Cali Man Hospitalized From Deadly Pit Viper Bite After Lifting Snake By Its Tail

The Fer De Lance, or Mapaná is  a deadly pit viper very common in Colombia, and causes several deaths and many bites each year. In the Cali suburban area of Rio Pance, a young man of 23 was bitten by a snake after trying to protect it from other individuals who were attempting to kill it.

Rio Pance, a shallow river, is a popular bathing spot for Cali residents.

The snake bite victim is listed in serious but stable condition in Cali’s Clinica Valle del Lili hospital, with close monitoring of his arms and legs, which may be at risk of amputation.

The Fer De Lance, or Bothrops Atrox, is both extremely venomous and highly common throughout tropical regions of South and Central America. It is also found on in Trinidad and Tobago. They are especially problematic around banana plantations where they hunt for rodents.

The hemorrhagic venom breaks down blood vessels while preventing coagulation, leading to stroke, kidney failure, and in survivors, chronic symptoms.

#ReporteEntérateCali El día de ayer en horas de la tarde en sector de Pance apareció este serpiente y un joven por querer moverla hacia un lugar con menos personas al parecer terminó siendo mordido. Según informaciones el joven fue trasladado por ambulancia. pic.twitter.com/zscbjzGRvW

— Entérate Cali (@EnterateCali) January 3, 2023

Headline photo: By Bernard Dupont from France – Fer-de-Lance (Bothrops atrox)(found by Sylvain REMY), CC BY-SA 2.0,