User:DisturbedRaccoon/sandbox

Types of Venom

Hemotoxic venom effects the blood and organs, causing a breakdown or inflammation in the body. Hemotoxic bites are the most painful as breathing hurts and tissues start to die.

Neurotoxic venom, as the name suggests, effect the nervous system, leading to everything from siezures to death. Neurotoxic bites are the most deadly. Death occurs almost instantly after the venom is injected, depending on the size of animal.

Although we have these two wonderful different categories, no snake fits completely in each. Many snakes incorporate both neurotoxic and hemotoxic venom in their bites so when telling them apart one goes by which type is more predominant.

Cytotoxic venom affects the cellular tissue usually restricted to the area of the bite but can spread.

Myotoxic venom is found in the 'bothrops moojeni' snakes, commonly known as the Brazillian lancehead snakes. This venom is known to cause muscular necrosis. Its symptoms are a thickened-tongue sensation, dry throat, thirst, muscular spasms and convulsions. It also causes the stiffness of the jaw, neck, trunk and limbs along with severe pain in movement. The victims often start with drooping eyelids and then turn to more austere results like loss of breath and blackish brown urine discharge. Myotoxic venom contains peptides that destroy the muscle fiber proteins and result in myonecrosis (muscle destruction). In the very later stages (when treatment is delayed) of the spread of this venom, the muscle proteins enter the blood stream. The kidney overworks in trying to filter out this junk and often gives up trying. This kidney failure is the reason for the dark coloration of urine.