Dead Snakes can still bite: Moodbidri Doctor’s warns of lesser-known danger
Moodbidri: In a rare but significant medical advisory, senior clinician and medical researcher Dr. Sadananda Naik of Alva’s Health Centre, Moodbidri, has raised an alert about the hidden danger of venomous bites from dead snakes.
In a review article recently published in the reputed international medical journal Transactions of Royal Society Trop Med Hyg. 2025, Dr. Naik highlights the serious risk posed by dead or decapitated snakes. His study, titled Envenomation by Dead Snakes: A Review, points out that venom can remain active for several hours or even days after a snake’s death.
The article explains that the nerves in a snake’s head and neck can continue to function briefly after death, making reflex bites possible. This means that even a lifeless snake, or one that has been killed and decapitated, can still bite and inject venom when triggered.
Dr. Naik refers to several documented cases from around the world where individuals have been bitten while handling dead snakes, leading to serious health emergencies. In many such instances, victims were unaware of the danger and required urgent medical attention, including antivenom treatment and intensive care.
“This is especially common when people touch the snake’s head, try to take photos, or keep the severed head as a trophy,” Dr. Naik noted. He added that many people, especially in rural areas, are unaware of this risk and tend to treat dead snakes casually.
Dr. Naik has issued a strong advisory urging farmers, rural residents, and people living in snake-prone regions to avoid touching or handling dead snakes with bare hands. “A dead snake is not a safe snake,” he warned. Instead, he recommends using sticks or tools to move carcasses and disposing of them safely away from homes and animals.
The review also calls for increased public awareness through educational campaigns to ensure that communities understand the risks and adopt proper safety measures.
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Delegation requests for Karnataka HC Bench in coastal districts, hands petition to Chief Justice
Udupi: A delegation of the High Court Bench Struggle Committee met and submitted a petition to the Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru at the Circuit House urging the opening of a High Court Bench in the coastal belt as well as a Mobile High Court Bench in Mangaluru.
MLC and convener of the Committee Ivan D’Souza, who spoke to the Chief Justice on the occasion, explained that the people of the coastal belt find it difficult to travel to Bengaluru to fight a petition in the High Court. The problem only aggravated during monsoon. D’Souza added that there was a delay in clearing the cases of Udupi, Chikkamagaluru and Kodagu districts, which was causing further inconvenience to the people.
The MLC, who pointed out that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had also shown his preference for establishing a High Court Bench in the coastal region, requested for an approval to establish a Mobile High Court Bench first.
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Responding to this request, Chief Justice Bakhru assured to take action on the request as soon as possible.
The delegation included Mangalore Bar Association President Raghavendra HV, Dakshina Kannada Principal Government Pleader MP Noronha, General Secretary Sridhar H, Udupi Bar Association President Reynold Praveen Kumar, General Secretary Chandrashekhar Shetty, Vice-president Devadas V Shettigar and Brahmavar Bar Association President Kadoor Praveen Shetty.
