Key Technical Points for Raising and Managing the White-Banded Snake

@#@246@#@ is a path to prosperity with low investment, high returns, and quick results. At present, domestic snake farming is mainly focused on the medicinal white-banded snake.

I. Site Setup for Domestic White-Banded Snake Farming

1. Indoor rearing. The walls and wall foundations of the snake house must be paved with cement or asphalt to prevent rats from burrowing. The door must be seamless, the walls must be painted smooth, and the wall height must be above 2 m to prevent the snakes from escaping the snake house and injuring people outside. A water dispenser should be set up indoors to continuously supply clean drinking water, which helps the snakes shed their skin.

2. Outdoor rearing. This allows more snakes to be raised. The enclosure wall height must be above 2.5 m, with a smooth surface and durable construction, and the wall foundation should be about 0.8 m high to prevent rats from burrowing. The ground of the snake yard should have a certain slope to facilitate drainage. Shrubs and flowers should be planted in the yard, and a small pond or ditch should be dug in the lower part of the yard to facilitate drinking and bathing for the snakes. Some @#@236@#@ and @#@237@#@ can be raised for the snakes to catch and eat freely. Shade is needed in summer and warmth in winter, so that it is warm in winter and cool in summer, dry and well ventilated, suitable for the wild life of snakes.

3. Combined indoor and outdoor rearing. This is the method adopted for large-scale snake farming. The inside and outside of the snake house are connected, so the snakes rest inside the house during the day and move around the snake yard at night, and they can be inspected and fed on both sunny and rainy days.

Whichever of the above methods is used for snake farming, snake dens of different sizes must be built, with a depth of more than 1.5 m, with sand and thatch laid underneath and a cover on top, used for shading and easy hiding, so that pregnant female snakes can rest quietly. The snake den must have an entrance and exit hole to let the snakes come and go freely. Bricks, tiles, and wooden boards can be placed around the den so that the snakes can come out to cool off and rest, and they can also serve as concealment. A simple shed should also be built above the den to provide shade and prevent rain.

II. Feeding and Management

The feeding and management of snakes must be based on their physiology and living habits, and their survival and breeding conditions must be met and improved in order to achieve high yields. First, male and female snakes should be raised separately, and healthy, uninjured snakes should be selected as breeding snakes. At the same time, according to the nutritional characteristics of different periods, foods that snakes like to eat should be provided, such as eel and loach, and conditions such as a suitable temperature for snake survival should be created, with special attention also paid to hygiene and safety. Drinking water should be changed frequently, the snake room should be cleaned regularly, and dead snake carcasses, snake feces, and food residues should be removed promptly. Snakes that have difficulty moving or whose bodies are festering should be culled promptly; for snakes with red and swollen mouths, Rivanol solution can be used to rinse the mouth; for snakes with broken skin, gentian violet can be applied.

Eagles and hedgehogs should be prevented from entering the snake enclosure. The number of snakes should be checked frequently, and if any snake escapes, it should be chased and returned to the room promptly, and preventive measures should be taken.

III. Self-Protection of Keepers

Keepers often come into contact with snakes, so they should be especially vigilant and pay attention to safety. Medicines for preventing and treating snake bites must be kept ready at ordinary times. When entering the snake enclosure, protective shoes should be worn, protective gloves should be put on, and a clamp should be carried with them. If bitten by a snake, the following first-aid measures can be taken.

1. Expel the venom promptly. Promptly use a rubber tube, cloth strip, or handkerchief to tie off above the wound, then use a small knife to enlarge the wound, and immediately rinse the wound with normal saline or potassium permanganate solution (in the wild, mountain stream water can be used for rinsing); a cupping method can also be used to draw out the venom directly from the wound.

2. Apply and take medicine promptly. For first aid, 100-150 g of high-quality vinegar and 0.5 g of musk can be taken orally, which has the effect of drawing out poison, reducing swelling, and relieving pain (when musk is unavailable, taking vinegar alone is also effective), and can prevent the spread of snake venom; or 5-10 g of tobacco oil can be mixed with boiled water and taken repeatedly, and when a sweet taste is felt in the mouth, take another 5 g, and when a bitter taste is felt, take no more. This medicine has the function of preventing the poison from attacking the heart, and tobacco oil can also be applied to the wound; or 200 g of Chinese lobelia can be pounded into juice and taken orally, with the residue applied to the affected area; or about 50 g of fresh tender Chinese tallowtree sprouts can be mixed with brown sugar, pounded into a paste, and the juice taken orally, which also has the effect of preventing snake venom from attacking the heart and promoting excretion; or 30 g of alum and 15 g of yellow vinegar can be rubbed into pills and taken orally, 10 g each time. After the emergency has passed and the danger is over, the patient must be sent to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment to ensure safety of life.

IV. Simple Processing Techniques for Snake Products

1. Processing technique for small white-banded snakes. When the medicinal materials company purchases small white-banded snakes, it offers high prices for high quality, and the smaller they are, the more valuable they are. Therefore, processing techniques must be carefully handled to raise the grade. As soon as the small snakes hatch, they must be taken out and soaked in a bottle of alcohol or liquor. Or the small live snakes can be taken, their heads clamped with tongs, and a small knife inserted into the anus to cut forward and remove the internal organs, then prepared with liquor. On a sunny day, after the internal organs have been cut out and the snakes are slightly dry, coil them into a round shape with the head as the center, with the tail inside the snake's mouth. When coiling, use thin bamboo skewers or thin iron wire as a cross frame to pierce through and fix the coiled snake, then sun-dry it and it is done. Those that need to be sold after a period of time must be placed in a lime jar and sealed for storage.

2. Processing of dried snakes. The snakes to be processed are caught and placed in a cage. During processing, cut open the belly of each snake one by one to remove the internal organs, rinse clean with clear water, wipe dry with gauze, then soak in 60%-70% strong liquor. After 8-16 hours, take them out and dry them slightly, coil the snake body into a round disc shape, and dry it to obtain the dried snake.