What kind of snake is the seven-step snake? A detailed look at this snake
Many people have heard that the seven-step snake is extremely venomous, and that after being bitten, walking seven steps means mortal danger. Although it is not as venomous as the legend says, if a seven-step snake bite is not treated in time, serious cases can be fatal, and there is also a risk of amputation. So, what kind of snake is the seven-step snake? Below we take a look at the relevant information about the seven-step snake.
1. What kind of snake is the seven-step snake?
The seven-step snake is the Qishe, of the family Viperidae and the genus Agkistrodon; after biting a person, death occurs within five steps. The Qishe has a black body with white markings all over, and both the rostral scale and the internasal scales tilt upward toward the back; it is also called the white-flowered snake or the Qianshe.
The scientific name of the seven-step snake is Deinagkistrodon acutus (sharp-nosed pit viper), also known as the hundred-pace snake, five-pace snake, Qishe, valley viper, hundred-flower snake, Chinese moccasin, and so on. It is a snake of the family Viperidae and the genus Deinagkistrodon, a fairly well-known venomous snake in Asia, and especially in Taiwan, China and southern China it has been a highly regarded snake since ancient times. It is widely distributed in China, with the largest reserves in the Wuyi Mountain area and the mountainous area of southern Anhui; outside China it is found only in northern Vietnam.
2. Related information about the seven-step snake
1. How long is the seven-step snake?
The seven-step snake is generally 120-150 cm long, and large ones can reach over 200 cm
2. Growth environment of the seven-step snake
In evergreen and deciduous mixed forests at an altitude of 400-700 m; in summer it likes to move around the ditches in mountain valleys
3. Activity cycle of the seven-step snake
The activity cycle lasts about 9 months, from Awakening of Insects to Major Snow
4. Growth temperature
When the air temperature is 20-30°C, it is most active; when the air temperature reaches 35-38°C, it mostly gathers near water
5. Why is the seven-step snake called seven-step?
One of the well-known names of the seven-step snake is “hundred-pace snake”: once a human has been bitten by a sharp-nosed pit viper, within a hundred paces taken by foot the venom will inevitably cause death, showing that the bite of the sharp-nosed pit viper is truly extremely venomous. Some people say that after being bitten, symptoms appear after seven steps.