Lancehead Viper North America

The lancehead viper North America is considered a part of the pit-viper family that lives in the Northern part of South America, Central America and also the Southern part of the United States. It is also called the “ultimate viper”, as it is commonly known as one of the aggressive species of poisonous snakes. Moreover, their habitats are placed near human agglomeration, making the people vulnerable to their attacks. Because they are hunted merciless, the species is about to disappear from North America.

You can’t differentiate the lancehead viper North America male from the female in the first months of their lives. The female starts growing faster after the seventh month of her life, reaching an average length of 2.5 meters. The males will have a maximum length of 2 meters. The biggest lancehead viper North America weights over 7 kilograms, but legends speak about bigger and longer lancehead vipers.

The colors resemble with the ones of the common vipers, with combinations of stripes and diamonds on the back and with a white to yellow belly.

The lancehead viper is clearly a snake with origins in South America, but it expanded with the development of transportation and industrialization. The lancehead viper North America has a great adaptability, and the vipers brought accidentally with trains and goods transporters were able to adjust quickly to the new environment. However, the lancehead viper from North America developed some unique characteristics during the last 200 years.


The lancehead viper North America has an aggressive behavior, a large habitat and the ability to travel a lot searching for new hunting grounds. They like the semi-populated areas, and the deserts. This snake is also one of the fewest that is able to attack from an uncoiled position. Its strike is deadly and smart: it tends to go past you and to slide quickly to bite from behind.

The lancehead viper stops eating after a few days of pregnancy, and it has several mating seasons over a year. The female will start hunting immediately after giving birth, and the male guards the babies during this period.

The lancehead viper is one of the deadliest snakes in North America, and only the Crotalus is considered more dangerous. The lancehead is responsible for 50 % of snakebites registered in the South side of United States, with a fatality factor of 10 % in 1950. However, with the antivenin solutions of the modern hospitals, the fatality percentage is close to 0.

The lancehead viper North America is easily irritated by any threatening presence in its range. It is one of the fewest snakes in North America that prefers to fight instead of running, as it considers its habitat important. It is also unpredictable, as it lacks the commonly known attack patterns of other poisonous species.

The symptoms of a bite are nausea, pains, swelling and vomits for 36 hours if the wound is untreated. In the majority of deaths caused by the lancehead viper, septicemia was to diagnostic. The lancehead viper can also be mistaken with other species of non-poisonous snakes, making it even more dangerous.

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Poisonous spiders in Everglades

The Everglades is a wide area in the southern part of Florida that is considered a national park, being a low populated area covered with swamps. It is the ideal habitat for reptiles such as crocodiles and snakes, but also the perfect habitat for some dangerous spiders. Once a forgotten part of the USA, the area is visited by thousands of tourists every month, coming here because of the increased popularity of alligator hunting. While this flux of tourists is surely beneficial for the locals that are some of the poorest citizens of the United States, the habitats of the animals are affected. The authorities try to limit this effect, as it is known that some species of poisonous spiders in Everglades are about to disappear.

In the world, there are more than 32 000 species of spiders. The Everglades is the host for almost a quarter of those species, and the habitat of the greatest number of poisonous spiders. The poisonous spiders in Everglades are currently classified and researched by specialists, because of their great value for medicine.

However, the majority of Everglades’s spiders are harmless, although their bite might cause irritations and strong allergic reactions. It is important from any tourist coming to Everglades to know how to identify the poisonous spiders in Everglades because of two reasons: first, it is recommended not to kill a non-poisonous spider in Everglade, and second, the poison of those venomous spiders can be stronger than the timber rattle’s venom.

Some of the poisonous spiders in Everglades live on their own webs, while the majority of them would rather stay in the ground, making the webs only for feeding purposes. This is why, while the majority of people would look up to identify the poisonous spiders in Everglades, they can be commonly found on the ground.

The most reputed spider in Florida is the Black Widow, although there are some species in Everglades that are more poisonous that this spider. However, the black widow gained its popularity because the female eats the male while mating, transforming it into food for the future babies. A bite of the Back Widow causes nausea, pains, headaches and violent vomits, but they are rarely deadly. Especially if treated fast, the symptoms will disappear after a few hours.
 
One of the most poisonous spiders in Everglades is the Brown Recluse, and the antivenin serums are not so effective against this kind of bite. The wounds are extremely painful, causing the skin to fall off. Initially, it is only a small red point, but the wound spreads fast and it could cover a large portion of skin in a short period.

Those are only the most reputed poisonous spiders in Everglades, as they are also the most venomous. However, there are other smaller species that will cause rashes and irritations, and the best idea if you are bitten is to consult a doctor instead of waiting to see “what kind of bite is”.

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Kentucky Most Poisonous Snakes

Snakes are the most common animals in Kentucky, and despite the common reputation, they are beneficial for the environment. On the other hand, the fear of people and the increased environmental problems reduced the populations of snakes dramatically, and even if Kentucky is still a state where snakes can leave peacefully, some species might disappear in the future.

There are more than 30 snake species in Kentucky, and only 4 of them are poisonous. Moreover, the majority of them live in non-populated areas, like the deep forests and the rocky and sunny areas. this is why accidents rarely happen. However, you must be able to identify the poisonous snakes when you see them.

All the venomous snakes from Kentucky are a part of the Viperidae family, commonly known as vipers. We are talking about the Copperhead, the western Cottonmouth, the Timber Rattlesnake and western Pigmy Rattlesnake. The majority of them are non-aggressive, and they prefer to hide from humans. you can easily distinguish them because of their vertical pupils, and also because of the scale at the top of the tale that is placed on only one row.

Don’t use the vibrating tail as a method to identify a poisonous snake. Some non-poisonous species also have this ability, and many non-venomous species are extinguished because people confused them.

Don’t touch a venomous snake even if it is dead. The body can have a bite reflex, and the bite is also poisonous. The snakes will never attack you unless provoked or harassed. The best idea when you see a snake of this kind is to leave it alone.

The best method to treat a bite of a poisonous snake is to prevent it. leaving the jokes behind, if you are close to a hospital, you should go there immediately. Cutting the wounded area, sucking the venom or electric shocks were proven as ineffective, and the anti-venom serum is the only demonstrated cure for this problem.

The Copperhead is usually mistaken with other species of non-venomous snakes. The best method to identify a snake of this specie is to look at the chestnut cross bands that have the shape of a bow.

The western Cottonmouth is a common dark colored snake that looks like the copperhead when he is young. It has no margins and a single color, making it hard to identify. The water snakes looking the same will quickly hide in the water when approached, while the cottonmouth will take a defensive stance. In fact, this is the best method to identify the cottonmouth, as it is the only aggressive poisonous snake.

The rattlesnakes are also poisonous, but unlike the cottonmouth, this snake hides when approached. However, this is the largest snake from this family, and this is why people fear it the most. The Rattlesnake gains one rattle each time they change the skin, but the rattles might fall, so it is not an accurate method to determine the age of a rattlesnake by counting them. the other snakes from Kentucky are not poisonous, and they are a part of the family Colubridae. 
 

Are Garter Snakes Dangerous

The Garter Snake is a part of the small snake’s families, being a common snake in Kentucky. It has three yellow stripes on the back, with varied colors. however, its shape and the combination of colors are unique, so you will be able to recognize a snake of this kind. The stripes might have other colors also, and they could also miss completely. in this case, they are replaced with some spots of a dark yellow or brown. Those dark spots can also be found on the belly of the garter snake, and they usually have a light green or a yellow color.

The garter snake is a common snake in the urban areas, and this is why people developed a fascination for it. it is understandable: as long as you see a snake around your house, you might wonder if it is dangerous.

Good news, the garter snake is not poisonous, but it releases a smelly musk if threatened, and some people might find it offensive. In some rare cases, allergies to this musk were reported, so you might check yourself about this matter if you are living in a Kentucky area where this snake is common.

the legends about the garter snake being dangerous appeared because of its resemblance with the copperhead, which is a venomous snake living approximate in the same areas. however, the simplest method to identify a non-poisonous snake is to look at its eyes. The garter snake has horizontal pupils, while all the poisonous snakes have a vertical pupil.

While the garter snake is harmless and sometimes even beneficial, especially for farms where the snakes kill a large number of rats and mice, some people might not want them around. while the deterrents and naphthalene were used commonly to eliminate the snakes, those substances might be harmful for the environment and for you. This is why you should get rid of the garter snake by making the environment less friendly. Eliminate all the piles where they could hide. It is not a guaranteed method, but it will surely decrease the number of snakes on your yard. the snakes might hide in the basement or in the cellar, although the cold dark places are not so comfortable for them. it is also a good idea to cover all the wholes larger than ¼ inch. This way, the snakes will not be able to get in.

The average length of the garter snake is 4 to 26 inches, but the majority of adults have about 20 inches. This is the main difference from the copperhead that could easily reach 42 inches. Look for the shape of the head. All the poisonous snakes have a resembling head with the venom bags placed on the sides, while the non-poisonous spices have a sharp head and usually a slippery aspect. if you want to be certain about a snake, look at its tail. The anal plate is continued on one row to the top of the tail for the venomous snake, while the other species will only have one row. 

Poisoning Snakes: Our Unjustified Fear

From the 3000 species of snakes that we know today, 500 of them are considered poisonous species. Moreover, even the snakes that are considered harmful could have some poisoning substances in their saliva, but they don’t have the right teeth for the venin to be concentrated. This is why it can’t enter the organism of the “victims”

Yes, it is true that snakes can be very dangerous, but I want to convince you through this article that we should not be so afraid of those. We don’t like snakes because they are not the most beautiful animals in the world, but this does not mean that they are not useful. I had the chance to live in an area with many snakes, and even if I learned how to stay away from their poisonous bites, I also learned that snakes are really useful for nature, and beautiful to observe in nature.


The bites of poisonous snakes can be dangerous. Those can paralyze or accelerate the heart beats, and they can also affect the entire circulation of the blood. The water snakes that live in seas also have a venin that attacks the central nervous system.

How should you avoid those? The snakes like to stay on rocks during the sunny days, and usually, they are in a dormant state when they do so. The snakes can rarely be found on the pathways of humans. You can also find those in holes of trees, in bushes, and in underground galleries. The simple method to avoid snakes is to walk only on pathways, and if you see one, you should leave it alone. I did that for quite a while, and I managed not only to stay alive, but also to like those incredible beings.

Another thing you should know is the first help in case of a snake bite. I know it like poetry, as even if you stay away from snakes, you might always suffer an accident. The snakes only attack when they feel danger. Here is my “battle plan” with a snake, a battle plan that you can also follow:

- take the threatening behavior of the snake seriously. Snorting, agitating and lifting the front side of the body is a sign that the snake does not like something, and that something is probably you. I usually go away as far as possible!

- when I am walking around the forest, I walk fast, with decided steps. The snakes can’t hear, but they can feel the vibration of the earth, and the majority of them run if they have the possibility.

- I always have a flash light during the night. The nocturnal snakes are the most dangerous ones, but they also run away when something is not in order. I always check the pathway with the flashlight, as well as the bushes near the road. A snake will definitely run when you put the beam of a flash light directly on it.

- Never touch a snake, even if you assume that it is dead! The closest experience to being bite by a snake was when I thought that I found a dead snake. They have incredible reflexes, and they can bite even hours after dying. Just imagine being bite by a dead snake! The bite is just as deadly, but getting over the dramatic aspect, you can’t refrain from observing the irony in this.