26/10/2020
Another great read π€ππ¦
π ππππ ππ π πππ-ππππ πππ πππ ππ ππππππ ππ ππππ?
When a front-fanged venomous snake bites down with enough pressure, the muscles around the venom gland contract, forcing venom to flow along the venom ducts and through the fangs. A successful venomous bite generally depends on how effectively the snake has bitten the subject and whether the snake bites down hard enough to engage the muscles around the venom gland.
When defending themselves against a predator, snakes often strike out to intimidate their opponent without intending to deliver venom. A dry-bite occurs when a snake bites a subject, but does not inject venom. Dry bites may just be quick defensive bites, or glancing bites, where the fangs contact the victimβs skin, but the snake does not hold on long enough, or bite down with enough force, to result in the successful delivery of venom.
While further research is required on this topic, it is becoming widely accepted that venomous snakes instinctively know when to use, and when not to use their venom. Put simply, if a venomous snake bites a prey item, their intent is to inject venom 100% of the time, or they risk going hungry. Alternatively, when a venomous snake bites to defend itself, they donβt always inject venom, presumably for two reasons;
1) There is no situation where the snake benefits from using its venom on a non-prey item; it is a waste of venom and risks injury to the snake.
2) If a snake is faced with a life and death situation and a confrontation were to take place, no matter how venomous the snake is, its venom wonβt act fast enough to stop the predator from killing the snake in the first place, rendering venom ineffective as a defensive strategy when delivered from a bite.
With regard to Brown snakes, such as the Dugite - aka Spotted brown snake (Pseudonaja a. affinis) as pictured below, and the Eastern brown snake (Pseudonaja textillis) statistics show that the general rate of envenoming is approximately 20-40%, meaning dry bites occur in 60-80% of bite cases. With such a low rate of envenoming, it stands to reason that they instinctively know not to use their venom on anything they cannot eat.
To summarise, I am not advising anyone to take their chances if they are bitten; always apply snakebite first aid and seek urgent medical attention if you believe you have been bitten. I am simply explaining the mechanics of a bite and what a dry-bite is for those who are unaware, as well as outlining that snakes such as brown snakes can, and often do, dry bite.
πΈ Dugite, aka spotted brown snake (Paeudonaja a. affinis) from Lakelands Western Australia.
