A bite from a copperhead is usually not fatal, but the bite is extremely painful and needs immediate medical attention.


Saving Lives Some snakes are more lethal than others. Venom from a copperhead is not usually deadly to people. Yet copperhead bites can cause swelling, tissue damage, low blood pressure, and pain in the limbs. A bite also paves the way for other serious infections. Getting bitten by a copperhead is still a


bad idea. But using some substances found in copperhead’s venom may help fi nd a cure for certain types of cancer, like breast cancer. In some laboratory studies, a substance


in copperhead venom was found to stop the growth of some cancerous tumors. Not only did the venom stop the growth of the tumor, it stopped the growth of blood vessels to the tumor. T at means that the tumor had no way to receive nutrients that would allow it to spread throughout the body. Scientists can’t fully explain how or why the


venom seems to fi ght cancer. Nor have they developed a medicine that’s ready to be used on people yet. But the research continues.


6 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXTREME EXPLORER


From Fang to Pharmacy You’d know it if you were on the wrong side of a saw-scaled viper. When alarmed, it folds its body over itself and rubs its scales together to create a sawing or sizzling sound. In the grasslands of Nigeria, this extremely


aggressive viper strikes quickly whenever it feels threatened. Its venom causes massive internal bleeding and can kill quickly. Used in a diff erent way, this snake’s venom


saves lives. It’s used as a treatment for heart attacks. It works by helping to dissolve blood clots and prevent new ones from forming. Scientists are developing a similar drug for


stroke victims. T is drug is made from the venom of the Malayan pit viper. Traditional medicines used to treat strokes lose their eff ectiveness three hours aſt er a person has had a stroke. T is new drug may expand that window to six hours. T e longer window of time would give people more time to get to a hospital for treatment. T e extra time could make a big diff erence in a person’s recovery.


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