Jovial John, 'Snake on my roof.' 19/10/10

Jovial_John


Joined: 31/01/2009
Posts: 1024

Message Posted:
26/05/2011 11:39

Sorry but you are wrong. The blunt nose viper is NOT highly venomous - there has never been a recorded human fatality from this snake. This is not to say that you should ignore a bite - you should go to the nearest hospital for treatment. Animals are not so lucky and can die.

Similar things are said about the adder in the UK - to which the blunt nose viper is very similar. The first time I was bitten by an adder I panicked and having watched too many John Wayne movies I opened the wound with a knife and sucked as hard as I could. I walked 2 miles to the nearest house convinced I was dying. The house belonged to the local gamekeeper and his wife was at home. She asked me if I had been bitten before and when I said "no" she said "OK - have a cup of tea, Jim will be back in 30 minutes and he will take you to hospital". They lived among adders and were completely relaxed about them. The 2nd time I was bitten about 6 months later I didn't even bother going for treatment.

negativenick


Joined: 10/11/2008
Posts: 6023

Message Posted:
26/05/2011 11:40

not sure what is the more deadlier - a blunt nosed viper or a trnc builder...............

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
26/05/2011 12:10

Simple,,, One looks for human pray, .and one doesn't

slatnumber7


Joined: 25/08/2010
Posts: 299

Message Posted:
26/05/2011 13:26

Message 2 Jovial John.



Fascinating discourse on Adders and John Wayne movies thank you!



Please check out the information contained on your post of 19/10/10 and update your knowledge. This snake is dangerous because it frequenty remains passive when approached. It is also highly venomous. As I mentioned in my first post, my intention is to maintain peoples awareness. I feel it is foolhardy to minimize the dangers posed by this snake. Once a person has been bitten by a Blunt nosed viper they have about 30 minutes to receive anti venom.



Anyone not content to take my word please read what Hans-Joerg Wiedl has documented.



He estimates that 16 to 20 people are bitten on the island every year, with the last fatality in 1996 when a Cypriot woman was bitten by a blunt nosed viper in Protaras.



http://www.cyhams.org/snakes.htm

ilovecyprus


Joined: 08/05/2007
Posts: 2880

Message Posted:
26/05/2011 17:25

msge 2



There was recently an article in one of the UK papers about the UK adder. The article stated that the adder is not that poisonous and people should not be concerened about it.



I was surprised a couple of days later to read a letter to the paper from a woman who said she was bitten by an adder, and as a consequence of the bite she fell seriously ill and lost a kidney. The woman did not indicate her state of health prior to the bite.