Stiletto Snake Bite
Most individuals who handle these snakes are likely to get bitten. They're highly aggressive and wiry. Their fangs come out of the side rather than the front, which makes them more difficult to handle than other snakes. They get their names from the stiletto heels, because when their fangs swing out, they look like the heel of the shoe. They're nest raiders whereby they will enter the nest of rodents, striking the young and ingesting them once they're dead. They are predominant throughout Africa. This snake has no antivenin. It causes a lot of problems in the rural areas of Africa. Many who get bitten by these snakes lose limbs, fingers, or their lives.
The bite sends pain receptors throughout the nervous system, as well as swelling of the blood vessels. The surrounding tissue near the bite slowly begins to digest. The wound will swell up into a huge blister, and then it will eventually decompress, releasing the blood from the wound. The flesh will begin to rot at the site. Liquefaction necrosis of the flesh is not uncommon (where the bone, tissue, and underlying muscle turns into liquid). The bite causes a rapid increase in heart rate/blood pressure, which can cause heart attack. Since there is no antivenin, survival is rare, and if one does survive the bite, they're liable to experience excruciating, disabling pain months after the bite has occurred.
Killer Bees
If one bee stings a victim, it stirs up a reaction in the hive. The worker bee that has stung the victim secretes a pheromone in response to a perceived threat. Thousands of bees will swarm and attack the victim. Killer bees primarily attack the head and upper body. It's also not uncommon for the bees to find their way into a victim's mouth and throat area if a victim's mouth is open. Killer bees are so aggressive, that they will continue to attack. Thousands of them will deposit small amounts of venom. While killer bees have a smaller amount of venom than honeybees, there are more of them while in the midst of a swarm. The thousands of bees that can attack a person will cause a massive amount of envenomation.
When a bee pulls away from its stinger, the stinger remains in the victim. The stinger is still attached to its venom gland; which continually pulses venom into the victim until all the venom is released into the body. The body can become numb from the massive amounts of stings because the body has over stimulated its pain fibers in response to the stings. While there have not been many deaths occurring from killer bee stings, all people react differently. Some people can have a delayed reaction to the venom. The venom can attack the muscles causing rhabdomyolysis. The muscle cells can break down and rupture, releasing proteins into the bloodstream. The protein is transported from the blood into the kidneys. The kidneys can be damaged, but since the heart is a muscle, damage to the heart is also concern.
Brown Recluse
The bite of a brown recluse is sometimes subtle. But it will lead to a mild stinging, followed by redness and severe pain. Their bites are more noticeable because they will turn into a target like shape. At first the bite may be bluish or purple in color. But as the venom starts to spread throughout the wound, the flesh will start to form a blister. When the blister begins to peel, the underlying tissue will reveal a deep ulcer that begins to turn black. Necrosis of the tissue isn't uncommon, and sometimes, severe wounds can develop that will last for months. Victims of brown recluse bites have experienced flu-like symptoms, headaches, muscle cramping, rashes, and joint stiffness. More serious bites have resulted in convulsions, the prevention of blood clotting, renal failure, or even death. While deaths have occurred, they are more common in children since they are smaller and usually unable to fight the envenomation.
Saw-Scaled or Carpet Viper
This snake attacks and kills more humans than any other species of snake. They are small, never growing more than 2 feet. They are usually difficult to spot because they blend into the surrounding area. They are one of the most dangerous snakes. They are very bad tempered and easily provoked. Sometimes they are known to travel in groups. No other species of snake does this. In northwest India, more than a quarter of a million of them were exterminated in one region. Gram for gram, their venom is more deadly than any other viper. Most patients will have swelling at the bite. Necrosis of the flesh is common. Renal failure, shock, cardio toxicity (muscle damage of the heart) and the inability for the blood to clot are common. Some victims will die slow, excruciatingly painful deaths.
