A tribal man was found dead in a hilly area near his village and the body is brought to you for autopsy. The police and the relatives suspect snake bite. On examination you note that there is a bite mark on the right big toe from which blood was oozing. The entire limb was swollen up to the groin and bleeding was noted from the gums. Which of the following snakes could be implicated?
Though sea snake venom is myotoxic and may cause some of the above mentioned signs it is impossible to get bitten by a sea snake in a hilly area. Cobra venom is neurotoxic and needn't produce haemorrhagic features. Krait bite resembles cobra bite and doesn't produce such severe haemorrhagic features. Viper venom is rich in proteolytic enzymes and produce severe haemorrhagic features as mentioned in the above case and is the most likely culprit. Ref: Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology By Dr.K S Narayan Reddy, 21st Edition, Page 485, 487
Cobra
Krait
Viper
Sea snake