Poisonous Snakes Are Among The Most Feared Creatures In The Creature Population
Poisonous snakes are among the most feared creatures in the animal world. The toxic secretion of poisonous snakes has such a lethal impact that it can induce paralysis and death in no more than thirty minutes, not to mention the chances of losing eye sight if venom gets into your eyes. In fact the risk of bites remains high when you accidentally come across them, poisonous snakes are creatures like all others but rely on their venom to survive: no snake will bite unless in defense or to hunt its meal . The rest of the negative feelings towards snakes comes from an obtuse perception powered by ancient myths.
The venom structure complexity is amazing: the paralysis and eventual death of the prey are caused by a smart combination of proteins and toxins. The toxin attacks the heart, the lungs and the muscles first, and depending on this way of action scientists have classified poisonous snakes into kind that destroy the walls of the blood vessels and cause unstoppable hemorrhage, venomous species that have a paralyzing effect on the heart and, last but not least, others that only cause excruciating muscle pain. Corals and cobras would thus occupy the first positions in a top of the most poisonous snakes.
The complex structure of the snake venom still fascinates scientists, and lots of tests are still conducted on it. The only cure for poisonous snakes bites consists of the emergency antivenin administration. There are however some factors that increase or decrease the victim's chances of staying alive: thus, knowing the type of snake that caused the bite and its exact location prove crucial. If too much time lapses between the moment of the bite and the administration of the antivenin, serious health damage or even death could occur. Furthermore, there have been cases of patients who developed instant allergies to poisonous snake bites or to antidotes and died.
Rattlesnakes are the most common poisonous snakes in America, and they are the ones to cause most of the bites, yet death from such accidents is a rarity these days since medical help is not a problem anymore. The water moccasin, the copperhead and the cottonmouth belong to the same poisonous family as the rattlesnake; they are highly poisonous snakes which you should avoid by all means possible. Snake phobia could thus be developed because of a dangerous encounter with some poisonous snakes or this excessive fear can be the result of sociological ancestral beliefs that are present even with people who have never come across a snake in their life.
The snake is also a mythical representation not just an animal people feel abhorred by. The graphical stylizations of snakes in our arts and cultures draw their roots from the ancient mythical cults. On the one hand, serpents are part of ecosystems, with a well-determined role in the development of certain species, and secondly they remain symbols of deep meanings. Their feeding on mice and rats keeps pest under control and prevents the over-breeding of these rodents. Yet, in the ancient traditions, types of snake worshiping were part of religious rites, with the serpent symbolizing deities, or the eternal cycle of life and death or wisdom.
All types of snake-related traditions have been discovered everywhere in the world: for the ancient Greeks the snake was the symbol of fertility; Mesopotamians and Semites considered this animal immortal because it shed its skin and it rejuvenated its look on a regular basis; Indians, Siamese and Burmese believe the snake to be a demon figure that also had its good parts.
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