Three times as many victims – around 400,000 per year – are left with long-term disabilities such as limb necrosis leading to amputations, disfigurement and blindness," says Laura-Oana Albulescu, who studies snake venom at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in the UK. "The psychological sequelae are only now being investigated but are significant as people can end up unable to work, destitute from the treatment cost, not fitting into their society – disabled young girls are not able to work or marry." Kenyan Sand Boa” is a pet snake, who is one of the most popular pet snakes in the world. Also known as “Blanca”, this is a small, docile, and easy-to-handle snake that has been extensively captive-bred for many years.

Lastly (but not least), snakes have some specific needs for living well that you should know about before making this important decision! 3. Long Lifespan Though they are not commonly thought of as suitable pets for families with young children or those who cannot commit themselves fully to caring for this type of animal, pythons can make good pets. Fonseka, Chathuranga Lakmal, et al. " Life Threatening Intracerebral Haemorrhage Following Saw-Scaled Viper ( Echis carinatus) Envenoming-Authenticated Case Report from Sri Lanka." BMC Emergency Medicine, vol. 13, 2013, pp. 5., doi:10.1186/1471-227X-13-5A key factor in deciding if you want to own a snake as a pet is what type of environment you live in. The scarlet kingsnake grows to between 40 and 50cm/16-20in. The longest ever found was only 68cm/27in, which is a little longer than two feet. Again, this may seem quite long, but it’s a short length for a snake. And as a pet, a two-foot snake is still easy to handle. The anthill python, or the pygmy python, is the first python in this list. Its name gives away the fact that it’s small for a python, although like all pythons, it’s a heavy-bodied snake. This species is the smallest member of the python family, and is often found on anthills and termite mounds. Snakes are one of the most feared animals in the world, but they are actually very interesting creatures who are generally much more afraid of humans than we are of them! 15. Thousands of species Many people in rural parts of India are walking around in the dark without footwear," says Sumanth Bindumadhav, senior manager of the wildlife, disaster response and Dharwad program at the Humane Society International in India. "Over 90% of bites occur when people step on a snake without even seeing them."

The Bimini blind snake is more variable than the Barbados thread snake. Specimens of different sizes have been found. The woma python is a great pet for beginners. They are not venomous, so if they bite, it will be harmless. The largest venomous snake by weight is the Gaboon Viper which weighs a stunning 45 lbs and yet this fat viper has the distinction of having one of the fastest strikes in the world. 35. The prehistoric snakeThe western hognose isn’t a big snake, but it is variable. Males reach somewhere between 14 and 24 inches/35-60cm in adulthood. Females can grow to 36in/90cm, which is three feet long. These snakes are somewhat heavy-bodied, so they can reach 800g in weight. Garter Snake In India, the Humane Society International has also been working to train doctors in the region around Karnataka to deal with snake bites, but it is also trying to educate rural communities with simple ways to reduce their risk too. Doctors in Nepal and Switzerland, for example, have been developing genetic testing techniques to help identify the snake species responsible by analysing swabs taken from bite marks. While they found they could identify some of the species responsible, it only worked in around a quarter of cases and the technique still takes too long to be used effectively in an emergency setting to identify snakes. Venemos, also known as venomous caterpillars, are a unique and intriguing species found in various parts of the world. Here are some interesting facts about venemos: Despite the mounting pressures, hope is not lost. Museum scientists are working hard to understand and fight against the threats facing British wildlife.

Snake bites are now recognised as one of the world's most important neglected health problems and one that disproportionately affects poorer communities. We are a charity and we rely on your support. No matter the size, every gift to the Museum is critical to our 300 scientists' work in understanding and protecting the natural world. People who enjoy pet snakes as a hobby are no different. A Kenyan sand boa is a great snake for beginners because they are easy to care for and handle. Sea snakes have paddle-like tails that evolved to help them move in the ocean and allows them to dive over 300 feet. 49. Intelligent and vigilant Burmese pythons are one of the most common snakes found in the pet trade. They are also one of the largest and therefore need a large enclosure. So, why would anyone want to keep one as a pet?

Every year, more people are reading our articles to learn about the challenges facing the natural world. Our future depends on nature, but we are not doing enough to protect our life support system. The truth is, most experts don’t recommend keeping a Burmese python as a pet because there’s no way to tell how long it will live. 3. Tree Boas Every year there is a shortage of antivenom," says Bindumadhav. Rural communities particularly struggle to get treatment and are disproportionately hit by the consequences of snake bites due to the wider costs of treatment and loss of income that can result. Boas are contractors, meaning they wrap around the prey and kill it by squeezing until it suffocates. Boas are solitary animals that take food after being killed by other animals or after dying of natural causes. 2. Burmese Pythons Garter snakes are fairly easy to care for and can make excellent pets for beginners. 6. Western Hognose Snake

To reverse the damage we've done and protect the future, we need the knowledge that comes from scientific discovery. Understanding and protecting life on our planet is the greatest scientific challenge of our age. And you can help.Of course, transferring such a treatment into humans and into the imperfect world of real-life situations, where giving such drugs in a timely fashion might be difficult. And saw-scaled viper venoms contain other unpleasant toxins that DMPS does not act against.