Snake and Lizard Bites

Snake and Lizard Bites

Overview

Poisonous snake or lizard bite

A bite from a poisonous (venomous) snake or lizard requires emergency care. If you have been bitten by a snake or lizard that you know or think might be poisonous, call 9-1-1 or other emergency services right away. Don't wait for symptoms to develop.

If you aren't sure what type of snake or lizard bit you, call your provincial poison control centre right away to help identify the snake or lizard and find out what to do next. Medicine to counteract the effects of the poison (antivenom) can save a limb or your life.

It's important to stay calm.

Poisonous snakes or lizards found in North America include:

  • Pit vipers (family Viperidae), such as a:
    • Rattle snake.
    • Copperhead snake.
    • Cottonmouth (water moccasin).
  • Coral snakes.
  • Gila monsters and Mexican beaded lizards.

Symptoms of a pit viper snakebite often appear from minutes to hours after a bite. Severe burning pain at the site usually starts within minutes. Then swelling starts spreading out from the bite.

Several things affect how severe a poisonous snake or lizard bite will be. They include:

  • The type and size of the snake or lizard.
  • How much venom was injected (if any).
  • How potent the injected venom is.
  • Where and how deep the bite is.
  • How many bites there were, and where they occurred on the body.
  • The age, size, and health of the person who was bitten.

If you don't have symptoms within 8 to 12 hours, it may be that no venom was injected. This is called a dry bite. At least 25%, and perhaps up to 50%, of bites are dry. If poison is released in the bite, about 35% of the bites have mild injections of poison (envenomations), 25% are moderate, and 10% to 15% are severe.

It's important to remember that a snake only injects part of its venom with each bite. So a snake is still dangerous after the first strike. A bite from a young snake can be serious. And a dead snake, even one with a severed head, can still bite and release venom by reflex action for up to 90 minutes after it dies. Even if you don't have symptoms within 8 hours, keep watching for symptoms for 2 weeks or more.

Non-poisonous snake or lizard bite

Most snakes and lizards in North America aren't poisonous. Bites may be scary, but most don't cause serious health problems. A bite from a small non-poisonous snake might leave teeth marks, a minor scrape, or a puncture wound without other symptoms. Home treatment often relieves symptoms and helps prevent infection.

Most non-poisonous snakebites can be treated at home. But a bite from a large non-poisonous snake (such as a boa constrictor, a python, or an anaconda) can be more serious. In North America, these snakes are found in the Florida Everglades and zoos, but they may also be kept as exotic pets. The force of the bite can injure the skin, muscles, joints, or bones. Other problems can occur with a non-poisonous snake or lizard bite even if the reptile is small. A snake or lizard's tooth may break off in a wound. Or a skin infection may occur at the site of the bite.

Check Your Symptoms

Do you have a snake or lizard bite?
Yes
Snake or lizard bite
No
Snake or lizard bite
How old are you?
Less than 12 years
Less than 12 years
12 years or older
12 years or older
Are you male or female?
Male
Male
Female
Female

The medical assessment of symptoms is based on the body parts you have.

  • If you are transgender or non-binary, choose the sex that matches the body parts (such as ovaries, testes, prostate, breasts, penis, or vagina) you now have in the area where you are having symptoms.
  • If your symptoms aren’t related to those organs, you can choose the gender you identify with.
  • If you have some organs of both sexes, you may need to go through this triage tool twice (once as "male" and once as "female"). This will make sure that the tool asks the right questions for you.
Could you be having a severe allergic reaction?
This is more likely if you have had a bad reaction to something in the past.
Yes
Possible severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)
No
Possible severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)
Do you have symptoms of shock?
The symptoms in an adult or older child are different than the symptoms in a young child.
Yes
Symptoms of shock
No
Symptoms of shock
Are you having trouble breathing (more than a stuffy nose)?
Yes
Difficulty breathing more than a stuffy nose
No
Difficulty breathing more than a stuffy nose
Are you having a severe reaction to the bite?
In a severe reaction, you may have sudden, severe swelling and sudden numbness and tingling.
Yes
Severe reaction to bite
No
Severe reaction to bite
Has there been a decrease in how alert or aware you are or how well you can think and respond?
Yes
Decreased level of consciousness
No
Decreased level of consciousness
Is the bite from a snake or lizard that you know is poisonous or think may be poisonous?
Yes
Bite from known or suspected poisonous snake or lizard
No
Bite from known or suspected poisonous snake or lizard
Is there any numbness or tingling?
Yes
Numbness or tingling
No
Numbness or tingling
Is the numbness or tingling near the bite or in the mouth, tongue, scalp, or feet?
Yes
Numbness or tingling near bite or in mouth, tongue, scalp, or feet
No
Numbness or tingling near bite or in mouth, tongue, scalp, or feet
Do you have numbness or tingling below the bite?
Yes
Numbness or tingling below bite
No
Numbness or tingling below bite
Are there any hives?
Hives are raised, red, itchy patches of skin. They usually have red borders and pale centres. They may seem to move from place to place on the skin.
Yes
Hives
No
Hives
Did the hives appear within the past 3 hours?
Yes
Hives appeared within past 3 hours
No
Hives appeared within past 3 hours
Is there any swelling?
Yes
Swelling
No
Swelling
Is there any pain?
Yes
Pain
No
Pain
How bad is the pain on a scale of 0 to 10, if 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst pain you can imagine?
Signs of pain in an adult or child are different than signs of pain in a baby or toddler.
8 to 10: Severe pain
Severe pain
5 to 7: Moderate pain
Moderate pain
1 to 4: Mild pain
Mild pain
Has the pain lasted for more than 8 hours?
Yes
Pain for more than 8 hours
No
Pain for more than 8 hours
Is the pain getting worse?
Yes
Pain is getting worse
No
Pain is getting worse
For an arm or leg wound, is the skin below the wound (farther down the limb) blue, pale, or cold to the touch and different from the other arm or leg?
This may mean that a major blood vessel was damaged and that blood is not reaching the rest of the arm or leg.
Yes
Skin is blue, pale, or cold below an arm or leg injury
No
Skin is blue, pale, or cold below an arm or leg injury
Can you move the area below the injury normally, even though it may hurt?
Yes
Able to move limb normally below injury
No
Unable to move limb normally below injury
Are you nauseated or vomiting, or do you have diarrhea?
Nauseated means you feel sick to your stomach, like you are going to vomit.
Yes
Nausea or vomiting or diarrhea
No
Nausea or vomiting or diarrhea
Are there any symptoms of infection?
Yes
Symptoms of infection
No
Symptoms of infection
Are there red streaks leading away from the area or pus draining from it?
Yes
Red streaks or pus
No
Red streaks or pus
Do you think you may have a fever?
Yes
Possible fever
No
Possible fever
Do you have diabetes, a weakened immune system, peripheral arterial disease, or any surgical hardware in the area?
"Hardware" includes things like artificial joints, plates or screws, catheters, and medicine pumps.
Yes
Diabetes, immune problems, peripheral arterial disease, or surgical hardware in affected area
No
Diabetes, immune problems, peripheral arterial disease, or surgical hardware in affected area
Do you think that a tooth from the snake or lizard may still be in the wound?
Yes
Snake or lizard tooth may still be in wound
No
Snake or lizard tooth may still be in wound
Do you think you may need a tetanus shot?
Yes
May need tetanus shot
No
May need tetanus shot
Do you still have symptoms more than 24 hours after the bite?
Yes
Symptoms more than 24 hours after bite
No
Symptoms more than 24 hours after bite

Many things can affect how your body responds to a symptom and what kind of care you may need. These include:

  • Your age. Babies and older adults tend to get sicker quicker.
  • Your overall health. If you have a condition such as diabetes, HIV, cancer, or heart disease, you may need to pay closer attention to certain symptoms and seek care sooner.
  • Medicines you take. Certain medicines, such as blood thinners (anticoagulants), medicines that suppress the immune system like steroids or chemotherapy, or natural health products can cause symptoms or make them worse.
  • Recent health events, such as surgery or injury. These kinds of events can cause symptoms afterwards or make them more serious.
  • Your health habits and lifestyle, such as eating and exercise habits, smoking, alcohol or drug use, sexual history, and travel.

Try Home Treatment

You have answered all the questions. Based on your answers, you may be able to take care of this problem at home.

  • Try home treatment to relieve the symptoms.
  • Call your doctor if symptoms get worse or you have any concerns (for example, if symptoms are not getting better as you would expect). You may need care sooner.
HomeTreatment
RelatedInformation

Pain in adults and older children

  • Severe pain (8 to 10): The pain is so bad that you can't stand it for more than a few hours, can't sleep, and can't do anything else except focus on the pain.
  • Moderate pain (5 to 7): The pain is bad enough to disrupt your normal activities and your sleep, but you can tolerate it for hours or days. Moderate can also mean pain that comes and goes even if it's severe when it's there.
  • Mild pain (1 to 4): You notice the pain, but it is not bad enough to disrupt your sleep or activities.

Pain in children under 3 years

It can be hard to tell how much pain a baby or toddler is in.

  • Severe pain (8 to 10): The pain is so bad that the baby cannot sleep, cannot get comfortable, and cries constantly no matter what you do. The baby may kick, make fists, or grimace.
  • Moderate pain (5 to 7): The baby is very fussy, clings to you a lot, and may have trouble sleeping but responds when you try to comfort him or her.
  • Mild pain (1 to 4): The baby is a little fussy and clings to you a little but responds when you try to comfort him or her.

Symptoms of infection may include:

  • Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness in or around the area.
  • Red streaks leading from the area.
  • Pus draining from the area.
  • A fever.

Certain health conditions and medicines weaken the immune system's ability to fight off infection and illness. Some examples in adults are:

  • Diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and HIV/AIDS.
  • Long-term alcohol and drug problems.
  • Steroid medicines, which may be used to treat a variety of conditions.
  • Chemotherapy and radiation therapy for cancer.
  • Other medicines used to treat autoimmune disease.
  • Medicines taken after organ transplant.
  • Not having a spleen.

Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can start within minutes of eating or being exposed to an allergen. While symptoms usually occur within 2 hours, in rare cases the time frame can vary up to several hours after exposure. Do not ignore early symptoms. When a reaction begins, it is important to respond right away.

Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can vary from person to person. The same person can have different symptoms each time they have a severe allergic reaction. Symptoms can include any of the following:

    • Skin: hives, swelling (face, lips, tongue), itching, warmth, redness
    • Respiratory (breathing): coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest pain or tightness, throat tightness, hoarse voice, nasal congestion or hay fever-like symptoms (runny, itchy nose and watery eyes, sneezing), trouble swallowing
    • Gastrointestinal (stomach): nausea, pain or cramps, vomiting, diarrhea
    • Cardiovascular (heart): paler than normal skin colour/blue colour, weak pulse, passing out, dizziness or lightheadedness, shock
    • Other: anxiety, sense of doom (the feeling that something bad is about to happen), headache, uterine cramps, metallic taste

A severe reaction can take place without hives, so make sure to look out for all of the signs of an allergic reaction.

Adapted from: Anaphylaxis in Schools and Other Settings, Copyright 2005-2009 Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

Usually found in dirt and soil, tetanus bacteria typically enter the body through a wound. Wounds may include a bite, a cut, a puncture, a burn, a scrape, insect bites, or any injury that may cause broken skin.

You may need a tetanus shot depending on how dirty the wound is and how long it has been since your last shot.

    • For a deep or dirty wound that has things like dirt, saliva, or feces in it, you may need a shot if:
      • You haven't had a tetanus shot in the past 5 years.
      • You don't know when your last shot was.
      • You have not received 3 doses of the tetanus vaccine series.
    • For a clean wound, you may need a shot if:
      • You have not had a tetanus shot in the past 10 years.
      • You don't know when your last shot was.
      • You have not received 3 doses of the tetanus vaccine series.

Shock is a life-threatening condition that may quickly occur after a sudden illness or injury.

Adults and older children often have several symptoms of shock. These include:

  • Passing out (losing consciousness).
  • Feeling very dizzy or light-headed, like you may pass out.
  • Feeling very weak or having trouble standing.
  • Not feeling alert or able to think clearly. You may be confused, restless, fearful, or unable to respond to questions.

Shock is a life-threatening condition that may occur quickly after a sudden illness or injury.

Babies and young children often have several symptoms of shock. These include:

  • Passing out (losing consciousness).
  • Being very sleepy or hard to wake up.
  • Not responding when being touched or talked to.
  • Breathing much faster than usual.
  • Acting confused. The child may not know where he or she is.

Symptoms of difficulty breathing can range from mild to severe. For example:

  • You may feel a little out of breath but still be able to talk (mild difficulty breathing), or you may be so out of breath that you cannot talk at all (severe difficulty breathing).
  • It may be getting hard to breathe with activity (mild difficulty breathing), or you may have to work very hard to breathe even when you're at rest (severe difficulty breathing).

Seek Care Today

Based on your answers, you may need care soon. The problem probably will not get better without medical care.

  • Call your doctor today to discuss the symptoms and arrange for care.
  • If you cannot reach your doctor or you don't have one, seek care today.
  • If it is evening, watch the symptoms and seek care in the morning.
  • If the symptoms get worse, seek care sooner.
HomeTreatment
RelatedInformation

Seek Care Now

Based on your answers, you may need care right away. The problem is likely to get worse without medical care.

  • Call your doctor now to discuss the symptoms and arrange for care.
  • If you cannot reach your doctor or you don't have one, seek care in the next hour.
  • You do not need to call an ambulance unless:
    • You cannot travel safely either by driving yourself or by having someone else drive you.
    • You are in an area where heavy traffic or other problems may slow you down.

Call 9-1-1 Now

Based on your answers, you need emergency care.

Call 9-1-1 or other emergency services now.

Sometimes people don't want to call 9-1-1. They may think that their symptoms aren't serious or that they can just get someone else to drive them. Or they might be concerned about the cost. But based on your answers, the safest and quickest way for you to get the care you need is to call 9-1-1 for medical transport to the hospital.

Self-Care

Poisonous snake or lizard bite

If you were bitten by a snake or lizard that you know or think is poisonous, call 9-1-1 or other emergency services right away. Don't wait for symptoms to develop. Symptoms may progress from mild to severe rapidly.

If you aren't sure what type of snake or lizard bit you, take a picture of it. But don't do this if it will delay treatment or put someone at risk for more bites. Don't waste time or take any risks trying to kill or bring in the snake. Only trap a poisonous snake if the chances are good that it will bite more people if you let it go. It's important to remember that a snake only injects part of its venom with each bite. So it can still hurt you after the first strike. And a dead snake, even one with a severed head, can bite and release venom by reflex action for up to 90 minutes after it dies.

Medicine (antivenom) to counteract the effects of the poison can save a limb or your life. Antivenom is given as soon as a doctor decides it's needed, usually within the first 4 hours after the snakebite. Antivenom may be effective up to 2 weeks or more after a snakebite. Take these steps after a poisonous snake or lizard bite.

  • Start home treatment right away.

    But don't delay getting emergency care while you start home treatment.

    • If you think the snake bite is an emergency, call 9-1-1.
    • Stay calm, and try to rest quietly.
    • If you aren't sure what type of snake or lizard bit you, call your provincial poison control centre right away to help identify the snake or lizard and find out what to do next.
    • Remove any jewellery. The limbs might swell, making it harder to remove the jewellery after swelling starts.
    • Use a pen to mark the edge of the swelling around the bite every 15 minutes. This will help your doctor estimate how the venom is moving in your body.
  • Avoid doing anything that might cause more problems with the bite.
    • Do not cut the bite open.
    • Do not suck on the bite wound or use any kind of extraction device.
    • Do not use a constriction band, such as a tourniquet or bandage, on a bite.
    • Do not soak your hand or foot in ice water or pack your arm or leg in ice. It can increase damage to the skin and cause a cold-induced injury, such as frostbite.
    • Do not raise the bitten arm or leg above your head. It may increase the flow of venom into the bloodstream.
    • Do not drink alcohol.
    • Do not give any prescription or non-prescription medicines after a poisonous snake or lizard bite unless your doctor tells you to. Some medicines, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen, may cause increased bleeding.

Non-poisonous snake or lizard bite

If you are sure that the snake or lizard wasn't poisonous, you can use home treatment to reduce symptoms and prevent infection.

  • Stop bleeding with direct pressure to the wound.
  • Inspect the wound.
    • Look at the wound to make sure that a snake or lizard tooth isn't in the wound.
    • Remove a tooth with tweezers. Take care to not push it farther into the wound.
  • Clean the wound to prevent complications.

    Clean the bite as soon as you can. This will help reduce the chance of infection, scarring, and tattooing of the skin from dirt left in the wound.

    • Wash the wound for 5 minutes with large amounts of clean, warm water.
    • Do not use rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or iodine. They can harm the tissue and slow wound healing.
  • Bandage the wound, if needed.

    Puncture wounds usually heal well. They may not need a bandage. But you may want to use a bandage if you think that the bite will get dirty or irritated.

    • Cover the wound with a thin layer of petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, and a non-stick bandage.
    • Apply a clean bandage when your bandage gets wet or dirty.
  • Determine whether you need a tetanus shot.
  • Apply ice.

    An ice or cold pack may help reduce swelling and bruising. Never apply ice directly to a wound or the skin. It could cause tissue damage.

For the next 4 to 5 days, soak the wound in warm water for 20 minutes, 2 to 4 times a day. The warmth from the water will increase the blood flow to the area. This helps reduce the chance of infection.

When to call for help during self-care

Call a doctor if any of the following occur during self-care at home:

  • New or worse signs of an infection, such as redness, warmth, swelling, pus, or a fever.
  • Symptoms occur more often or are more severe.

Learn more

Preparing For Your Appointment

You can help your doctor diagnose and treat your condition by being prepared for your appointment.

Credits

Adaptation Date: 6/14/2023

Adapted By: HealthLink BC

Adaptation Reviewed By: HealthLink BC