Recognition of venomous snakes of Sri Lanka

Brief presentation

1. SNAKES
BY
DR.R.GAJANTHAN

2. Bungarus ceylonensis

3. Ceylon krait[now SL krait]
•Comes under elapids
•Compelete whiteband on the body
•Neurotoxicity only[external
opthalmoplegia ptosis;paralysis of neck &
the limb muscles & dyspnoea due to
respiratory failure]
•Bite-at night,in huts;while sleeping in the
floor.[krait-nocturnal bite]

4. Bungarus caeruleus

5. Indian krait
•Comes under elapids
•Pairs of white bands on the body,they are
incomplete not covering ventral portion
•Ventral portion-perly white

6. Bungarus ceylonicus

7. INDIAN RUSSELL’S VIPER

8. INDIAN RUSSELL’S VIPER

9. •RUSSELL’S VIPER

10. •V –shaped marking on the head
•3 longitudinal rows of characteristic
oval markings
•Each spot is dark brown with inner black &
outer white margin.
•Neuro,haemato toxicity ;nephrotoxicity;
local effect.
•Bite-foot path;in paddy field

11. •Echis carinatus (Saw-Scaled Viper)

12. •Bird’s foot mark on the head[dagger
shaped]
•Serrated costal scales[like a saw tooth]
on both side of the body,sharp scales
causes sound when moving
•Small-1 feet
•Mainly haemato toxin;chronic cases may
cause renal failure
•Bite-dry semiarid zone

13. HUMP NOSED VIPER

14. •Hump like prominence on the head
•Series of brown oval spots on either side
of the spine
•Renal failure may occur; coagulopathy;
local effect;regional LNE
•Don’t give AVS
•Tx-reassurance;PK[PCT];tetanous toxoid;
IVF;FFP if bleeding complications +.

15. HUMP NOSED VIPER

16. HUMP NOSED VIPER

17. (Green Pit Viper)

18. Echis carinatus (Saw-Scaled Viper)

19. Indian Krait

20. Russell's Viper

21. Sri Lanka Krait

22. Saw-scaled Viper

23. Cobra

24. •Only hooded snake in S.L
•Spectacle shape on the dorsal hood
•Comes under Elapids
•Naya naya naya
•Local and neuro toxicity
•Severe local reaction may lead to RF
•Bite-inside of the home;water filled areas
•Day time bite [in contrast to krait]

25. (Green Pit Viper)

26. •A black stripe runs from the eyes to
angle of the jaw on each side

28. Python
•Irregular quadrangular markings on the
surface
•Non venomous , but can kill the victim by
constriction.
•Very big
•In the pictures you may confuse with
russel viper

30. •python

32. •python

34. Sea snake
•myotoxicity

36. Cat snake
•Comes under colubrides
•Conspicuous neck makes the head looks
triangular
•Series of brown oval spot[similar to hump
nosed viper]
•Long thin tail

38. •Cat snake[triangular head]

40. Rat snake
•Comes under colubrides
•Large snake grows upto 6 feet
•Belly is white and yellow

43. Ceylon wolf snake
•Looks morphologically similar to the sri-
lankan krait
•Vertebrals are not enlarged in contrast to
ceylon krait.
•Conspicuous white band around the
neck

45. Whip snake
•Non venomous
•But eye plucker

47. Braidal snake

48. AVS[anti venom serum]
•10 vials[10*10=100ml]
•Each vial dissolved in 10 ml N/S
•Add in 400 ml N/S[total=500ml]
•Given over 1h following a test dose
•Effective against cobra;indian krait;
RV;SSV

49. Thank you