Questionnaire background on the hognose snake (Heterodon nasicus) breeders’ awareness of the risk of being bitten

Abstrakt

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.

Autorzy

artykuł
Animals
Angielski
2021
11
12
3537
otwarte czasopismo
CC BY 4.0 Uznanie autorstwa 4.0
ostateczna wersja opublikowana
w momencie opublikowania
2021-12-14
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