Medically Significant Bites by “Colubrid” Snakes - "Venomous" Bites from Non-Venomous Snakes - page 77

Plate 4.14 Jans' desert racer or cliff racer ( Platyceps rhodorachis ) inflicting a medically
insignificant bite. Platyceps rhodorachis is a lengthy, agile species with widely variable,
softly banded, coloration. It ranges from North Africa to the Arabian Peninsula, and into
eastern Asia as far as India and Pakistan. Similar to other taxa previously clustered with
the genus Coluber , it utilizes a range of microhabitats (desert, mountains, rocky areas, and
biotopes with flowing water) within arid regions, and is considered semiaquatic. Its diet is
generalized, consisting of tadpoles, toads, fish, other reptiles, birds, and small mammals.
Although there is a report of two bites with elevated creatine phosphokinase (CK), thus far,
bites have produced only mild local effects, and no systemic involvement.
Photo copyright to Alexander Westersröm.
Plate 4.15 Minor local effects of a bite by the red-headed whipsnake ( Coluber rubriceps ),
Israel. The victim was bitten on the proximal and distal phalanges of digit #5, right hand.
There was brief, minor pain, scant bleeding and mild, transient erythema. The photo was taken
approximately 10 h after the bite.
Photo copyright to Tomer Beker.