What Snake is Commonly Called 'Earth Snake' in Jiangsu and Shandong Provinces? Why is its Venom So Potent?
The venom of the earth snake is much more potent than that of the Mangshan Iron Head, of course. The venom of Mangshan Iron Head is also greatly exaggerated.
The earth snake is a common name for a species of viper in Jiangsu and Shandong provinces. There is much debate about which species of viper this is, with various opinions, some saying it is the short-tailed viper, some saying it is the black-browed viper, and some saying it is the long-tailed viper. The short-tailed viper is the most likely candidate.
There are many species of vipers living in China, these vipers are closely related and very similar in appearance, mainly distinguished by the patterns on their bodies. People who are afraid of snakes cannot be bothered to look at the snakes.
The short-tailed viper belongs to the family Viperidae-Boidae-Viperinae. As of November 11, 2018, there were 19 species in the Asian group.
There are many species of vipers living in China, including the Siberian viper, the Chinese viper, the Alashan viper, the black-browed viper, the snake island viper, the long-tailed viper, the short-tailed viper, the Ussuri viper, the Qinling viper, the plateau viper, the snow mountain viper, and the Joergelai viper. The five-step viper (spike-headed viper) does not belong to the Asian viper group.
The most authoritative numerical value for comparing the toxicity of venomous snakes is the LD50 value. The smaller the LD50 value, the more toxic the venom. However, there are many ways to measure it, and here we select the LD50 value obtained by intraperitoneal injection.
The above chart shows the LD50 values of some venomous snakes, mainly for Mangshan Iron Head, the venom of which is negligible in comparison to true venomous snakes.
The LD50 value of the short-tailed viper is 0.525mg/kg, which is on the higher end of the Asian viper group. However, it is still less potent than that of the Otranda viper, which has a ranking of 45-50 in the world, while the short-tailed viper is approximately 60-70.
Some places call the black-browed viper the earth snake, and the black-browed viper is slightly more toxic, with an LD50 of 0.285mg/kg.
Vipers are one of the most common types of venomous snakes in North China and East China, and they are also the most common snakes that bite people in China, with the short-tailed viper being the most.
According to statistics published on the ZhiNet platform, there were a total of 22316 cases, with the most common being 10885 cases in Wuxi, Jiangsu. There were 3376 cases in JinTan, Jiangsu. The mortality rate of short-tailed viper bites varies by region, ranging from 1.2% to 32%, with an average of 7.6%. The venom of the short-tailed viper is primarily hemotoxic, with neurotoxic effects. After being bitten, there will be swelling, pain, bleeding, necrosis, and kidney failure, and in severe cases, it can lead to respiratory failure and death.
