Suspected snakebite is a medical emergency. Call 108 (ambulance) or 112 and go to the nearest hospital now. First aid steps →

Safety guide

Snakebite first aid & safety

Based on World Health Organization guidance and standard Indian snakebite management guidelines. This page is educational — it does not replace emergency medical care.

Immediately after a bite

First aid: “Do it R.I.G.H.T.”

A simple sequence recommended in Indian snakebite guidelines. The goal is to keep the person stable and get them to antivenom as quickly as possible.

  1. R — Reassure

    Keep the person calm

    Many bites are from non-venomous snakes or are “dry” bites with no venom injected, and effective hospital treatment exists. Panic and movement do not help. Move the person away from the snake.

  2. I — Immobilise

    Keep the bitten limb still

    Immobilise the limb as you would for a fracture, using a loose splint or sling — nothing tight. Remove rings, watches, bangles, anklets and tight clothing near the bite before swelling begins. Avoid walking if possible; carry the person or use a vehicle.

  3. G H — Get to Hospital

    Go to hospital immediately

    Call 108 (ambulance) or 112, or use the fastest safe transport to a hospital that can give antivenom (anti-snake venom, ASV). Do not wait for symptoms and do not stop at traditional healers on the way.

  4. T — Tell the doctor

    Describe what happened

    Tell the doctor the time of the bite, what the person was doing, and any symptoms that develop on the way, such as drooping eyelids or bleeding. A photo of the snake helps only if it was taken from a safe distance — never try to catch or kill it.

While waiting: if the person vomits or becomes drowsy, lay them on their left side (recovery position) and monitor breathing. If breathing stops and you are trained, begin rescue breathing/CPR and tell the emergency operator.

Evidence-based

Do & don't

Many traditional “remedies” waste critical time or cause serious harm, including infection, bleeding and limb loss.

Do

  • Stay calm and move away from the snake.
  • Call 108 / 112 or arrange transport straight away.
  • Keep the bitten limb still and roughly at heart level or below, with a loose splint.
  • Remove rings, bangles, watches and tight clothing near the bite.
  • Note the time of the bite and any symptoms.
  • Go to hospital even if you feel fine — symptoms can take hours to appear.

Don't

  • Don't cut or slash the wound.
  • Don't suck the venom out, by mouth or with a suction device.
  • Don't apply a tight tourniquet, rope, cloth tie or tight bandage — it can cause severe tissue damage and limb loss.
  • Don't apply ice, heat, chemicals (such as potassium permanganate), electric shocks or burn the wound.
  • Don't use herbal remedies, “snake stones” or faith healers — they delay life-saving treatment.
  • Don't give alcohol, or aspirin/ibuprofen-type painkillers (they can worsen bleeding). Leave medicines to doctors.
  • Don't try to catch or kill the snake — it risks more bites.

Warning signs

Symptoms to report

These are signs of envenoming that doctors look for. This list is not a diagnostic tool — absence of symptoms does not mean the bite is safe.

At the bite site

  • Pain and spreading swelling
  • Blistering or bruising
  • Persistent bleeding from the bite marks
  • Darkening skin

Bleeding & kidneys

  • Bleeding gums or nose
  • Blood in vomit, urine or stools
  • Reduced or dark urine
  • Dizziness, fainting

Nervous system

  • Drooping eyelids, double vision
  • Difficulty swallowing, speaking or breathing
  • Unusual weakness or drowsiness
  • Abdominal pain (reported in krait bites)

At the hospital

What to expect

Assessment and observation

Doctors examine the bite, check symptoms and usually run blood tests — for example a simple 20-minute whole-blood clotting test — to look for envenoming. People are often observed for 24 hours because effects can be delayed.

Antivenom (ASV)

If there are signs of envenoming, doctors give antivenom. Indian polyvalent antivenom is raised against the “Big Four”: Spectacled Cobra, Common Krait, Russell's Viper and Saw-scaled Viper. Decisions about antivenom and other treatment belong to the medical team.

Seeing a snake

If you find a snake

Most snakes bite only when they are stepped on, cornered or handled.

Stop and step back

Keep a safe distance of several metres. Keep children and pets away. Never try to pick up, corner or kill the snake.

Indoors?

Leave the room, close the door and block the gap underneath if you safely can, and keep watch from a distance.

Call trained help

Contact your local forest department or a recognised trained snake rescuer. Most Indian snakes are legally protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Prevention

Reduce the risk of bites

Practical habits that lower risk at home, in fields and outdoors — especially during and after the monsoon.

Carry a torch at night

Many bites happen after dark on paths, in fields and near homes. Light your way and watch where you step.

Wear footwear

Closed shoes or boots and long trousers help in fields, plantations and long grass.

Sleep off the floor

Krait bites often occur at night to people sleeping on the floor. Use a raised bed and a mosquito net tucked in well.

Look before you reach

Check before putting hands into holes, wood piles, haystacks, shoes or dark corners. Use a stick to move debris.

Keep surroundings clear

Reduce rubbish, rubble and stored grain spills that attract rodents — and the snakes that eat them.

Leave snakes alone

Trying to kill or catch snakes is a leading cause of bites. Give them space and they will usually move away.

Myth vs fact

Common snake myths

Tap a myth to see what the evidence says.

MYTHCutting the wound or sucking out the venom helps.
FACTIt does not remove venom effectively, and it adds bleeding, infection and tissue damage. The bitten person needs hospital treatment instead.
MYTHA tight tourniquet stops venom spreading.
FACTTight tourniquets cut off blood supply and can cause gangrene and limb loss, and releasing them can cause a sudden surge of effects. Keep the limb still with a loose splint instead.
MYTHHerbal medicines, “snake stones” or rituals can cure a bite.
FACTThere is no scientific evidence that they work. Antivenom given in hospital is the only proven specific treatment. Time spent on these delays care.
MYTHNo pain means the bite is harmless.
FACTKrait bites can be almost painless with little swelling, yet cause life-threatening paralysis hours later. Every suspected bite needs hospital assessment.
MYTHSnakes drink milk.
FACTSnakes are carnivores and do not drink milk as food. Forcing milk on captive snakes, as sometimes happens at festivals, can harm them.
MYTHCobras dance to the snake charmer's music.
FACTSnakes have no external ears and cannot hear airborne music as we do. A cobra follows the movement of the pipe as a possible threat. Snake charming is illegal in India under wildlife law.
MYTHSnakes take revenge or remember a person's face.
FACTThere is no evidence for this. Snakes bite in self-defence when threatened, stepped on or handled.
MYTHSnakes chase people.
FACTSnakes generally try to escape. A snake moving towards a person is usually heading for cover it knows, or defending itself.
MYTHAll snakes are venomous.
FACTMost snake species in India are non-venomous. Harmless species such as rat snakes, wolf snakes and keelbacks are important rodent and pest controllers.
MYTHThe Red Sand Boa has two heads and brings wealth.
FACTIt has one head; its blunt tail only resembles a head. Such beliefs drive illegal trade that threatens the species.
MYTHA dead snake cannot bite.
FACTReflex bites can happen for some time after a snake is killed or even decapitated. Do not handle dead snakes.
MYTHYou must bring the snake to hospital.
FACTThis is not needed and risks more bites. Doctors treat according to symptoms and test results. A photo taken from a safe distance can help, but is never worth the risk.

Further reading

Useful safety resources

Authoritative sources on snakebite treatment and Indian snakes.