Death by cobra

deaddirty

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A question for our asian members (or anyone else who knows).
What is death by cobra bite like - what are the symptoms, what does it feel like for the dying guy, how long does it take? Or other nerve-poison snakebites, like mamba, coral snake, Australian deadly snakes (not rattlesnakes, vipers - their venom attacks the tissues and blood, and I know it's painful, gory and horrible).
I've done the obvious google search, but everything I've checked so far is so medical that I can't understand most of it.
 
Bump!
 
Bump? Why bump a thread that was posted today?

What is this? You are too impatient dantlef, I am sure someone will reply just give people time to get home from work and read your thread.
 
Taken from Wikipedia:

Venom

All species in the genus Naja are capable of delivering a fatal bite in a human. Most species have strongly neurotoxic venom, which attacks the nervous system, causing paralysis, but many also have hemotoxic features which causes swelling, necrosis and has a significant anticoagulant effect.

Several Naja species, referred to as spitting cobras, have developed a specialized venom delivery mechanism, in which their front fangs, instead of releasing venom through the tips, as a hypodermic needle, have a rifled opening in the front surface, which allows the snake to propel the venom out of the mouth. While typically referred to as spitting, the action is more like squirting. The range and accuracy with which they can shoot their venom varies from species to species, but it is used primarily as a defense mechanism. Once sprayed onto a victim's skin, the venom acts as a severe irritant. If it is introduced to the eye, it can cause a severe burning sensation and temporary or even permanent blindness if not cleaned out immediately and thoroughly.

Painful if you get bitten I guess...
 
I saw a tv show where they showed a guy get bitten by a venomous snake on his hand and it swelled up like a balloon. It was a minor bite so what happened was the rest of his body healed but his hand was sort of being digested. He just waited for the skin and muscle to slough off leaving just bone. It was really gross. He lost a couple of finger tips and still has numbness. Another guy almost died and they had to carve deep long cuts all along his arm so it basically wouldn't explode from the swelling. It was super gross! I don't think he lost his arm but I think he had permanent damage. My grandfather in South America was bitten by a snake and has a big scar on his arm that he likes to show off to us.
 
Keep in mind snake bites are far from sexy.
 
Thanks entilzha, Verlup.
Verlup, those sound like viper bites - like you say, a lot of swelling, huge tissue damage, gross.
I think about half of venomous snakes are vipers - the others are called 'elapids', they tend to have the neurotoxic venom - much less painful, little or no damage at the bite, death is from suffocation as the chest muscles are paralysed. But I would like to know more.
The idea of the erect cobra delivering its fatal bite has its erotic appeal, but I'd like to know more about the reality.
 
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