No. 0608 of 1,402
Variable burrowing asp
Atractaspis irregularis
Rear-fanged snakes🦷 Bites
Danger to people: Very dangerousIt can kill a person who gets no treatment.Variable burrowing asp belongs to the group: Rear-fanged snakes. It lives in: Africa.2
Venom power
Bites
Venom comes out through its fangs or teeth when it bites.
How dangerous is it to people?
Danger to people: Very dangerousIt can kill a person who gets no treatment.🚑 If it bites or stings
- Wash the bite, keep the person calm and get medical help. Some species (like the boomslang) can be deadly hours later.
Always call your emergency number first (112, 000, 911). This is general first aid guidance, not medical advice. First aid basics
⛑️ Stay safe
- Never touch, catch or tease a wild animal, even a small one, and even if it looks asleep or dead.
- Give it space. If you meet one, stay calm, step back slowly and let it go its own way.
- If one bites or stings you: stay calm, keep still, call your emergency number (112, 000, 911) or get to a hospital fast. Remember what it looked like, a photo helps.
It is not out to get you. It uses its venom to catch food or to protect itself, and it would much rather hide. More about staying safe
Where in the world?
How big is it?
How long is it?
🍌as long as 3 bananas end to end🧱as long as 16 toy building bricks in a row🏃could cover 100 metres in 77 seconds (the fastest human needs 9.6)
How big is Variable burrowing asp compared to YOU?
Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
How fast is it?
Variable burrowing asp about 4.7 km/h (2.9 mph)
A person walking about 5 km/h (3.1 mph)
A kid on a bike about 12 km/h (7.5 mph)
A galloping horse about 65 km/h (40 mph)
Where the facts come from
- Atractaspis irregularis (iNaturalist): names and classification.
- Venom Wiki: the danger level, the typical size and the speed guess are our own. See how we work them out: How we rate danger.
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