Can a poisonous viper from the Kherson Region be carried by water to Odessa? The answer of the experts
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As a result of Russians undermining the Kakhovskaya HPP and flooding of many settlements from the Kherson region to Odesa, the water is carrying away both dead and surviving animals. In particular, a snake is brought to the coast of Odesa, and some users of social networks are worried that a poisonous steppe viper may “swim” to them. Can the viper be carried away by water from the Kherson region and what kind of threat does this pose – explained herpetologist Oleksiy Marushchak and general director of the Odesa Zoo Ihor Belyakov. Experts say that a reptile from the Kherson region can really carry water on household items, furniture, boards or garbage. However, the snakes that Odessans mistakenly identify as vipers are actually non-venomous water snakes. Water snake Photo: Ihor Belyakov “We went to the sea at the request of the police, there was a report about what seemed to be a viper, but it turned out to be just a water snake (Natrix tessellata). The steppe viper (Vipera renardi) really lives in the Kherson region, and theoretically it can also bring it, but in practice it is very unlikely. That’s why you shouldn’t see danger in every snake. Friends, I’m begging you, if you see a snake, immediately take a few photos and send them to me,” Igor Belyakov wrote. The snakes that Odessans saw and mistook for vipers were actually non-venomous water snakes. On the Left Bank of the Kherson region, there is indeed a steppe viper, but not in Odesa. But the probability that this snake will “swim” alive to Odessa is low. It is even less likely that a viper will bite someone. “Purely theoretically, one of them could have been washed away, and with a very low probability it could have landed on the shores of Odessa. I saw several posts with shouts that steppe vipers were arriving in Odessa. I did not see a single steppe viper in the photos. Everything that people take for viper, turns out to be water snakes, which really could have been washed into the sea in large numbers. They also hunt in salt water,” explained Oleksiy Marushchak. Steppe viper. Photo: Oleksiy Marushchak If you see a steppe viper, contact the experts and send them a photo to correctly identify the species. Do not try to catch or kill the snake – the water snake is non-poisonous and does not pose a threat, and the steppe viper is listed in the Red Book of Ukraine. You can learn more about how to recognize a poisonous snake and provide first aid if you are bitten from the material “What snakes can be found in Ukraine and how to recognize poisonous ones? A herpetologist explains”. We will remind you that earlier we talked about how to avoid accidentally becoming a victim of poisonous snakes.
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