New research indicates that climate change could lead to large-scale migration of venomous snake species to new areas and countries that are unprepared for this shift.
Researchers predict that Nepal, Niger, Namibia, China, and Myanmar will become “hotspots” for the most venomous snakes from neighboring countries due to the impacts of global warming, according to the Guardian.
According to the study published in the journal Lancet Planetary Health, low-income countries in South and Southeast Asia, as well as some regions in Africa, will be particularly vulnerable to the increasing incidence of snakebites.
A Gaboon viper from West Africa. The study suggests that the habitat of this species could increase by up to 250%. (Image: iStock.)
The research modeled the geographical distribution of 209 known venomous snake species that pose a medical emergency to humans, in order to predict where these snakes might find favorable climate conditions by the year 2070.
The results showed that while most venomous snakes will experience a reduction in their ranges due to the loss of tropical and subtropical ecosystems, the habitat of some species, such as the Gaboon viper, is expected to increase by up to 250%.
The range of the European viper and the horned viper is also projected to more than double by 2070.
However, some snake species, including the African bush viper and the pit viper in the Americas, are predicted to lose over 70% of their range.
Study authors Pablo Ariel Martinez from the Federal University of Sergipe in Brazil and Talita F Amado from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research in Leipzig noted: “As more land is converted to agriculture and livestock, the natural habitat of snakes will be fragmented and destroyed.”
“However, some adaptable snake species, especially those with medical concerns, may thrive in agricultural environments and even flourish in areas where crops are grown or livestock farming provides food sources like rodents.”
The authors of the study stated: “Our research shows that when venomous snakes start appearing in new locations, it serves as a warning for us to think about how we can keep ourselves and the environment safe.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1.8 to 2.7 million people are bitten by venomous snakes each year, resulting in 138,000 deaths and at least 400,000 amputations and permanent disabilities. In 2017, the WHO classified snakebite envenoming as a neglected tropical disease of the highest priority.
“We are finally gaining a better understanding of how snake distributions will change due to climate change, but there is also a significant concern that they will bite more people if warmer temperatures, extreme wet weather, and flooding cause snakes to move and humans encounter them more frequently,” stated Anna Pintor, a WHO researcher in the neglected tropical diseases group.
“We need to better understand exactly how this will affect the areas where people will be bitten by snakes and the magnitude of these occurrences in order to prepare an effective response.”
“Snakebite is inherently a human-animal-environment conflict. This model does not account for how humans will adapt/change in response to climate change. However, the global study addresses a significant knowledge gap,” commented Soumyadeep Bhaumik, a medical lecturer at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, who was not involved in the research.
“The need for countries burdened with high rates of snakebite to collaborate with neighboring countries is a key emphasis of the new study,” the expert added.
He further stated: “After all, international borders are not meant for snakes; they are meant for people.”
