Snakes!

[chris&pam]

Warning to dog walkers. The snakes are out early this year. One of our dogs bitten by a BNV yesterday in fields between Tremithousa and Tala. Got him to the vets for antidote but next 48 hours critical.

[cyprusmax47]

Thank you for telling. Is not only the dogs but also us have to be careful when we walk in high grass.....

Max

[trevnhil]

Is there an 'epi pen' with an antidote that you can inject the dog with to help until you can get to the vet's... Our Vet is 25 to 30 minutes away....
Would you travel to 'your own' vets... or the nearest

[Devil]

Any vet will provide a loaded hypodermic syringe with antivenin for a couple of €€. You can carry it with you, ready to inject in the animal's flank. It is valid for 5 years. It must be injected ASAP within 30 mins of the bite, otherwise it may cause more harm than good.

[Dominic]

Wouldn't it depend on which snake bit your pet?

[exodus]

Warning to dog walkers. The snakes are out early this year. One of our dogs bitten by a BNV yesterday in fields between Tremithousa and Tala. Got him to the vets for antidote but next 48 hours critical.

Which particular snakes should we be on the lookout for, and what are their distinguishing features please?
Thank you,
Amos.

[Devil]

Wouldn't it depend on which snake bit your pet?

There is only one species which is dangerously venomous, the Blunt-nosed Viper. It is very unlikely that any other species would envenomate a dog because they don't have fangs at the front of the mouth and most of the others are not even venomous.

[Dominic]

What about the Cat Snake and Montpelier Snake?

[TLR]

What about the Cat Snake and Montpelier Snake?

Bee sting stuff in humans, might make a small cat or dog unwell, but not fatal.

[memory man]

This info. should be in

Top Tips

[Dominic]

I have added it. Two in one day!!!

[Devil]

They are both back-fanged which means they have to grab a thin member and actually chew it to envenomate. Their venoms are not as dangerous as the BNV.

In our experience, the Eastern Montpellier snake is very docile. In a threatening situation, it will hiss loudly to try to frighten off its enemy. If this fails, the snake may bite but the venom-delivery fangs are too far back to come into play. Accordingly, envenomation is difficult to achieve. The venom is insufficient to kill a human. However, envenomation may result in a considerable amount of pain, accompanied by stiffening and swelling around the bite and a general feeling of lethargy and weakness lasting 1 to 2 days. If bitten by a Montpellier snake, medical attention is recommended. However, envenomation by Montpellier snakes in Cyprus is extremely rare.

The cat snake has back fanged dentition. This means that it is venomous. It does not, however, pose any danger to humans, and we are not aware of a single record of anyone having been bitten by a cat snake in Cyprus.… The snake will grab and coil itself around its prey, and then begin a chewing movement with its rear fangs to achieve envenomation. Its venom will kill its normal prey within minutes. If the snake feels threatened coils up into a flat disc and raises itself up from the middle. It then hisses and performs feigned bites to intimidate its opponent. It is a defensive strike posture different from that of the blunt nosed Viper.

Quotations are from "the Amphibians and Reptiles of Cyprus" by Baier, Sparrow and Wiedl, 2009.

[chatsworth]

I don't know where or how they hibernate but if they are out and about in Polemi they will need their big coats on !

[Kili01]

Since no one so far has described the snakes, as the OP has asked I ‘ll try.
There are 8 varieties. The two which I have noticed most are the common black snake. It’s quite a long snake, up to 2mtrs, black in colour,might look bad, but actually it is harmless. It is also useful as it eats other snakes sometimes including the Blunt Nosed Viper. It also eats rodents and other small creatures. But, it is inoffensive as it prefers to run/slide away if surprised by humans.
The BNV is quite dfferent. It tends to have a shortish, abt 1.5 mtrs, thick body, the head is flat and it has a distinct blunt nose. The tail is fairly short and tapers quickly. It has a definite pattern on its upper side, while the lower side is usually a drab green /brownish colour. Some specimens may be lighter in colour, but they all have distinct markings. They tend to be found on dry hillsides or gardens and in hot weather near stream beds where the ground is damp. If it sees you or a dog it may curl up, raising its head opening its wide hinged mouth and emits a loud warning hiss if you get too close! It is most dangarous if it happens to be asleep and is woken. I have seen them sunning themselves on the road, or resting in a sandy hollow in spring enjoying the warmth. Be careful. Discretion is better than trying to scare one away..
If bitten, seek medical help immediately. Hospitals stock the anti venom.
There sre other snakes, but the BNV is the one to avoid. There s a book on Snakes of Cyprus, which you may find in a local book shop.
Dee

[cyprusmax47]

Since no one so far has described the snakes, as the OP has asked I ‘ll try.

Dee

Why not have a look at the PL Gallery? https://www.paphoslife.com/gallery/reptiles

Max

[PaphosAL]

Walking up (or down) the Avakas Gorge, it's a frequent site to see a rather long 2m black snake slithering down off the hillside in front of you, across your track, then further down to the water.

They move so fast, that you stop in your tracks and think "Wow, what the hell was THAT?"

AL

[Bograt]

If you are unfortunate enough to get bitten, does it have to be a hospital that you go do, or do clinics and doctors stock the anti-venom? There are clinics that are nearer to me than hospitals, but I don't want to stop there if they can't help.

Perhaps I should stop off at the vets and get the loaded syringe of anti-venom to shove into my flanks.....

[Cactuslil]

Warning to dog walkers. The snakes are out early this year. One of our dogs bitten by a BNV yesterday in fields between Tremithousa and Tala. Got him to the vets for antidote but next 48 hours critical.

Fingers crossed, hope he pulls through.

[bromerzz]

I was bitten twice by a blunt Nosed Viper on my left foot back in Sep 2015. The bites went through my golf shoes but I only had 4 very small puncture marks which are still visible today. The outside of my shoe however had Venom deposits on it, so the snake had made a attempt to give me a fang full. It seems I had what is termed as a dry bite. I had stepped on a snake whilst in some scrubland and never saw the snake itself as the brush was too thick. I had tried to convince myself that I had simply been whacked by a thorn bush branch, springing back against me as I pushed through the undergrowth. I looked for scratches or puncture wounds on my leg but did not see any and did not consider at that time that a snake had bitten through my shoe. I naturally finished my round as this was only on the 2nd hole.
Within hours I had severe cramps, fingers went into auto clench, wrists locked up, sweating, pulse was giving it ten to the dozen and worst of all cramps down my legs. Having foolishly toughed it out for 3 days with the foot going through various colour changes from red to blue but never suffered the flesh eating problems associated with some viper bites. I eventually went to my local Physio, who went mad at me and sent me to a local Clinic where I had had a knee op some months before. The Surgeon there was not happy with me but we had a laugh and a joke about it! He wanted to admit me but as I did not see the snake, everything was "circumstantial", and it looked like my body was coping ok, the Clinic would not administer anti venom, however I did take a 2 week course of Quail egg sized antibiotics and I turned down the option to be admitted for a week, on Intravenous drips of various gunk. When we checked my golf shoes some 4 days after the bite you could actually see the snotty look of dried venom on the shoe and a couple of the puncture marks though the material!
I have had the occasional problem with after effects, severe burning feelings in the ankle, some 2 or more years later, which a Cardiologist puts down to residual battles between the venom and my immune system. I'm okay and have no fear or desire to go out and kill any snakes that I occasionally come across, I just try to be a bit more careful where I put my feet when searching for balls in the undergrowth.
The BNV that got me must of been a fair size as the fang puncture marks are almost 3" apart. and I have size 14 shoe size so a lot to try and get hold of.
As for Whip snakes I have personally seen a Black Whip Snake in excess of 3 metres long. The snake was straddling a concrete path, the head was over one side of a path and the tail over the opposite end, and the path is 3 metres wide!

[LouiseCastricum]

I have contacted the private clinics in Peyia and Coral Bay and NONE OF THEM have the anti venom. They told me that you have to go to the emergency dept at Paphos general hospital.