Poisonous snakes can undoubtedly cause fear and some of the most negative feelings towards some this crawling part of the animal world. The venom of poisonous snakes has such a lethal impact that it can induce paralysis and death in less than thirty minutes, not to mention the risk of getting blind if any of the toxins are sprayed into the eyes. Even with the risk of getting bitten in close encounters, poisonous snakes prove in fact disarmed as they rely on their venom to survive: no snake will bite unless in defense or to hunt its meal . The rest of the negative feelings towards snakes comes from an incorrect perception triggered by ancient myths.

The formation of the venom secreted by poisonous snakes is very complex: the paralysis and eventual death of the prey are caused by a smart blending of proteins and toxins. The toxin attacks the muscles, the lungs and the heart, and starting from this action mode scientists have classified poisonous snakes into variety that destroy blood vessels and cause unstoppable hemorrhage, venomous species that paralyze the heart and, last but not least, others that only cause excruciating muscle pain. Corals and cobras would thus engage the first positions in a top of the most poisonous snakes.

The aggregation structure of the snake venom still fascinates scientists, and lots of tests are still conducted on it. The only remedy for poisonous snakes bites is the emergency antivenin administration. There are however some factors that increase or decrease the victim's chances of survival: thus, knowing the type of snake that caused the bite and its exact location prove crucial. If there is too much time between the moment of the bite and the antidote injection, the victim will suffer extensive health damage or even die. Furthermore, there have been cases of patients who developed instant allergies to poisonous snake bites or to antidotes and died.

Rattlesnakes cause most of the bites in the United States, yet lethal outcomes of such incidents have become a rarity in our times since medical assistance is not a problem anymore. The water moccasin, the copperhead and the cottonmouth belong to the same poisonous family as the rattlesnake; they are highly poisonous snakes too that would surely mark the days of anyone who gets bitten. Stressful incidents involving snake attacks are often behind snake phobia or this excessive fear can have roots in sociological ancestral beliefs that are manifest even with people who have never come across a snake in their life.

The snake is also a mythical representation not just an animal people feel afraid of. The graphical stylizations of snakes in our arts and cultures go back to the ancient mythical times. On the one hand, serpents are part of ecosystems, with a well-determined role in the existence of certain species, and secondly they remain symbols of deep meanings. Their hunting mice and rats limits the risk of pest and prevents the over-breeding of these rodents. Yet, in the ancient traditions, types of snake worshiping were part of religious rites, with the serpent representing deities, or the eternal circle of life and death or wisdom.

Many types of snake-related traditions have been discovered everywhere in the world: for the ancient Greeks the snake was the symbol of fertility; Mesopotamians and Semites attributed immortal features to this creature because it moulted and it rejuvenated its appearance periodically; Indians, Siamese and Burmese considered the snake the embodiment of a demon that also had its good parts.