Big Four (Indian snakes)
Encyclopedia
The Big Four are the four venomous snake
species responsible for causing the most snake bite cases in South Asia
(mostly in India
).
The Big Four:
serum that effectively neutralizes the venom of all of the Big Four snakes is widely available in India and is frequently used to save lives.
Venomous snake
"Poisonous snake" redirects here. For true poisonous snakes, see Rhabdophis.Venomous snakes are snakes which have venom glands and specialized teeth for the injection of venom...
species responsible for causing the most snake bite cases in South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
(mostly in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
).
The Big Four:
- Indian cobraIndian CobraIndian Cobra or Spectacled Cobra is a species of the genus Naja found in the Indian subcontinent and a member of the "big four", the four species which inflict the most snakebites in India. This snake is revered in Indian mythology and culture, and is often seen with snake charmers...
, Naja naja, probably the most famous of all Indian snakes. - Common kraitCommon KraitThe common krait is a species of genus Bungarus found in the jungles of the Indian subcontinent. It is a member of the "big four", species inflicting the most snakebites in India....
, Bungarus caeruleus - Russell's viperDaboiaDaboia is a monotypic genus of venomous Old World viper. The single species, D. russelii, is found in Asia throughout the Indian subcontinent, much of Southeast Asia, southern China and Taiwan...
, Daboia russelii. - Saw-scaled viperEchis carinatusEchis carinatus is a venomous viper species found in parts of the Middle East and Central Asia, and especially the Indian subcontinent. It is the smallest member of the Big Four snakes...
, Echis carinatus.
Treatment
A polyvalentPolyvalent
In chemistry, polyvalence or multivalence refers to species that are not restricted to a distinct number of valence bonds....
serum that effectively neutralizes the venom of all of the Big Four snakes is widely available in India and is frequently used to save lives.