Recently, a hospital in Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, received a case regarding a patient who cut off his finger because of a snakebite. According to the patient, he was bitten by a long-nosed pit viper, which is considered to be one of the most venomous snakes in China. Afraid of dying from the venom, he took matters into his own hands.

Popular names of this snake like the "five-pace-snake" or "hundred-pace snake" refer to local beliefs that its fierce venom only allows a victim to walk a limited number of steps before dying.

In fact, the belief that victims will die in five steps is only an exaggeration. Though its hemotoxic venom is potent and can cause heavy bleeding and heart palpitations, the victim is unlikely to die with timely treatment of antivenin. Therefore, cutting off your finger is not the correct choice when bitten by this snake. 

According to scientists, though the weather is turning cooler in the autumn months, snakes will remain active until mid-November in certain areas. If you are planning to visit mountainous areas, make sure you know how to avoid or deal with snakebites correctly.

About Dance with the Snake series:

China is home to a large variety of snake species, which are an important part of the ecosystem, contributing a lot to maintain the ecological balance of China's environment. This series is going to present you with the endangered and dangerous snakes in China, with introductions of how to recognize them.

Read more:

Dance with the snake: The dangerous venoms

Dance with the snake: The mysterious king cobra

Snakes: We don't bite without a reason

(All images via VCG, cover image designed by CGTN's Du Chenxin)

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