Research on Envenomation by “Harmless” Snakes of Thailand

Research on Envenomation by “Harmless” Snakes of Thailand
Red Necked Keelback Snake, venomous, Thailand and southeast Asia.
A beautiful snake, usually under 1 meter, not very aggressive, but capable of deadly bites.

There are number of snakes not well studied by biologists, to the extent that some snakes are venomous and dangerous, capable of delivering potentially fatal bites – but we are not aware of all the snakes that can do this.

The Red-Necked Keelback is just one example. This snake has been a favorite in the pet trade for decades, and only recently has science discovered a very potent venom in the venom glands of this snake.

There are other snakes in the same genus that may also have similarly potent venom, but the genus needs extensive experimentation to find out to what extent they possess venom harmful to man.

Akimoto, R., et al. 1991. A case of defibrination syndrome due to a Japanese colubrid snake, yamakagashi (Rhabdophis t. tigrinus) bite, treated with antivenom. The Snake 23(1): 36-39.

This snake is not found in Thailand, but we do have the closely related (same genus) “Rhabdophis subminiatus.”

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