Snake bite

What it is

There are 22 snake species in Oman, about 9 of which are venomous, and the common ones are vipers: the Oman carpet Viper (Echis omanesis), the Arabian Horned Viper (Cerastes gasperetti), the Sindh saw-scaled viper (Echis coloratus), the Puff Adder (Bitis arietans) and the Naja haje Arabian Cobra.

A venomous snake usually has a triangular or diamond-shaped head, a vertically elliptic pupil, well-developed hinged fangs, a single row of posterior ventral plates or scales, and a heat sensing pit on the head. A harmless snake has a rounded head, round pupils, several rows of small teeth, a double row of posterior ventral plates, and often no heat sensing pit.

Causes and risk

Systemic envenomation runs along one of three lines, and the line decides the danger.

• Hemotoxic, from vipers: disruption of the coagulation mechanism and increased capillary membrane permeability, which gives pulmonary edema and shock, then heart and kidney damage.
• Neurotoxic, from the cobra: blocks neuromuscular transmission at acetylcholine receptor sites, with direct inhibitory effects on cardiac and skeletal muscle. The usual cause of death is respiratory failure.
• Myotoxic, from the sea snake: rhabdomyolysis and weakness of the limb.

Not every bite injects venom; some bites by venomous snakes are dry bites, without injection of venom into the body.