Horses bitten by a snake have around an 85 per cent chance of survival if treated with antivenom within six hours of being bitten (envenomation). Unfortunately, horses can suffer long term damage to the heart, kidneys and develop immune related blood disorders following snake envenomation.
The hedgehog (Erinaceidae), the mongoose (Herpestidae), the honey badger (Mellivora capensis) and the opossum are known to be immune to a dose of snake venom.
But, aside from young foal, adult horses do not typically die from the toxic venom from a snake bite. Your horse's Veterinarian will be more concerned with asphyxiation due to swelling, infection and secondary disease that can result from a bite.
Owner John Curtin said it takes up to 18 months for the horses to start producing antivenom. "These horses are all hyper-immune to snake bites," he said.
The snakes that definitely cause death are the various brown snakes, King Browns, Taipans and Death Adders: there are a few of these in some areas, and there are a few Tigers around the creeks. The take-home message is : IF YOU SEE YOUR HORSE GET BITTEN BY A SNAKE CALL THE VET NOW!
Snake bites usually occur on faces and the lower limbs when horses are out in the pasture grazing. Because horses are so curious, if they see something intriguing, they are likely to get close to, look at, and smell the slithering creature. Horses may be bitten on the leg if they step on or near a snake.
Horses are most commonly chosen as the animals to create antibodies because they thrive in many environments worldwide, have a large body mass, get along with each other and are forgiving. Goats and sheep can work well, too.
Their resistance is to the a-neurotoxin in snake venom, specifically. Domestic pigs have a genetic mutation in their cell receptors that prevents binding of the a-neurotoxin, rendering the venom useless. The resistance doesn't occur in most pigs until they are adults, so small pigs are still vulnerable.
Some horses might be curious of the snake, others would rather run. It depends on the horse, of course, but many horses are scared of snakes because they aren't used to seeing them and they tend to come out of dark places and can make sudden movements.
“And while only 31 per cent of dogs survive being bitten by an eastern brown snake without antivenom, cats are twice as likely to survive – at 66 per cent.” Cats also have a significantly higher survival rate if given antivenom treatment and, until now, the reasons behind this disparity were unknown.
Cone Snail
Only a handful of people have ever been stung, but, quite unfortunately, there is no antivenom.
In the mammalian realm, hedgehogs, skunks, ground squirrels, and pigs have shown resistance to venom. Some scientists even believe the lowly opossum, which wields a venom-neutralizing peptide in its blood, may hold the key to developing a universal antivenom.
No, the fastest-acting venom on Earth belongs to the Australian Box Jellyfish or sea wasp. It's not the most potent venom out there. But encounter one of these guys and you'll be dead in 15 minutes. That's all because of these things They're COVERED with tiny, venom-loaded darts, called nematocysts.
Honey badgers have more profound defenses. Their skin is thick but loose, allowing them to absorb damage from damaging blows, bites, and stings. Furthermore, they are highly resistant to most elapid snake venom, including the black mamba.
Mongooses have mutated cells that block the mambas' neurotoxins from entering their bloodstream. This makes them capable of surviving the venomous snake's deadly bite. (See how a mongoose fends off a lion.)
Sheep have a natural immunity to pit viper venom! The anti-venom you would take if you got bit by a rattler was made inside of a sheep! Luna was perfectly fine from the bite after three days!
The horse, a prey animal, depends on flight as its primary means of survival. Its natural predators are large animals such as cougars, wolves, or bears, so its ability to outrun these predators is critical.
In the wild, horses are most scared of natural predators like lions, wolves, and alligators. Domesticated horses can be scared of any sound they haven't heard before, and it could be as innocent as the sounds of plastic bags, barking, or any suspicious noise in the wind.
Clinical signs of snakebite in horses can vary widely but generally include pain, swelling at the bite site, one or more puncture wounds, and sometimes sloughing of tissues near the bite site. Some bite wounds might not be readily apparent.
The effect of venom is based on the target's weight. Cows are rarely injected with just enough venom to cause their death. Animals like this one are too large compared with snakes and their venom glands' capacity.
Horses and cattle, though very sensitive, seldom die as a result of snakebites. A lethal dose of venom is based on body weight and fortunately most horses and cows are simply too large for snakes to kill. A large animal will generally survive the bite unless infection develops or the bite is on the muzzle.
Inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus)
The most venomous snake in the world is considered to be the inland taipan, endemic to central-eastern Australia. It has by far the highest median lethal dose of venom of any snake, and indeed probably any animal, making it the most toxic.
The only standardized specific treatment currently available for neutralizing the medically important effects of snake venom toxins is antivenom [8,9,12].
Intriguingly, opossums shrug off snake bite venom with no ill effects. Claire F. Komives, Ph. D., who is at San Jose State University, explains that initial studies showing the opossum's immunity to snake venom were done in the 1940s.
Production of snake antivenoms involves immunization of an animal, usually horses, with snake venom(s). The serum or plasma is then fractionated to yield antivenom antibodies.