North American Venomous Reptile Bites
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published 19/11/2007
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SummaryNorth America is unique in that it is home not only to venomous snakes, but also to the world's only known venomous lizards. Fortunately, bites by venomous reptiles in North America are relatively uncommon, although precise statistics are not available. The only systematic attempt to evaluate the incidence of venomous snakebite in the United States was done in the late 1960s by Dr. Henry Parrish. He estimated that there were approximately 7000 bites by venomous snakes, of which approximately 15 ended in death. The incidence of venomous snakebite may have changed significantly since Parrish's study, but given that snakebite is not a reportable "disease," no mechanism exists for obtaining reliable data. The incidence of snakebite in Canada is lower than that in the United States because fewer snakes species are found farther north up the continent. In Mexico, however, snakebite takes on increasing medical importance because this country has more venomous snake species than any other nation in the New World. As many as 150 deaths may be caused by snakebite in Mexico each year.
Table of Contents
- Establishing credible estimates of the incidence of venomous lizard bites is even more difficult than for snakes
- Snake venoms are highly complex mixtures of enzymes, low-molecular-weight polypeptides, glycoproteins, minerals, and other unidentified substances.
- Rattlesnakes are the most widespread of pit vipers, found throughout most of North America.
- The only two known species of venomous lizards in the world are found in North America and belong to the genus Heloderma.
- With the growing popularity of herpetoculture in the United States, bites by captive venomous reptiles have increased.
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