Big Four (Indian snakes)

The Big Four are the venomous snake species considered to be India's and Pakistan's most dangerous, as together they account for nearly all Indian and Pakistani snakebite fatalities.

The Big Four are:Whitaker Z. 1990. Snakeman. Penguin Books Ltd. 192 pp. ISBN 0-14-014308-4.]

* Indian cobra, "Naja naja", probably the most famous of all Indian snakes.
* Common krait, "Bungarus caeruleus"
* Russell's viper, "Daboia russelii".
* Saw-scaled viper, "Echis carinatus".

The king cobra, "Ophiophagus hannah", is not a member of the Big Four. This species may have a potent venom of which it can inject enormous quantities compared to the smaller species listed above, but it is actually rather shy, living mostly in dense jungle where it rarely comes into contact with humans. It also feeds only on other snakes (hence its scientific name, which means "snake-eater king") and is even listed as a threatened species.

The members of the Big Four, on the other hand, are all quite common and bite readily. They are often found in proximity to human habitation, as they are attracted to the associated rodent populations on which they feed. These species are all primarily nocturnal and most victims are bitten at night when walking barefoot and accidentally stepping on them. Thus it is these snakes' feeding behavior, combined with their density in populated areas, which causes these snakes to account for the majority of snakebite incidents in India.

Polyvalent serum has been developed in India specifically for treatment of snake bite by any of the Big Four cases. The serum is widely available in India and is used to save the lives of people bitten by any of these snakes. Antivenin for the king cobra is not available in India, but is available in Thailand where, presumably, the likelihood of encounter with this snake is greater.

References