Dead but deadly: THESE snakes can still bite hours after death, says study

It might seem almost impossible to imagine a harmless, lifeless snake striking even after death, just like a scene out of a horror thriller movie, but it's a reality. A study from Assam has revealed that certain venomous snakes, including popular dangerous categories, can still administer a venomous bite hours after being killed.This research challenges our assumptions about snake behaviour and talks about a surprising danger for anyone who might come across a dead snake.A new study published in Frontiers in Tropical Diseases has documented the shocking ability of certain Indian snakes, including the monocled cobras and black kraits, to deliver venomous bites several hours after deathA 45-year-old man in Sivasagar, Assam, killed a cobra that had entered his home. While trying to discard the dead snake, its severed head bit him on the thumb. He experienced intense pain radiating to his shoulder and vomiting. Doctors confirmed the snake was a monocled cobra. After receiving antivenom and pain management treatment, he recovered without developing neurotoxic symptoms.In another incident in Sivasagar, a farmer accidentally ran over a cobra with his tractor. Believing the snake to be dead, he was bitten on the foot as he stepped away. The bite caused severe pain, swelling, and skin discoloration. Twenty vials of antivenom were administered, and the man developed a painful ulcer. His wound finally healed after 65 days.In Kamrup district, a neighbor picked up the head of a snake that had been killed earlier. Hours later, he began suffering from drooping eyelids and difficulty swallowing, which is a sign of neurotoxic envenomation. The snake was later identified as a black krait. He required respiratory support and antivenom. After 43 hours on ventilatory aid, he recovered and was discharged in good health after six days.Prof. Robin Doley from Tezpur University and a researcher from the study called these findings a world-first for these species, noting that such cases had previously only been documented in species like rattlesnakes and spitting cobras.Based upon research, the scientists said that their nervous systems can remain responsive for four to six hours after death, allowing decapitated heads to reflexively bite if touched, and this phenomenon is called a reflex action. The venom glands connected to hollow fangs can still expel venom when pressure is applied, even in death.