First report of a prolonged bite by a Western Whip Snake, Hierophis viridiflavus carbonarius (Bonaparte 1833) (Serpentes, Colubridae), resulting in pronounced local oedema

Abstract

Although extensive research has been conducted on snake venoms, the effects of bites inflicted by non-front-fanged colubroid snakes remain incompletely understood, particularly for species of uncertain medical relevance. The Western Whip Snake (Hierophis viridiflavus) is a colubrid snake typically classified as non-venomous and harmless to humans. Nevertheless, old works reporting the presence of Duvernoy's glands in this species raise questions regarding its presumed lack of venom. This report presents the first case of a prolonged bite from a wild Western Whip Snake (Hierophis viridiflavus carbonarius) that occurred in Italy, and provides a detailed account of the resulting effects. The primary symptom experienced by the bitten subject was painless, marked local oedema, which subsided within 24h after the bite. The clinical manifestations observed in the current study suggest that Hierophis viridiflavus could have the potential to inflict bites that lead to mild local effects consistent with envenoming.