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Uh oh, you’ve just been bitten by a snake. So, what do you do now?

There are about 3000 different species of snakes in the world, both venomous and non-venomous. While they can be deadly, most snakes are only likely to bite you in self defense.

Frank Burbrink studies snakes at the American Museum of Natural History:

• The most venomous snake in the world is the Inland Taipan from Australia, but it really doesn’t envenomate that many people, so many people don’t actually die from this animal. – Frank Burbrink

Some other snakes are less venomous but more likely to lash out at you, like the Russell’s vipers in India:

• And if you’re in the United states, you have the Mojave Rattlesnake, it’s pretty rough in terms of venom, and Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes. – Frank Burbrink

About, 7000 to 8000 people are bitten each year by venomous snakes in the United States, but only about 5 of those actually die as a result. So as long as you know what to do, and how to treat a bite, you have a good shot at surviving:

The first thing you want to do when bitten, is try not to freak out.

• When you’re bitten by something that’s venomous trust me, you know it right from the start: The most important thing you can do is: stay calm. Keep that venom from spreading faster. – Coyote Peterson

Coyote Peterson hosts a wildlife show on YouTube in which he shows what it’s like to be bitten and stung by various creatures. So he knows a thing or two about snake bites.

• So let’s say you’re bitten by a snake and you’re out in the middle of the desert and you think, “On no, I’ve been bitten, I need to run as fast as I can to get help.” Worst thing you can do because that’s only going to make your heart pump faster and it’s going to spread that venom further. You want to kinda keep the arm elevated, keep yourself calm.- Coyote Peterson

• You still want to get medical attention as soon as possible, and don’t wait until the symptoms appear. There are many instances of people that don’t go to doctors for days, and they suffer either death or severe tissue damage, you can lose hands, fingers… – Frank Burbrink

Watch this video to see the full story:

Taken from Teach insider: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVLZmDKeT-mV4H3ToYXIFYg