Is the red banded snake venomous, and how should a bite be properly treated?

The red banded snake, also known as the fire red chain, red spotted snake, mulberry root snake, etc., is widely distributed across rural areas throughout China and is very common. The red banded snake is quite striking in appearance, with its back patterned in alternating blackish brown and red (reddish brown). So, is the red banded snake venomous? What should you do if bitten?

1. Is the red banded snake venomous?

In fact, whether the red banded snake is venomous or not is still somewhat disputed.

Some say the red banded snake is not venomous, because even if you are bitten by one, at most it causes redness and swelling and will not do much harm to the human body.

But others believe the red banded snake actually is mildly venomous, just not to the highly toxic level of “biting a person to death.” After all, the red banded snake looks far too vivid and colorful, and in people's understanding, snakes are surely “the prettier they look, the more venomous they are.”

Therefore, no matter how venomous the red banded snake may be, it is still best not to have a “face-to-face confrontation” with them. As a wild animal, the red banded snake carries many bacteria in its body, and if you are bitten, even without being poisoned, you can easily become infected by bacteria and suffer physical discomfort.

2. What should you do if bitten by a red banded snake?

Red banded snakes mostly live in fields, mountains, plains, hills and areas near water. If people frequently go in and out of these places, they are quite likely to have a “chance encounter” with a red banded snake. If you are accidentally bitten by one, the following steps are recommended.

1. Do not fight with the snake for long

After being bitten by a red banded snake, do not let your emotions lead you into a prolonged struggle with it, so as not to delay the best time for treating the wound and cause an infection.

2. Treat the wound properly

Do not squeeze it with your hands or suck it with your mouth. First find some clean water to rinse the wound, then find something like a strap and tie it about 15 cm above the wound. Do not tie the bandage too tightly, as this can cause necrosis of the bitten tissue and damage the blood vessels at the wound, making the venom spread faster.

3. Call the police or phone family and friends for help

Then you should contact the local police or family and friends as soon as possible and go to the hospital for in-depth treatment of the wound. Do not think that because a red banded snake cannot bite a person to death, you do not need to treat it. Sometimes, if a bacterial infection is very serious, the consequences can be severe, and there are even individual cases of amputation because of not treating it.

Friendly reminder: Some snake keeping enthusiasts now also keep red banded snakes as household ornamental snakes. For this group of people, it is recommended to start raising them from young snakes, remove the red banded snake's teeth, and isolate the keeping area from daily living areas. In fact, most people are rather afraid of snakes, so keeping a pet snake should not affect other people's lives!