Middle East DVEP - Armed Forces Pest Management Board

In the Middle East, the family Elapidae contains one species of krait (the blue krait,Bungarus caeruleus) and six species of cobras. The venom of snakes of this family isneurotoxic and highly dangerous. These snakes are generally very active at night and restduring the day. Five of the six cobra species have hoods, which they open while holdingtheir head aloft to warn intruders. Although cobras are greatly feared, most (particularlythe hooded cobras) are not particularly aggressive, except toward small animals. The twomost aggressive and dangerous snakes in this family are the blue krait and the desertcobra, Walterinessia aegyptia, commonly called the desert black snake. The distributionof venomous terrestrial snakes is shown in Table 2a.Although most species of the family Colubridae are nonvenomous, there is one venomousspecies in the Middle East. This species, Molopon monspessulanus, possesses relativelysmall, grooved fangs in the rear of the upper jaw. This snake is rarely encountered, andlittle is known about the nature of its venom.Sea snakes (family Hydrophiidae) are widely distributed in the seas and gulfs surroundingthe Middle East. Sea snakes differ from other venomous snakes in that their tails areshaped like vertical paddles, which are used in swimming. Unlike land snakes, theirscales are much reduced and sometimes absent from parts of the body. Coloration amongsea snakes is quite variable but usually not striking. Their bodies are marked with dark,transverse dorsal bars, which are usually more pronounced in young snakes. Thesetransverse markings progressively disappear as the snake ages. Sea snakes have nostrilsthat are shaped like an operculum that opens when they surface to breathe. Thisrequirement to surface for air means that sea snakes usually inhabit shallow waters. Theirfangs are fixed and situated at the anterior part of the maxilla. They are not particularlyaggressive unless confronted directly. Most bites occur among fishermen trying toremove sea snakes from their nets. Fangs of sea snakes are fragile and often break whilebiting, remaining in the wound. This allows additional venom to penetrate the bite site.The large-headed sea snake, Astrotia stokesi, is the largest, though not longest, of the seasnakes. The seven most dangerous sea snakes belong to the genus Hydrophis. They maybe attracted to boat lights shining on the water’s surface. Hydrophis species have a ribbedpattern on the body, a small head, and very pronounced paddles at the end of the body.They bite by chewing and produce highly neurotoxic venoms that are often fatal ifuntreated. The distribution of sea snakes in the Middle East is presented in Table 2b.For additional information on snakes and snakebite, contact the Armed Forces MedicalIntelligence Center at Fort Detrick, MD. (301) 619-7574, DSN 343-7574; FAX (301)619-2409 (DSN = 343). Also consult Appendix IX. A. in Management of Snakebite inthe Field, by LTC Hamilton.143