China Guangzhou Xinyuan snake venom distribution department is a department that specializes in producing/distributing all kinds of snake venom freeze-dried powder approved by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce. Our department was established in 1995, located in the original Xinyuan snake market in Guangzhou. Guangzhou Xinyuan snake wholesale market is the largest snake wholesale market in Asia, with an average annual sales of thousands of tons of poisonous snakes. Before SARS, there were more than 1000 people engaged in snake business in Xinyuan snake farm in Guangzhou, including nearly 300 technicians. The snake venom resources of various poisonous snakes were extremely rich. At present, China's research and medicinal use of snake venom have benefited mankind. In this best golden age, our department came into being. All snake venom collection and processing in our department adopts domestic advanced equipment and high-tech purification, and the annual total output of various snake venom can reach dozens of kilograms, and the quality reaches the national designated standards.
The Zaocys dhnmnades is commonly known as Black Wind Snake and Black Snake. It is produced all over the country, especially in Dongkou, which is an important Chinese herbal medicine.
The common name of Agkistrodon acutus is Deinagkistrodon acutus, which is paid snake, village nose snake and Agkistrodon acutus. It is produced in all counties and mountainous areas, with the Naxi nationality in Dongkou as the most. The county medicinal materials company buys about 50 kilograms of dry goods in this area every year. It preys on mice, snakes, scorpions, birds, frogs and so on. It is often curled up on fallen leaves or in caves with its head in the middle, which is called "Guanyin Sitting Hall". When it is frightened, it will attack violently. It is a poisonous snake with tubular teeth, with an average detoxification amount of 222. 2 mg each time, up to 542.4 mg. Dry poison is a medicine for treating diseases, which costs 9000 dollars per gram. The dried snake can dispel wind and activate collaterals, relieve pain and attack poison.
As far as we know, there are 2,500 kinds of snakes in the world, including about 650 kinds of poisonous snakes, which threaten the vast area with a population of one billion. It is estimated that more than 300,000 people are bitten by poisonous snakes every year, and the mortality rate is about 10%. The snake damage is serious in Guangdong and Guangxi, and the annual incidence of snake bite is about 25/ 10000.
First, the snake resources in China
According to the survey, there are about 150 species of snakes in China, and there are many species and quantities in the provinces (regions) south and southwest of the Yangtze River. China is one of the countries that produce the most snakes in the world. There are about 40 kinds of poisonous snakes, of which more than a dozen can kill people. On the Bohai Bay near Dalian, there is a snake island with an area of only 0.63 square kilometers, with more than 1 10,000 poisonous snakes, which is increasing rapidly at the rate of 1000 per year. It is a unique island with dense snakes in the world. Poisonous snakes are harmful to the broad masses of the people, but they also have great economic value. Dried snake, snake gall and snake slough are all important sources of medicinal materials. The snake venom extracted from snake venom has good analgesic and hemostatic effects, lasting analgesic effect and no addiction. Snakeskin has various gorgeous patterns, which can be used to make belts, purses and leather shoes. Beautiful and applicable. Snake meat is delicious and edible.
Second, the classification of poisonous snakes and snake venom
A poisonous snake has a slightly triangular head, brightly colored patterns on its body and pairs of fangs on its upper jaw, which can be distinguished from non-poisonous snakes. The fangs communicate with the poison glands in a groove or tube shape. When the muscles wrapped around the gland contract, the snake venom is discharged into the fangs through the catheter and injected into the bitten people and animals. (Figure 1-52)
Figure 1-52 Difference between poisonous snakes and non-poisonous snakes
(1) classification of poisonous snakes: poisonous snakes can be roughly divided into three categories.
1. Poisonous snakes with neurotoxicity: golden ring snake, silver ring snake, sea snake, etc. Venom mainly acts on the nervous system, causing muscle paralysis and respiratory paralysis.
2. Blood-based poisonous snakes: bamboo leaf green, viper, tortoise shell snake, etc. Venom mainly affects the blood and circulatory system, leading to hemolysis, bleeding, coagulation and heart failure.
3. Poisonous snakes with neurotoxicity and blood toxicity: There are Agkistrodon halys, cobras and cobras, and their venom has two characteristics of neurotoxicity and blood toxicity.
(2) Active components of snake venom:
1. Neurotoxicity: mainly acts on the nervous system.
2. Cardiotoxicity: It mainly acts on the heart, causing heart failure.
3. Cytotoxicity: It can destroy blood cells and cause vascular endothelial cell necrosis.
4. Coagulant: It can cause thrombosis.
5. Various enzymes: can cause hemolysis and tissue damage.
(3) Toxicity intensity of snake venom: The toxicity intensity of various poisonous snakes is different, and some poisonous snakes have high mortality after wounding; Some only cause symptoms. The following table lists the comparison of the once released dose and lethal dry dose of several poisonous snakes. (Table 1-2 1)
Table 1-2 1 Comparison of toxic dose and lethal dose (mg)
Name of Viper: The quality of dry matter released at one time causes death and death.
Bungarus multicinctus 5.4 1.0
Sea snake 6.0 3.5
Zhuyeqing 14. 1 100.0
Golden ring snake 43.0 10.0
Viper 45.0 25.0
Viper 72.0 42.0
Bigeyed snake 100.0 12.0
Eye mirror snake 2 1 1.0 15.0
Third, clinical manifestations
After being bitten by a poisonous snake, the speed and severity of symptoms are obviously related to the type of poisonous snake, the dosage and nature of snake venom. Of course, the location of the bite, the depth of the wound and the patient's resistance also have some influence. Poisonous snakes take the initiative to hurt people when they are hungry, which has a large amount of detoxification and serious consequences.
(1) The manifestations of neurotoxic injury: numbness, loss of consciousness, or only slight itching of the wound. The wound is not obvious red and swollen, and there is not much bleeding. About half an hour after the injury, I felt dizzy, sleepy, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. In severe cases, dysphagia, hoarseness, aphasia, ptosis and diplopia occur. Finally, dyspnea, blood pressure drop and shock may occur, leading to hypoxia, cyanosis and general paralysis. If the rescue is not timely, respiratory and circulatory failure will eventually occur, and the patient can die quickly. Neurotoxins are absorbed quickly and dangerously, and are often ignored because of mild local symptoms. The 1-2 days of the wound is the critical period. Once this period is over, the symptoms will get better quickly, and there will be no sequelae after cure.
(2) The manifestations of blood poisoning injury: the bite part swells rapidly, develops proximally, and the wound is painful and bleeding. The skin around the wound is often accompanied by blisters or blood bubbles, subcutaneous ecchymosis and tissue necrosis. In severe cases, there is massive bleeding all over the body, such as subconjunctival blood stasis, nosebleed, hematemesis, hemoptysis and hematuria. Individual patients will also have thoracic and abdominal hemorrhage and intracranial hemorrhage, which will eventually lead to hemorrhagic shock. Why do patients have symptoms such as head and tail, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, joint pain and high fever? Because symptoms appear earlier and general treatment is timely, the mortality rate can be lower than that of patients with neurotoxic injury. However, due to the urgent onset, long course of disease and long dangerous period, if the treatment is too late, the consequences will be serious. After healing, there are often local and visceral sequelae.
(3) Mixed toxic symptoms: both neurotoxicity and blood toxicity. Local wounds are similar to those caused by blood poisoning, such as local redness, ecchymosis, blood bubbles, tissue necrosis and lymphadenitis. From the whole body, it is similar to neurotoxic injury. Neurotoxicity is still the main cause of death of this kind of wounded.
Fourth, the diagnosis of poisonous snake bites
The following problems should be considered and solved when diagnosing snake venom bites.
(1) Whether it is a poisonous snake bite: First of all, it is necessary to make clear the possibility of poisonous snake bite. Other animals can also cause injuries, such as recreational centipede bite and wasp bite. However, the parts caused by the latter have no typical snake bite marks, and each has its own characteristics: for example, some parts of centipede have two horizontally arranged punctate tooth marks, and some parts of wasp or scorpion have a single scattered scar. Under normal circumstances, centipedes and others have small wounds and no obvious systemic symptoms.
(2) Whether it is a poisonous snake bite: it is mainly distinguished by special tooth marks, local injuries and systemic manifestations. After being bitten by a poisonous snake, the wound often leaves a pair or 3 ~ 4 fangs. There is obvious swelling, pain or numbness around the wound, local ecchymosis, blisters or blood bubbles, and the systemic symptoms are also obvious. After no poisonous snake bites, two rows of serrated teeth marks can be left locally. (Figure 1-53)
No snakebite marks
Figure 1-53 Typical tooth marks of poisonous snakes and non-poisonous snakes
(3) What kind of poisonous snake bites you? It is difficult to accurately judge which kind of poisonous snake caused the damage. From the characteristics of local wounds, we can preliminarily distinguish nerve snake injuries from blood snake injuries. According to the unique clinical manifestations, reference tooth spacing and tooth mark morphology, the species of poisonous snakes can be further judged. (Table 1-22) If the patient's pupil is often narrowed, hematuria may occur within half an hour after being bitten by Agkistrodon halys, and diplopia may occur after being bitten by Agkistrodon halys.
Table 1-22 Tooth trace morphology of several main poisonous snakes' tooth pitches
Viper name Viper tooth mark spacing
(cm)
Tooth mark shape
Bamboo leaf green 0.5 ~ 1.2 (8) is shaped like a figure of eight.
The tooth spacing of Agkistrodon halys is 0.6 ~ 1.2 ().
Bungarus multicinctus 0.8 ~ 1.6 () zigzag. The skin around the wound often has a litchi skin-like appearance.
Bungarus multicinctus is 0.8 ~ 1.4 () serrated, and the wound skin is often torn.
The structure of Agkistrodon halys 1.0 ~ 1.5 () is dark.
Cobra 1. 1 ~ 1.9 () There is obvious ecchymosis and swelling around the wound.
King cobra 1.5 ~ 3.0 () obviously swelled around the wound.
Agkistrodon acutus 1.5 ~ 3.5 () has large tooth spacing, much bleeding, blisters and blood bubbles locally.
Five, to prevent snake bites
Snakebite seriously threatens the health of workers. Active preventive measures should be taken in the most serious areas to minimize the incidence of snake bites and reduce the mortality rate. First of all, we should establish a complete snake injury prevention and control network, which should be implemented in terms of organization and manpower, so that the task is clear and the person in charge is responsible. Secondly, mobilize the masses to do a good job in environmental sanitation around houses, thoroughly remove weeds, clean rocks, block caves, eliminate hidden places of poisonous snakes, and often carry out snake killing and catching work. At the same time, we should do a good job in the basic knowledge of preventing snake injuries. People engaged in labor production in the field should drive away poisonous snakes with sticks before entering the grass. When working in the mountains and forests, they should always pay attention to the surrounding situation and eliminate hidden dangers in time. When necessary, they should wear long-sleeved shirts, trousers, shoes and socks and straw hats. Don't panic when you meet a poisonous snake. You should turn left and right to avoid the following poisonous snake, or stand in the same place and face the poisonous snake, pay attention to the situation and avoid it, and find opportunities to pick up branches to defend yourself. Applying anti-snake medicine and oral and eye snake wound detoxification tablets on limbs can prevent snake injury.
Sixth, the treatment of poisonous snake bites.
After being bitten by a poisonous snake, on-site first aid is very important. Various measures should be taken to discharge venom quickly to prevent its absorption and spread. After arriving at a qualified medical station, we should continue to take comprehensive measures, such as thorough debridement, oral administration and external application of effective snake tablets, application of antivenom, and systemic support therapy.
(1) Prevention of venom absorption: After being bitten, the venom quickly enters the body within 3-5 minutes, and effective measures should be taken as soon as possible to prevent venom absorption.
1. binding method: it is a simple and effective method, and it is also an easy-to-do self-help and mutual rescue method on site. That is, after being bitten by a poisonous snake, you should immediately wrap it with cloth, towel or bandage at a distance of 5- 10 cm from the injured limb or at the root of the injured finger (toe) to reduce the reflux of veins and lymph, thus temporarily preventing the absorption of snake venom. During the evacuation, you should relax every 20 minutes for 1-2 minutes to prevent limb congestion and tissue necrosis. The wound is thoroughly debrided, and the bandage can be loosened after taking the snake pill for 3-4 hours.
2. Ice compress method: When conditions permit, ice is applied to the injured limb while dressing, so that blood vessels and lymphatic vessels contract and the absorption of snake venom is slowed down. You can also immerse the injured limbs or fingers in cold water at 4-70℃, and then apply cold compress with ice packs for 24-36 hours after 3-4 hours, but pay attention to keeping the whole body warm while cooling locally.
3. Limb fixation: Walk slowly after injury, don't run, and reduce the absorption of toxins. It is best to temporarily brake the injured limb, put it in a low position and send it to the medical station. Appropriate sedation can be given when necessary to keep the patient quiet.
(2) Promoting the discharge and destruction of snake venom: corresponding measures should be taken to promote the discharge or destruction of snake venom left in the wound. The easiest way is to inhale through your mouth and rinse your mouth with water after each inhalation. Of course, the mucous membrane and lips of the sucker should be ulcerated. You can also suck the snake venom out of the wound by breast pump and cupping, and the effect is satisfactory.
If the wound is deep and contaminated, it should be thoroughly debrided. After disinfection, the wound should be cut into the shape of "+"or "++",so that the residual snake venom can easily flow out, but the incision should not be too deep to avoid hurting blood vessels. When biting hands or feet, you can also use a triangular needle or a knife tip to pierce the proximal subcutaneous one centimeter, and then gently massage from near to far to accelerate the discharge of snake venom. After the wound is enlarged, various drugs can also be used for local wet compress or washing to achieve the purpose of destroying or neutralizing snake venom. Commonly used drugs for external use are 30% normal saline or alum water, and 1: 5000 potassium permanganate solution and 5%- 10% normal saline for wound irrigation.
Local injection of trypsin has a certain effect, which can decompose and destroy snake venom, thus alleviating or inhibiting the poisoning symptoms of patients. The usage is to dissolve trypsin with 2-4 ml physiological saline, and then inject it around the wound basal layer, and repeat the injection after 12-24 hours. Injection of furosemide, diuretic sodium or mannitol can accelerate the excretion of snake venom from the urinary system.
(3) Inhibition of snake venom: Effective Chinese herbal medicines and snake slices are mainly used for internal and external use to achieve the functions of detoxification, anti-inflammation, hemostasis, heart strengthening and diuresis. Anti-venom serum has been widely used in clinic and has good curative effect on similar snake bites.
1. Various snake pills: At present, there are more than ten kinds of snake pills used in clinic. When using, we should first find out which kind of poisonous snake the pill is effective for, and then take it as soon as possible, with a large dose and a long course of treatment. Finally, we must adopt other auxiliary treatments of traditional Chinese and western medicine. Nantong Snake Pill (also known as Ji Desheng Snake Pill) is the most widely used in clinical practice, and 20 tablets should be taken immediately after injury, and then 10 tablets should be taken every 6 hours until the poisoning symptoms are obviously alleviated. At the same time, the tablets are mixed into paste with warm water and applied around the wound and 3-4 cm above the swollen limbs. Guangzhou snake tablet (He snake tablet) also has a good curative effect. Take 5 tablets immediately after injury, and then take 5 tablets every 3 hours. Double the dose for severe cases. In addition, Shanghai snake slices are mainly used for the bite of Agkistrodon halys, and Snake Sanquan snake slices are mainly used for the bite of golden ring snakes and silver ring snakes.
2. Chinese herbal medicine prescription: 30-60 grams of fresh Lobelia chinensis (whole grass) can be used, and its juice can be taken orally after mashing, which has the functions of detoxification, diuresis and detoxification. You can also use 30 grams of fresh bird buds, mash the juice for oral administration, and apply the residue externally to prevent snake venom from attacking the heart.
3. Serum treatment: Antivenom has a certain effect on snake bites. The curative effect of monovalent serum can be as high as 90%, while the curative effect of multivalent serum is only 50%. At present, the serum that has been successfully tested includes anti-Agkistrodon halys venom serum, anti-cobra venom serum, anti-Agkistrodon acutus venom serum, anti-Bungarus multicinctus venom serum, etc. Some of them are refined into powder, which is convenient for storage. Skin allergy test should be done before using antivenom, and those who are negative can be injected.
(4) Whole-body support therapy: within a few days after being bitten by a poisonous snake, the condition is serious, the symptoms of poisoning are obvious, and it is often accompanied by different degrees of water and electrolyte disorders and shock. In severe cases, respiratory failure, heart failure, acute renal failure and hemolytic anemia may occur. Therefore, it is important to actively treat the whole body and correct the functions of major organs. When blood pressure is low, blood transfusion and rehydration should be given in time and anti-shock treatment should be given. When breathing is weak, breathing stimulants and oxygen should be given, and auxiliary breathing should be carried out when necessary. The application of adrenocortical hormone and antihistamine has a certain effect on neutralizing toxins and relieving poisoning symptoms. Systemic anti-infective drugs are of great significance to the prevention and treatment of local tissue necrosis, and routine injection of TAT can prevent tetanus.
The reproduction of snakes
Snake is a precious biological resource. Snakes can be used for food, medicine, piano making, etc. They are all treasures and are known as "mountain treasures". Snakes have a good market and high prices. The domestic purchase price per kilogram of live snakes and snake meat is 40 ~ 60 yuan; Agkistrodon acutus snake 250 ~ 400 yuan per kilogram; 1g bungarus multicinctus toxin price 1000 yuan; Raw snake gall is as high as 2000 ~ 3000 yuan per kilogram. The price of 5 grams of snake venom in the international market is as high as 1000 USD, which is 20 times that of Huang Jingui. Artificial breeding of snakes has short cycle and high benefit, which is a good way for farmers to get rid of poverty and become rich, and it is also a "golden cause" to revitalize the rural economy.
1 snake's living habits
1. 1 Snakes are temperature-changing animals, and their body temperature changes with the ambient temperature, so snakes are active in winter and spring and summer and autumn. The active temperature of snakes is 10℃ ~ 35℃, and the active law of snakes varies with species. For example, cobra and king cobra like to move during the day, which is called daytime snake. For example, golden ring snakes, silver ring snakes and ferrochromium heads like to move at night, which is called nocturnal snakes; For example, Agkistrodon acutus and Agkistrodon acutus are active in weak light (at night and in rainy days). This kind of snake is called the morning-fainting snake.
1.2 Habitat environment of snakes Different kinds of snakes have different habitats. Bungarus multicinctus often lives in humid environment and near water. Bungars live in low-lying wetlands near paddy fields and ponds in plain and hilly areas. Walls, stone patches, graves and bushes on the slopes, hills and plains where cobras live; King cobra lives in plains and mountains, and moves along mountain streams, climbing trees and crevices. Agkistrodon acutus lives in mountainous woodlands and forests, and is used to lying on rocks in caves, wet crevices, rocks and weeds beside streams; Agkistrodon acutus snakes inhabit rotten walls, abandoned polder fields and vegetable fields around village bays in plain and hilly areas; Agkistrodon halys lives in hilly areas in summer, migrates to plains in winter, and is more common in paddy fields or dark, cool and ventilated places in autumn.
1.3 snakes have a wide range of feeding habits. Earthworms, slugs, spiders, insects and their larvae, fish, frogs, mice, lizards, birds and rabbits are all good erbium materials for snakes, but different kinds of snakes feed on different objects. For example, golden ring snakes mainly eat other snakes, but also fish, frogs, lizards, mice or other small mammals; The feeding objects of Bungarus multicinctus are fish, frogs, lizards, mice or other small mammals; Cobras eat lizards and birds' eggs in addition to the same objects as silver ring snakes. Agkistrodon halys mainly feed on mice or other small mammals and frogs, as well as lizards and birds; Agkistrodon eats fish, frogs, lizards, mice and other mammals.
2 Feeding and management of snakes
Feeding snakes is based on different snake species and local specific conditions. Generally, it is fed once every two weeks, and the amount of each feeding is 45% of the body weight, but the food should be diversified and fresh. The feeding address should be fixed, usually in the place where snakes often haunt. If the snake is short of food, the sausage can be made by pouring crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, phosphorus, calcium, a small amount of inorganic salts and vitamins A and B2 into the casing to lure the snake to eat. You can also inject vitamin B into the snake with loss of appetite, promote the appetite of the snake, enhance metabolism, and artificially feed it if necessary.
The snake's drinking water should be clean and hygienic, and the water in the pool should flow frequently to avoid being polluted. In the management of snakes, we should grasp six key points: (1) snake farms and houses should be cleaned frequently to keep the ground clean and dry; (2) The sand and hay laid in the snake nest should be replaced regularly; (3) Rotten food should be removed in time; (4) Always check the temperature and humidity in the snake pit, keep warm in winter, and do a good job of cooling in summer. A humidity regulator should be placed in the hole, and the humidity in the hole should be kept at about 20%. At the same time, always check the health of snakes. Found abnormal activity, crawling difficulties or obvious symptoms of injured snakes, they should be removed from isolation and raised, and given treatment. (5) The fences of snake farms and snake houses should be inspected frequently, and holes or cracks should be repaired in time to prevent poisonous snakes from fleeing and natural enemies from invading; (6) When the managers of the snake farm enter the snake farm and the snake house, they should wear protective clothing and carry snake catching tools. Both of them enter the field at the same time and take care of each other to prevent being bitten by poisonous snakes. Snake farms should also be equipped with first-aid drugs or equipment for snake injuries all the year round.
3 Prevention and treatment of poisonous snake diseases
The diseases of poisonous snakes mostly occur in the late spring after hibernation. Sick snakes often lie across their nests, with dark colors, little food, slow response, half-open or closed mouth, no or little tongue sticking out, and slow movements when they barely crawl. The prevention and treatment methods of common diseases are as follows:
3. 1 Molding is mostly in rainy season, and some black mildew spots often appear on the scales of snake belly, which can fester and die further. When mildew spots are found, 1% ~ 2% iodine can be applied to the snake's affected area, 1-2 times a day, and it can be cured in about 7 days. Prevent quicklime and charcoal from absorbing moisture in the snake nest and do a good job in the hygiene of the snake farm.
3.2 Stomatitis The snake's jaw is swollen, there is purulent secretion in the mouth, and it is difficult to swallow. Snakes can easily die if they are not treated in time. Rinse your mouth with Rever slave solution or boric acid solution, and then apply gentian violet solution to the affected area once a day until there is no purulent secretion.
3.3 Acute pneumonia snakes have difficulty breathing with their mouths open, and lung lesions often lead to death. If the pathogenic snake is found, it should be isolated immediately, strengthened maintenance, cold protection and heat preservation and increased nutrition. 654.38 million units of streptomycin, twice a day for 3 ~ 4 days, is expected to be cured. Or inject 6.5438+10,000 units of penicillin into the muscle of the sick snake twice a day, and the effect is better.
3.4 Parasitic poisonous snakes eat animal feed and are easily infected with parasitic diseases. It can weaken the snake's constitution and lead to other diseases, and it will soon die. Generally, you only need to take trichlorfon or levamisole tablets. It can repel worms and achieve therapeutic effect. (Source: China Breeding Information Network)
China, Guangdong, Nanhai Global Market, Livestock Price Information
(July 65438, 2003)
Frog Uniform Goods 12.90 Yuan/kg Global Trading Market 2000-7- 10
Whole pheasant 19.00 yuan/only global trading market 2000-7- 10
Guinea fowl commodity 19.00 yuan/piece Global trading market 2000-7- 10
The whole shipment of shredded bamboo chicken is 8.00 yuan/piece. Global trading market 2000-7- 10.
Partridge 8.00 yuan/only global trading market 2000-7- 10
Bungarus multicinctus commodity 25.00 yuan/kg global trading market 2000-7- 10
Water snake commodity 30.00 45.00 yuan/kg Global trading market 2000-7- 10
Wusha snake unified goods 18.00 yuan/kg global trading market 2000-7- 10
Cobra unified goods 35.00 yuan/kg global trading market 2000-7- 10
Cross-peak goods 140.00 yuan/kg Global trading market 2000-7- 10
Guo Shurong copper goods 20.00 yuan/kg global trading market 2000-7- 10
Gold ring snake goods 30.00 yuan/kg global trading market 2000-7- 10
Agkistrodon acutus 100.00 yuan/kg Global trading market 2000-7- 10
Agkistrodon acutus
Name of species: Agkistrodon acutus (Agkistrodon acutus)
Species characteristics: [Identification characteristics] The head is large and triangular, and there are short upturned protrusions formed by snout scales and nose scales at the snout. The head and back are dark brown, with symmetrical scales and buccal fossa. The back of the body is dark brown and brown, and there is a row of square patches of 15-2 1+2-6 in the middle of the back. The ventral surface is white with interlaced dark brown patches. Short and thick, the longest male is 1335+206 mm, the female is 1238+ 165 mm, and the dorsal scale is 21(23)-21(23)-/kloc-. The coarse abdominal scales were 152 ~ 169 in males and 162 ~ 17 1 in females. The anal scales are intact. The scales under the tail are 5 1 ~ 6 1 for males and 48 ~ 63 for females, mostly in double rows. The scale at the tip of the tail is flat and long, commonly known as "Buddha's nail".
[Distribution] The distribution range in China is roughly east of 104 E and between 25 N and 31N. The known distribution areas are Anhui (south), Chongqing, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian (north), Hunan, Hubei, Guangxi (north), Guizhou, Guangdong (north) and Taiwan Province Province. Foreign countries are only seen in northern Vietnam.
[Biology] Living in mountainous or hilly areas at an altitude of 100 ~ 1 400 meters ... Most of them live near valleys and streams at an altitude of 300 ~ 800 meters, occasionally enter mountain villages and houses, haunt kitchens and bedrooms, and are closely related to forests. When the weather is hot, Agkistrodon acutus overwinters in rocks, grasslands and shady places under the roots of valleys and streams, and overwinters in crevices and soil caves on sunny slopes in winter. They like to eat rodents, birds, frogs, toads and lizards, especially rodents.
[Estimated quantity] Agkistrodon acutus is widely distributed in China, with the largest reserves in Wuyishan mountain area and southern Anhui mountain area. According to the number of dried Agkistrodon acutus purchased by provinces and the sampling survey of key producing areas over the years, there are still10 million wild Agkistrodon acutus in China. There are about 10 thousand snakes in the snake garden.
【 Risk factors and current situation 】 Deforestation of forests and destruction of vegetation have gradually deteriorated the habitat of Agkistrodon acutus, and coupled with a large number of killings, the population of Agkistrodon acutus has been greatly reduced. In recent years, snake traders and snake dealers have engaged in activities in the producing areas, and more and more people have bought and killed Agkistrodon acutus, and a large number of snake resources have been destroyed. There are more than 30,000 people engaged in snake business in a county in Jiangsu. A county snake farm in Fujian bought more than 3 000 live Agkistrodon acutus snakes on 1986, stored them in wooden boxes indoors, and died after receiving poison for many times. There are hundreds of snake-catching spots along the highway from Jingdezhen City to Hukou City in Jiangxi Province, at 100 km and 1986. In April alone, 10 tons of poisonous snakes such as Agkistrodon acutus and cobra were killed. The killing amount of Agkistrodon acutus is gradually increasing, which is difficult to control for a while.
【 Status of Domestication and Breeding 】 The decreasing population of Agkistrodon acutus has attracted the attention of biologists and people's governments in China. Zhejiang Medical University, Qimen Snake Injury Research Institute, Fujian Medical College and other units have established snake gardens and conducted artificial feeding experiments. In recent years, nearly 100 small farms for raising Agkistrodon acutus have been established all over the country. However, due to less investment, insufficient technical force and poor feeding conditions, the results are not great. From 65438 to 0985, China Chinese Herbal Medicine Company invested tens of thousands of yuan and signed a contract with Anhui Chinese Herbal Medicine Company. Qimen Snake Injury Research Institute, Qimen Experimental Station of Science and Technology Commission, Huizhou Regional Science and Technology Commission and Huizhou Chinese Herbal Medicine Company organized forces to build a bionic snake garden in Qimen County to conduct artificial breeding research on Agkistrodon acutus. After several years of work, the technical problems such as artificial feeding of Agkistrodon acutus, artificial hatching of snake eggs, cultivation of young snakes and overwintering of Agkistrodon acutus have been solved successively. A batch of Agkistrodon acutus snakes aged 65438 0 ~ 4 years were artificially bred for the first time.
[Existing Protection Measures] According to the relevant provisions of the Forest Protection Law of People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Environmental Protection Law of People's Republic of China (PRC), all provinces and cities have corresponding orders and regulations on the protection of snake resources. The People's Government of Anhui Province also listed Agkistrodon acutus as a key protected animal. The provincial government pointed out in 1984 "Notice on Protecting Snake Resources" that no unit or individual is allowed to kill or buy snakes, including poisonous snakes and non-poisonous snakes. The administrative department for industry and commerce shall not issue a business license for dealing in snake products. In the main producing areas of Agkistrodon acutus, some nature reserves have been established, such as Wuyishan Nature Reserve in Fujian, Huangshan Nature Reserve in Anhui and Guniujiang Nature Reserve. The establishment of these nature reserves will protect forests, improve the habitat of Agkistrodon acutus, and be beneficial to the reproduction of Agkistrodon acutus.
[Further protective measures to be taken]
① Agkistrodon acutus is a unique and precious snake species in China, which should be listed as a national second-class protected animal as soon as possible, and indiscriminate catching and killing are strictly prohibited.
(2) We should follow the State Council's example of listing Liaoning Snake Island as a national key nature reserve, and establish an Agkistrodon acutus nature reserve in the key production areas of Agkistrodon acutus.
③ Commercial and foreign trade departments should control the export of dried Agkistrodon acutus; Propaganda departments, especially newspapers and periodicals, should stop publishing articles about catching snakes to get rich, so as not to attract more people to engage in snake killing activities.
(4) Increase investment, establish an artificial breeding center for Agkistrodon acutus, organize technical research, and solve the problem of domestication from wild to domestic.