Bali Reptile Rescue: March 2015

Saturday, March 7, 2015

Green snakes in Bali

Recently we have been getting a lot of calls about green snakes
A lot of people think every green snake in Bali is highly dangerous

We hear them described as Bali Mambas and two step snakes but there are no mambas in Bali and Bali pit vipers cannot usually kill an adult

The only dangerously venomous green snake in Bali is the White lipped island pit viper, lipi gadang. Trimesurus albolabris insularis. It grows to just under 1metre and is usually found in bushes and trees, but during the wet season may wander into out buildings to keep warm. Diet is frogs birds lizards and small rodents so on dark nights it may be found at ground level. It is a nocturnal ambush predator with reasonably solid body and a very distinctive head shape. Compared to the others it is a slow moving snake. This snake will bite if you annoy it or try to move it

Next we have one of the most common snakes in Bali. Vine snake, Aehutella prasina. Long slender snake almost always found in bushes and trees. Head is shaped like an arrowhead and they glide through the trees like green ribbons. Often reach about 2 metres in Bali….Very long thin tail. They are mildly venomous to frogs lizards and birds but cannot hurt a human at all

Number 3 is red tailed racer, gonyosoma oxyphalum. Fast moving non venomous snake that eats rats frogs birds and lizards. Head shape is quite distinctive and very different to both the vine snake and the viper. They can grow to over 2 metres and are totally harmless to humans

For more information about venomous snakes in Bali please read these notes
https://www.facebook.com/notes/bali-reptile-rescue/bali-venomous-poisonous-snakes-and-the-only-bite-treatment-that-works/407779562657452

http://www.facebook.com/notes/bali-reptile-rescue/snake-bite-treatment-penanganan-gigitan-ular-/439048446197230

Pit viper

Pit viper

Vine snake

Vine snake.. Usually plain green but when they are disturbed often show other colours especially near the neck and upper body
Red tailed racer

Red tailed racer

Bali venomous [poisonous] snakes and the only bite treatment that works

Nearly 41 species of snakes live in Bali, yet only 6 snakes in Bali can be potentially dangerous to humans

Most important thing to remember is that over 80% of snake bite deaths are caused by humans trying to catch or kill a snake

What you see on tv or Utube is not reality. TV needs good ratings to survive and to get good rating snakes must appear to be deadly creatures. When given the opportunity snakes would much rather just vanish to a safe place than bite

Please remember this sentence. “There is no reason to die of snakebite”

I will now describe in easy to understand language what happens on the rare occasions someone is bitten

Venom travels through the tiny vessels just under the surface of the skin. With most Bali venomous snakes this venom attacks the cardio vascular system [heart and lungs] and stops them working.

The most important action of the first aid is to slow the speed of the venom through the human body so that the body can start breaking down the venom

1] Reassurance. People have been known to nearly die from non venomous snake bites because fear of the unknown sent them into shock. You need the patient to become as calm and as relaxed as possible. So reassurance is vitally important.

Saying ‘OH MY GOD. A snake bit you and you will die an agonizing death” is not reassuring. Saying “Its ok buddy. Probably non venomous anyway, and even if it was venomous it probably didn’t bother using venom, and you are going to be fine” is reassuring

2] Immobilize the limb that was bitten to slow the speed of blood through that limb and keep the bite below the level of the heart. Splints are best and can be made out of anything such as a piece of bamboo. But hand and finger bites can be immobilized simply by tucking them under a shirt or t shirt or into a sling. In every case except when you are absolutely positive the bite was from a Pit Viper, all that is needed is an elastic bandage to really slow the speed of venom through the body. Every home in Asia should keep one of these in a handy place. This compares to bandaging a sprained wrist or ankle. It is NOT a tourniquet to cut off blood supply. Start about 1inch or 25milimetres above the bite and start wrapping the limb in bandage as far up the limb as the bandage will reach. Bandage should not be either tight or loose. It should be comfortably tight. You can easily check the tightness by squeezing a nail on the limb. The nail white should return to pink when the nail is released, Pit Viper bites should be immobilized without a bandage applied, but only if you are 100% certain it was a Pit Viper. If there is any doubt at all use the bandage

3] Hospital. Get the patient to hospital as quickly as you can and ring the hospital to let them know what happened. During this time keep reassuring the patient that everything will be ok. Also watch them carefully for changes such as gasping for breath etc. Venom can stop the patient breathing so be prepared if the trip is a long one.

4] Tell the hospital staff exactly what happened and of any noticeable changes in the patient since the bite happened In most cases hospitals don’t even use anti venon. They observe the patient and let the human body break down any venom by itself

These are the ONLY hospitals in Bali which always carry a supply of anti venon

Sanglah Hospital Jalan Diponegoro Denpasar +62 361 227911

Negara Hospital Jalan Gelar Negara +62 365 41006

So remember these; REASSURE THE PATIENT; IMMOBILIZE THE LIMB; HOSPITAL; TALK TO DOCTOR

Important note. Spitting cobras can spit venom very accurately at your eyes over a distance of 2 metres. Venom in the eyes will not kill you; but it can blind you if not washed out fairly quickly. Mild saline solution is best but basically any water will work. Wash your eyes 10 times and then wash them again and again until no trace of pain is left. Then rinse them again Do the same thing for any cats or dogs that have decided a cobra is an easy meal

Don't try to catch or kill the snake

Don't give alcohol

Don't try to suck out the venom

Don't ever use a tourniquet Don't panic

Traditional remedies do not and cannot work on snake bite.

The only reasons they appear to work are simple to explain.

Most snake bites are either from non venomous snakes or are what are called ‘dry’ bites; which means no venom, or else a miniscule amount of venom was injected by the snake. When a patient uses traditional methods they seem to work in those cases because there was nothing to cure and the patient would have survived anyway

Bali Venomous Snakes

King cobra [Ophiophagus hannah or ular raja]. Longest venomous snake on Earth Never seen one in Bali over 4,7 metres but that is still a big snake. Rarely seen anywhere in Bali anymore, Only confirmed recent sightings are from around Negara in West Bali and north from there Large powerful snakes that will defend themselves and their nests strongly. Usually found underground in holes or crevices in rocks, or deep inside clumps of bamboo Please report any sightings of these to Bali Reptile Rescue 0821 4638 0270 as we are keeping an eye on a couple and are very interested in their travels

Spitting cobra [Naja sputatrix or ular sendok or lipi woh] up to 1.5 metre in Bali. Found all over Bali including Kuta Seminyak Sanur Lovina Ubud and Amed areas. They do not need to put up their hoods to bite or spit. Usually live underground in rat holes, drain pipes or under concrete slabs . They are a lot more common than most people realise and co-exist with humans in many areas without the people even knowing they are there Most common colour is dull brown but can vary from cream through to nearly black

Important note. These cobras can spit venom very accurately at your eyes over a distance of 2 metres. Venom in the eyes will not kill you; but it can blind you if not washed out fairly quickly. Mild saline solution is best but basically any water will work. Wash your eyes 10 times and then wash them again and again until no trace of pain is left. Then rinse them again Do the same thing for any cats or dogs that have decided a cobra is an easy meal

Banded krait, [Bungarus candidus or ular weling or lipi poleng] around 1 metre is maximum size in Bali Very dangerous snake for 3 reasons

1; It does not look dangerous
2; Although it is usually pictured as black with white bands it also comes in a pure black colour
3; Its bite can take up to 12 hours before showing any effects

As far as I can find out the black coloured banded krait is only common in Bali. We have found them from Cangu to Ubud and Sukawati and everywhere in between Usually found in or near water and rarely seen above ground level

White lipped green island pit viper; [Trimersurus albolabris insularis or lipi gadang or ular hijau ekor mira] Rarely reaches 1 metre in Bali. Relatively common all over Bali. Usually seen in trees or bushes and bamboo, but often hide at ground level during the day or on bright moon nights. During wet season often visit houses or out buildings. These snakes are never reluctant to bite if approached Contrary to what all the stories say, their bite is unlikely to kill a healthy human. They can make you sick and sometimes the venom causes creeping necrosis [rotting flesh] around the bite area, But the bite will not kill you in normal circumstances

Coral snake; [Calliophis intestinalis or ular cabe] 50cm seems maximum size Under belly is usually white with black striping. Very rare in Bali, highly venomous but rarely bites. These also live underground but little is known about them in

Bali Sea snakes. Various species or lipi laut. Over 3 metres maximum size Although these snakes are usually reluctant to bite they will only take so much handling, so please just look at them instead of annoying them. Two recent bites were from people copying what they had seen on tv shows. Very luckily both these bites were dry. All sea snakes can bite humans. It is a myth that they cannot bite

If you have any questions or worries about snakes, or want any unwelcome visitors relocated safely call us

We are available at any time of the day or night

please call balireptilerescue 0821 4638 0270

Young king cobra

Typical Bali spitting cobras

Coral snake

Black banded krait

Pit viper

This is a good example of the type of bandage that should be used

Snake bite and effects

THERE IS NO REASON TO DIE FROM SNAKE BITE

This link shows bite treatment

https://www.facebook.com/notes/407779562657452/ Bali venomous [poisonous] snakes and the only bite treatment that works

There are 38 species native to Bali but only 5 land snakes are potentially deadly

Fact 1: Snakes only bite for two reasons.... Fear or Food

Humans are not considered as snake food so most bites are a result of a scared animal defending itself

This is reflected in the types of fatal bites....

80% of bites to men are on fingers and hands because they tried to catch or kill a snake

70% of bites to women are on feet or lower legs because they stood on or went too close to a snake

Fact 2: Snakes do not attack humans but some snakes are very good at defending themselves

Fact 3: Ante venon is not always needed for snake bite....

Many venomous snakes do not inject venom if they bite, or else inject a very small amount of venom which the human body can break down and fight against by itself

Fact 4: Traditional medicine does not work

It appears to work sometimes because even though a venomous snake bit, it did not inject venom. ie dry bite

If the bite victim has received a full dose of venom ie: wet bite, traditional medicine cannot work and should never be used

Fact 5: Venom attacks different people in different ways.

For example a bee sting can cause death to 1 in 100.000 people

So there are is no precise description of exactly what will happen

What is written here is only a guideline

In Bali Lombok and Sumbawa we have many species of snakes

Most of them are harmless, but several snakes can inflict injuries if harassed

Javan Spitting Cobra, naja sputatrix, lipi woh, ular sendok

This snake is diurnal, which means it usually is seen in daylight hours

Stockily built snake, up to 2metre, dull brown colour is most common

They have neurotoxic venom which affects the cardio vascular system

If the bite actually injected venom the victim knows almost immediately

Usually there is intense pain around the bitten area

This pain may spread to other parts of the body

Nausea and dizziness often follow

After about 30 minutes there may be restriction in your chest and difficulty breathing

If untreated eventually you stop breathing

CPR can save your life if breathing stops

These cobras also spit venom very accurately aiming for the eyes of any attacker

Venom in the eyes will not kill you but it feels like needles in your eyes

If not washed out quickly it can lead to permanent eye damage

Use any water you can get

Wash and keep washing until pain is relieved

Many cats and dogs which attack snakes need exactly the same treatment

White Lipped Island Pit Viper, trimeresurus insularis, lipi gadang, ular hijau eco merah

Solidly built, up to 1.2metre, bright green snake often with red tinge on tail

This is a mostly nocturnal snake and ambush predator

Pit vipers use haemotoxic venom which attacks flesh and blood

Usually found in bushes but often at ground level in full moon or rainy periods

Pain from this bite is very severe and immediate around the bite area

If untreated it can result in loss of limbs through infection, blood poisoning, and eventually gangrene

This viper has a bad reputation but the venom is not strong enough to kill an adult

No adult deaths have been recorded in Bali

Children have died because of infection from untreated bites

Malayan Krait. bungarus candidus, ular wellang, lipi laut

Slender snake up to 1.5metres

Mixture of colours and patterns

Usually black with regularly spaced grey/white bands but often plain black or shiny brown in Bali

Nocturnal snake usually found in or close to water

Neurotoxic venom which attacks cardio vascular system

They have small fangs and are often reluctant to bite

If they bite there are often no noticeable side effects for up to several hours

Then the victim goes to sleep and doesnt wake up

These snakes have caused and will cause deaths because of this

King Cobra, ophiophagus hannah, ular rajah

Only found in Western Bali

Large powerful snake which is not actually a cobra at all

Up to 6metres, mid brown with narrow cream/white bands

Very reluctant to waste its venom and wet bites only about 5% of the time

Neurotoxic venom which attacks cardio vascular system

With large fangs and big venom sacs this is not a snake you want to get bitten by

Pain is described as immediate but not too severe, followed by nausea and headache

Immediate treatment is required to prevent death

As far as know only one death in the last 20 years from king cobra bite in Bali

Banded Coral Snake, calliophus intestinalis. ular cabe

Rarely seen small slender snake to .5metre

Neurotoxic venom but no known bites in Bali so immediate effects unknown here

Banded Sea Krait, Laticauda colubrina, lipi laut

Large black and white banded sea snake up to 3.5metres

Usually seen in the sea but these often come ashore to digest food, change skin, and lay eggs

Regardless of what you may hear sea snakes can bite you anywhere they chose

They are a rear fanged snake with venom 50 times more potent than cobras

If harassed enough to bite, their neurotoxic venom can shut down your breathing within a few minutes

Effects appear to be not very painful but rapid chest constriction followed by death

They have caused deaths among fishermen, who catch them in nets at night, and tourists who try to play with them

Some other snakes are mildly venomous but are considered of no danger to humans

Gold Ringed Mangrove Snake, boiga dendrophila. cincin emas

Introduced into Bali about 10 years ago this beautiful snake is spreading quickly from near Ubud

Now found from Ubud and Pererenan to Sanur and Klungkung

Slender black and gold or black and white snake to over 2metres

Rear fanged colubrid of no danger to humans

This snakes venom cannot kill you but can hurt

Usually just swelling around the bitten area followed by mild pain for a couple of days

Dog Toothed Cat Snake. boiga cynadon,

Long slender tree snake with similar venom to other boiga above

Speckle belly keelback. rhabdophis chrysargos.

Rear fanged snake to 1metre usually found in or near water

Although not considered dangerous to humans the rhabdophis species needs more investigation

Other members of this species such as red necked keelbacks, rhabdophis subminiatus, [not found in Bali], have caused human deaths

Non venomous snake bites

Pythons are large powerful snakes with no venom

But if attacked they will defend themselves strongly

Bites from large pythons can require stitches or minor surgery

Never place a big wild python near your shoulders or neck

They are very powerful animals and large ones can hurt you if you dont understand this

Boiga dendrophila, gold ringed mangrove snake

Ophiophagus Hannah, king cobra

Trimeresurus insularis, white lipped island pit viper

Bungarus candidus, Malayan krait

Naja sputatrix. Javan spittng cobra

Very use snake poster available from Bali Reptile Rescue

Bali Snake Facts and Fallacies

If you have any problems with any wildlife call 0821 4638 0270

Bali Reptile Rescue operates 24/7 and the phone is always on
But please call the number instead of leaving a text message
Phones get answered but messages sometimes dont go through

1. Yes there are potentially deadly venomous snakes in Bali
Indonesia is a tropical country and has many species of snakes
Bali has 40 known land species
Only 6 of those are potentially deadly
So your chances of seeing a venomous snake are about 1 in 7

2. Snakes will not chase you to attack and try to kill you
Snakes are much more scared of humans than humans are of snakes
If given the opportunity to escape they will happily leave
Only real exception to this is a female king cobra guarding her nest
She is just like any other mum protecting her baby and will defend her nest strongly
But unless you go into the jungle in West Bali you will not ever see a king on her nest

3. There are no green mambas in Indonesia
Snake often referred to as a green mamba is trimeresurus insularis
White lipped Island pit viper. lipi gadang. ular hijau ekor merah
It is responsible for many bites in Bali but cannot kill a human if you go to hospital
Its venom is haemotoxic meaning it attacks flesh and blood
Bites are extremely painful
Untreated bites can cause blood poisoning and eventually gangrene

4. Every green snake is not a pit viper
Red tailed racers, gonyosoma oxyphelum, and oriental vine snakes, ahaetulla prasinus
are both bright green and are harmless to humans

5. Not all venomous snakes have triangular heads
Cobras, kraits, and coral snakes definitely do not have triangular heads

6. Just because a snake appears to have slits for pupils does not mean its venomous
Most snakes eyes react to light exactly the same way ours do
Reticulated pythons show this very clearly

7. Some snakes look almost identical
This is especially true of young Malayan krait, bungarus fasciatus, and banded wolf snake, lycodon subcinctus
Those two are very difficult to tell apart without getting too close for comfort

8. Its very easy to kill a snake
BUT 85% of snake bite deaths are caused by people trying to catch or kill a snake

9. Salt will work to deter snakes
But only if you cover your entire garden several inches thick with salt
Every living creature needs salt to live
Snakes are no exception to that

10. Electronic snake repellers do not work
They cannot work because they are not designed to work
Google can show you photos of snakes curled up around them quite happily

11. Snakes will not stay in a garden if they have nowhere to live
This means fill in any rat holes etc and cover drains

12. Oriental rats, ptyas mucosus, found all over Bali, are NOT king cobras
King Cobras are only found in West/Central Bali and are very rarely seen

13. Traditional medicine does not work in Bali
It appears to work sometimes only because most of the time snakes do not inject venom
so the bite victim would have survived without any treatment at all

14. Sea snakes can actually bite you anywhere they want to
Forget the stories about them only being able to bite fingers etc
A 1metre sea snake can eat a 40cm fish without even trying hard
A 40cm fish is at least as thick as your wrist
So they can bite you where ever they want to if you annoy them enough
Although they are very reluctant to bite they also have very strong venom

15. Television is all about ratings
That is why they always show snakes as savage man eating monsters
The truth is the exact opposite of that

16. Snake bite treatment is easy and very effective
https://www.facebook.com/notes/10202131279228014/

We live in a country where snakes and water monitors also live
They are great rat control because they will go down into the rat holes and eat them all
Cats and dogs cannot do that
So reptiles are a very valuable part of any tropical ecosystem
Many farmers encourage snakes in their rice fields because their rice production increases
Poster showing commonly seen snakes in Bali and snake bite treatment

Poster showing commonly seen snakes in Bali and snake bite treatment

Snake Bite Treatment ( penanganan gigitan ular )

Remember this sentence please

Nobody should die if they are bitten by a snake

This treatment was designed in Asia for use in Asia

It works and is simple to use

R- Reassure the patient. 70% of snakebites come from non-venomous species. Of the remaining 30%, which are from venomous species, some will not inject venom and are called 'dry bites'. The victim is not at risk. . This is why traditional treatments appear to work.

I- Immobilise the affected limb in the same way as a fracture. Do not tie tight bandages; simply stop the limb from moving as movement helps venom spread.

GH - Get to hospital fast. If there is nothing wrong with you then you will be discharged after observation. If you have been envenomed, then the doctor will administer anti- venom.

T - Tell the doctor of any signs that develop on the way to the hospital such as, drooping eyelids, double vision, tasting blood in the mouth or unusual bruising, as these all help the doctor to diagnose if the victim needs anti venom.

Reassure the bite victim

Immobilise the limb by using bandages or splints

Get to hospital quickly

Tell the doctor as much as you can

.....

Spitting cobras, naga stuptatrix can spit venom

This venom will be aimed at the eyes

It will not kill you, but can badly damage your vision

Wash your eyes immediately with clean water until pain is gone

All of the methods below do not work and should never be used as snakebite treatment.

* Do not try to suck out the venom.

* Do not attempt to cut open the area around the bite.

* Do not apply ice to the bite area.

* Do not rub any substances into the bite.

* Do not apply a tourniquet

* Do not inject anything, including antivenom unless you are qualified to do so.

* Do not give anything orally to the victim.

* Do not kill the snake for later identification.

* Do not use traditional remedies.

Harap diingat kalimat ini Tidak ada yang perlu mati jika digigit ular

Jenis pengobatan ini dirancang di Asia dan untuk digunakan di negara Asia dengan cara penggunaan yang mudah.

R-Reassure, Tenangkan korban. 70% korban gigitan ular berasal dari spesies ular yang tidak berbisa. 30% sisanya berasal dari spesies ular berbisa, beberapa korban tidak akan mendapat suntikan racun untuk menetralkan bisa karena korban tidak beresiko, umumnya hal ini di sebut sebagai "gigitan biasa". Pada saat seperti inilah jenis pengobatan tradisional di gunakan.

I-Immobilise cara penanganan bagian tubuh yang terkena gigitan hampir sama dengan cara penanganan korban patah tulang. Jangan mengikat perban terlalu ketat, area di sekitar gigitan hanya di ikat untuk mencegah racun menyebar secara luas.

GH -Get to Hospital, secepatnya dilarikan ke rumah sakit. Jika tidak ada sesuatu yang membahayakan jiwa ,maka anda akan diperbolehkan pulang setelah selesai menjalani pemeriksaan, tetapi jika anda terkena racun,, maka dokter akan memberikan anti racun

T -Tell the doctor, Beritahu dokter gejala gejala yang anda rasakan selama dalam perjalanan menuju rumah sakit seperti misalnya kelopak mata terasa berat seperti mengantuk, penglihatan ganda, pendarahan di rongga mulut atau memar yang tidak seperti biasanya, hal ini akan membantu kinerja dokter dalam pemeriksaan korban jika korban membutuhkan anti racun.

Jadi..

Reassure - Tenangkan korban.

Imobilise - ikat bagian tubuh yang terkena gigitan dengan perban atau tali.

Get to Hospital - segera di larikan ke rumah sakit secepatnya

Tell the doctor - Beritahu dokter semua gejala yang anda rasakan.....

Ular kobra, naga stuptatrix bisa menyemburkan racun . Racun yang menyembur dan terkena mata tidak akan membahayakan jiwa anda tetapi akan menyebabkan kebutaan. Jika terkena racun,, basuhlah mata anda dengan air bersih sampai nyeri yang anda rasakan hilang.

Semua metode yang ditulis dalam huruf miring di bawah ini tidak akan bekerja dengan semestinya dan tidak boleh digunakan sebagai metode pengobatan gigitan ular.

* Jangan mencoba untuk menghisap racun.

* Jangan mencoba untuk menoreh luka di sekitar gigitan dengan maksud untuk mengeluarkan racun.

* Jangan gunakan es batu untuk mengompres daerah gigitan.

* Jangan mengoleskan apapun di sekitar area gigitan.

* Jangan mengikat luka terlalu kencang

* Jangan menyuntikkan apapun, termasuk anti-bisa kecuali Anda telah memenuhi syarat untuk melakukannya.

* Jangan memasukan apapun ke dalam mulut korban.

* Jangan membunuh ular yang menggigit anda agar bisa dilakukan pengamatan lebih lanjut.

* Jangan gunakan obat tradisional.