Several cases of Heterodon nasicus bites producing various symptoms have already been
described. In this paper, a survey was conducted among Polish breeders of this species, where 47.7%
of the respondents admitted that their snakes had tried to bite them, and 31.4% fed their snakes with
their bare hands. When asked whether they feared being bitten by this snake during daily handling,
an overwhelming majority of the respondents declared (74% of total negative responses, n = 63) that
they were not afraid of being bitten. Based on the popularity of H. nasicus as a pet animal, it can only
be assumed that the magnitude of accidental bites is much greater than that reported in published case
reports. Therefore, it is important to try to educate pet breeders to report such cases and pay attention
to the use of appropriate handling methods during contact with snake food and during feeding.