All snakes are hunters and predators, feeding on the animals and sometimes their eggs..........After which, the victim must be duly sent to the hospital for professional treatment.

All snakes are hunters and predators, feeding on the animals and sometimes their eggs. Having no limbs, snakes cannot hold their preys down to bite; hence they usually swallow them whole. Poisonous snakes sometimes do immobilizetheir preys with their venom to make consumption easier.

Most poisonous snakes are conspicuously colored to warn others off. One example is the redheaded krait which has a bluish-black body and scarlet head and tail. Snakes like the cobras, which have less outstanding body colors, display their fatality by lifting the front part of their body and spreading their hoods.

It is truly a myth that poisonous snakes attack humans for food. Humans can never be their targets for food as we are normally too large for them to swallow. in cases where snakes do bite, these attacks are usually defensive ones and the venom injected is normally little or sometimes even none. The full, fatal dose of the venom is only released on smaller animals which the snakes can swallow easily. Besides helping in the killing and immobilizing of their preys, the poison also acts as digestive agents for snakes.

Why then is the venom so deadly ? In general, there are three kinds of poisons in the venom, though in varying amounts, depending on the type of snake in question. Venoms usually contain substances that weaken the blood corpuscles and the lining of the blood vessels. Profuse bleeding, often a common result of snake-bites, is caused by the anticoagulants present in the poison which prevents blood clotting. The paralysis of the heart and respiratory muscles is performed by the nervous system attacking toxins.

Though these bites are deadly, certain actions can be taken to slow down the spread of the venom, hence saving the victim's life. Attempting to incise and suck at the spot of the bite is more likely to be harmful than a cure. The poisonous venom usually travels fast into the body upon being released; hence sucking at the mouth of the wound will not help remove the poison, rather, incising the bite may lead the victim to great pain and further profuse bleeding. Instead, a broad, firm crepe bandage should be applied over the would and up the full limb to compress the tissues and prevent the spread of the venom. After which, the victim must be duly sent to the hospital for professional treatment.

Summary: Snakes attack larger animals like us when they are disturbed. These bites are not fatal as little or none of the venom is released. The full, deadly dose of poison is used to kill smaller animals for food. Snake venoms contain three types of poisons, usually varying in amounts There are substances that weaken the blood cells and walls of blood vessels; anticoagulants to prevent blood clotting, which results in profuse bleeding and toxins to paralyze the heart and respiratory muscles. When bitten by a snake, one should apply a broad bandage over the wound and up the limb to help compress the tissues and prevent the spread of the venom before sending the victim the hospital.