These snakes preserved in liquor can still be alive due to several mistakes.
Snake wine is a type of liquor that dates back to the Western Zhou Dynasty (771 BC) and is considered an effective medicinal remedy in traditional Chinese medicine. Southeast Asian countries often use the method of soaking dead snakes (usually venomous) in high-proof rice wine to create this special liquor.
The snakes are typically soaked whole, with the number usually being odd (like three snakes wine, five snakes wine…) and it is crucial that the snake bile is not lost during the soaking process. After being soaked for a long time, ranging from one to several years, the snake wine can be consumed.
The king cobra was soaked while still alive.
However, there have been many rare cases where even snakes soaked in liquor for years have attacked people. Could it be that the snake preserved in liquor can still come back to life and pose a danger to humans?
Some recorded incidents of this unbelievable accident include:
– In 2013, a woman named Liu living in Songcheng County, Heilongjiang Province was bitten by a green snake even though it had been soaked in a jar of high-proof liquor for nearly three months (according to China Times). She was promptly taken to the hospital by her family and fortunately escaped death. It is known that she used this snake wine believing it could cure her ailments.
– Similarly, in another case also in Heilongjiang Province, China, a man was bitten on the hand by a venomous snake that had been soaked in liquor when he was trying to pour some for his sick son, believing it could cure him. Amazingly, three snakes in the jar were still alive despite being soaked in liquor for over a year. Fortunately, the victim survived after being rushed to the hospital.
Snakes used for making liquor. (Photo: Pinterest).
– In 2001, a man in Guangxi Province, China was not as fortunate as the two previous cases when he was bitten by a green snake and died, even though it had been soaked in liquor for a year (according to Feelguide).
Reasons why snakes soaked in liquor for years can still come back to life and attack humans
Typically, when making snake wine, the snake is eviscerated to remove its organs, so in this case, the snake would not be able to survive. However, many people soak the whole snake (known as whole-body soaking).
This is a situation that can easily occur if one attempts to make snake wine without proper knowledge. Below is a video of such a case where a person soaked a snake (with a 35% alcohol concentration) while it was still alive.
Soaking snake wine from a green snake.
According to Dr. Tran Van Ban, a renowned herbalist and Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Traditional Medicine Association, with whole-body soaking, the venom at the snake’s two sides (near the neck) remains intact (according to Health and Life).
Additionally, according to Mirror, many snake species hibernate, and if the liquor jar is not sealed (allowing oxygen in), the snakes may enter a state of hibernation for an extended period. This is also why many snakes can come back to life even after being soaked in liquor for over a year.
As cold-blooded animals, hibernation helps snakes survive in harsh conditions such as lack of oxygen, food, and water (especially in winter). They will only awaken when they receive new stimuli from the environment, such as a rise in temperature.
Common snake species used for medicinal liquor that have hibernation behavior include Bungarus multicinctus (Chinese krait) and various species of pit vipers.
