Spitting Snakes

The common spitting snakes in South Africa are the Mozambique Spitting Cobra (M’Fezi) and the Rinkhals. In addition to biting, both snakes spray their venom up to a distance of three metres and do so in self-defense to temporarily blind their attacker and allow the snake to escape.

What to do
– Venom in the eyes is very painful and must be flushed or diluted as quickly as possible.
– Flush the eyes with a weak (normal) saline solution, or place the victim’s head under a slowly running tap with the eyes forced open.
– Keep flushing for at least 15-20 minutes and then transport the victim to a medical doctor, who will do a slit lamp examination and prescribe anesthetic and antibiotic eye drops.
– If no saline or water is available, other bland liquids like milk, beer, cold drink or even urine can be used. Water works best.
– If treated quickly, the chance of permanent damage to the eyes is extremely remote.