Why dont snakes poison themselves ?

[vehelpfulguy]

Some snake poison can be extremely deadly, one small drop can kill up to 50 people.

If it is that strong why dont snakes poison themselves if it is in their body.

I guess they have built up some sort of resistance, but if the poison is that strong I am amazed their body can resist that high level of poison.

[andy-hughes]

Any snake will be immune to its own venom, it's a built-in survival thing.

Snakes don't carry poison that is seriously toxic - what it does is paralyse the nervous system of its vicitm, which in small animals makes death virtually instantaneous, and in humans, longer, but potentially fatal.

[andy-hughes]

It reminds me of the baby snake asking his mum if their breed of snake crushes people, or poisons them?

"We crush them." said his mum.

"Thank heavens for that!" said the baby snake, "I've just bitten my tongue!"

[wildwood]

It very much depends which species of snake you mean. Different species have different toxins in their venom.
I hate to disagree with our highly respected long term resident andy, but no animal is completely resistant to all snake venom, not even snakes. Rattlesnakes for instance will die very quickly if they bit themselves in the body. Even the mongoose is not immune but it has a higher resistance and what may be fatal to a rabbit might only give them temporary paralysis. There is a large array of different enzymes employed by different snake species to make the venom. One thing they have in common in that for the venom to kill it has to be injected into the victim's bloodstream, this is why they can have such a dangerous substance in their body without any ill effect - in the same way that the hydrochloric acid in our stomach doesn't kill us. The body has HC resistant linings in the digestive system. If this acid should find its way in to other body part such as through serious stomach ulcers, it will most certainly do some serious damage.

[andy-hughes]

Thanks for your kind words wildwood - and I stand corrected.