Are snakes 'venomous' or 'poisonous'? Kuya Kim explains

Do you know what's the difference between venomous ("makamandag") and poisonous ("nakakalason")?

According to Kuya Kim's report on "24 Oras," Thursday, these terms are used to describe organisms which use toxin as a defense mechanism.

How they differ, however, is the method which that toxin is applied.

"Ang term na 'venomous' ay naa-apply sa mga organism na nangangagat, nanunuklaw o di kaya'y nangsi-sting para i-inject ang kanilang toxin," Kuya Kim said.

"Habang ang term na poisonous naman ay na-apply sa mga organism na nag-a-unload ng toxin kapag ito'y kinakain, nahawakan, nalanghap o na-absorb ng balat," he added.

In the case of snakes, some species are highly venomous animals.

"Ang venom o kamandag ng mga ahas ay highly toxic. Ginagamit nila ito para manghuli ng prey at pandepensa sa panganib," Kuya Kim said.

According to Dr. Sean Frederick Serrano, an exotic animal veterinarian, some of the venomous snakes in the Philippines are the Philippine Cobra, the Equatorial Spitting Cobra, and the Samar Cobra.

"Commonly, nakikita sila sa mga palayan, sa kagubatan, sa ngayon mas dumarami na 'yong occurrences na nakikita sila sa mga residential areas," he said.

Serrano said symptoms may appear 30 minutes to one hour after a bite from a venomous snake.

If one encounters a venomous snake, Serrano advised, "Kailangan kalmado ka. The more na nagpa-panic ka, mas mabilis ang circulation noon sa katawan."

"Linisan lang ng sugat pero huwag lang ng kung ano-anong gamot na hindi naman prinescribe ng doctor."

He also said to avoid cutting yourself and go to the hospital for proper medical treatment.

"Sila magpo-provide ng medical aid, kasi ang kailangan na riyan ay talagang hospital equipment, ite-treat 'yan symptomatically bago sila mag-administer ng anti-venom," he added.

Thankfully, though, the most venomous snake in the world is not in the Philippines but in Western New South Wales in Australia. That title goes to the inland taipan snake or oxyuranus microlepidotus.

Its venom has taipoxin (taipan toxin), neurotoxin, procoagulants, and myotoxin that can paralyze the victim and cause hemorrhaging of the blood vessels and muscle tissue.

A person bitten by the inland taipan may die within 30-45 minutes.

—Kimberly Tsao/MGP, GMA Integrated News