SNAKE: MAPANARE

Venezuela has an immense bio-diversity of fauna and flora, thanks to which we find approximately 200 species of snakes that help maintain the ecological balance, this time I present the most dangerous mapnare of the territory.

It is the most dangerous and abundant poisonous snake in the whole territory, when standing still they are difficult to visualize, they inhabit in the north of the country in the xerophilous zones and are characterized by having a pointed or upturned snout, its name "Fried Tail" is due to which its tail is extremely rough and seems burned.

It is the snake that causes more accidents in Venezuela. It is very aggressive. It usually moves its tail quickly before attacking, then throws itself on its prey, resting its abdomen on the back of its body, and stabs its sharp fangs so that the poison penetrates. The poison of the mapanare destroys the proteins causing serious damage to all the tissues also affects the component of the blood that allows the coagulation spending in the formation of microcoagles. By lowering the amount of Fibrinogen, the blood becomes uncoagulable causing death by hemorrhage.

These snakes are very important from the economic point of view, as controllers of the populations of rodents, which invade the crops of corn, sorghum, rice and others. They also live well in captivity, which makes them an educational resource for zoos and universities. Its fat is used in medicinal preparations since ancient times. Its toxins are investigated for medicinal use, mainly in anticoagulation and cancer treatment processes.

The treatment of an accident by bite of mapanare or tigra mariposa includes, in addition to the general measures, the administration of the antivenom in the doses indicated in the annexed table, always by intravenous route. Clinical characteristics guide the treatment. Coagulation tests (partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, coagulation time and fibrinogen levels) serve as a control parameter for serum activity.

In the complementary treatment, the patient should lie down in the position of the dorsal ulna, with the limbs raised at 45 degrees (if the bite was in one of the limbs) to facilitate venous return and improvement of the edema. Local lesions should be cleaned with antiseptic solutions such as iodized soaps.

FUENTE