T H E S I X M O S T DA N G E R O U S S P E C I E S I N I RAQ

VENOM

TWO CLASSES OF VENOM

• Hemotoxic/Cytotoxic – Damages tissues around the site of the bite/sting. May cause rupture of blood cells, changes in heart function & blood pressure, and abnormal clotting.• Neurotoxic – Affects the nervous system. Usually

more deadly because of paralysis of the respiratory muscles, causing death by asphyxiation.

ARABIAN HORNED VIPER(Cerastes gasperetti)

Photo by Neil Villard, used with permission

• Found throughout the Arabian Peninsula• Average length 12-24”• Prefers sandy desert, likes to burrow into the sand to camouflage• Horns over eyes are not always present• Venom is primarily hemotoxic/cytotoxic

PERSIAN HORNED VIPER(Pseudocerastes persicus)

Photo by Lt. Col. Dwayne Knott at Freedom AFB, Kirkuk. 1 December 2003 - Creative Commons License

• Present throughout the Middle East, Iran, Pakistan• Average size 16-28”• Horns tend to be smaller than those of C. gasperetti• Cannot burrow into sand like C. gasperetti• Venom is primarily hemotoxic/cytotoxic

LEBETINE VIPER(Macrovipera lebetina)

Photo by Václav Gvoždík. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Macrovipera_lebetina_obtusa02.jpg

• Range from North Africa through the Middle East, as well as on some Mediterranean islands

• Can grow to 4’ long or larger• Reportedly ill-tempered and tend to inject a large amount of venom• Venom is primarily hemotoxic/cytotoxic

SAW-SCALED VIPER(Echis carinatus)

Photo by Saleem Hameed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Echis_carinatus_sal_(edit).jpg

• Widespread from North Africa, through Middle East and into South Asia• Average body size 16-20”• Venom is roughly 4 times more toxic per gram than king cobra venom• Responsible for more human deaths than any other species worldwide• Venom contains both hemotoxic/cytotoxic and neurotoxic components

DESERT COBRA(Walterinnesia aegyptia)

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sinai-Desert-Cobra.jpg. Public domain.

• Found throughout the Middle East• Average body size 20-24”, but can grow to about 4’• Does not usually open its hood and hunts primarily around midnight• Very fast moving• Short, fixed fangs mean venom is not injected immediately as with vipers• Venom is primarily neurotoxic and very potent

ARABIAN FAT-TAILED SCORPION(Androctonus crassicauda)

Photo by Per-Anders Olsson. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Black_scorpion.jpg

• Found throughout the Middle East and North Africa• Adult size is around 4” in length• Color ranges from reddish-brown to black• Prefers to hide in stone fences and around building ruins• Venom is neurotoxic & potentially deadly• Antivenin is available

GENERAL PRECAUTIONS

• Majority of bites in locals are to lower limbs and are by M. lebetina. Majority of bites in US soldiers during Iraqi Freedom were to fingers and hands and by Cerastes gasperetti. DO NOT POKE THE SNAKES!!• Majority of snake bites in dogs tend to be to the

nose and muzzle, making it difficult to slow the spread of venom. WATCH YOUR DOGS CLOSELY.• Snakes are capable of biting down and injecting

venom even after they are dead and after decapitation. BE VERY CAREFUL EVEN WHEN YOU ARE SURE THEY ARE DEAD.

FIRST AID

• Most importantly, STAY CALM. Stress increases heart rate and speeds movement of the venom, and dogs can pick up on handlers’ stress, increasing their stress level.• For bites to the extremities, a compression

bandage (NOT a tourniquet) placed above the bite wound can help slow spread of venom.• Try to identify the snake, if possible, to know what

kind of signs to watch for.• Seek medical attention immediately.