Table of Contents
- Snake Bite First Aid: Quick Guide
- What should you do if a snake bites you?
- Why is keeping still so important?
- How do you apply a pressure immobilisation bandage?
- What should you never do after a snake bite?
- What does a snake bite look like?
- What are the symptoms of a snake bite?
- How does snake venom affect the body?
- What happens if a brown snake bites you?
- What happens if a red-bellied black snake bites you?
- What is a dry snake bite?
- What happens at hospital after a snake bite?
- How does antivenom work?
- How many people die from snake bites in Australia?
- How long does a snake bite take to heal?
- How can you prevent snake bites?
- First aid training for snake bites
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Sources and clinical review
All known or suspected snake bites in Australia should be treated as potentially life-threatening. Call Triple Zero (000) and ask for an ambulance immediately. Do not wait for symptoms to appear.
Keep the person completely still and reassure them. Apply a pressure immobilisation bandage to the affected limb, then splint the limb to reduce movement. Do not wash, cut or suck the bite. Do not apply an arterial tourniquet or try to catch the snake.
This guidance follows ANZCOR Guideline 9.4.1 – First Aid Management of Australian Snake Bite and ANZCOR Guideline 9.4.8 – Envenomation – Pressure Immobilisation Technique.
Important: This article provides general first aid information. It does not replace advice from Triple Zero (000), paramedics or medical professionals.
Snake Bite First Aid: Quick Guide
- Call Triple Zero (000) and ask for an ambulance.
- Keep the person completely still. Reassure them and stay with them.
- Apply a pressure bandage over the bite area as soon as possible.
- Bandage the affected limb firmly and splint it to restrict movement.
- Do not wash, cut or suck the bite.
- Do not use an arterial tourniquet.
- Do not let the person walk unnecessarily.
- If the person becomes unresponsive and is not breathing normally, start CPR immediately.
Leave the pressure immobilisation bandage and splint in place until the person has received appropriate medical assessment.
What should you do if a snake bites you?
Call Triple Zero (000) for every known or suspected Australian snake bite, including a suspected sea snake bite.
Do this even if:
- the person feels well
- the bite does not hurt
- you cannot see fang marks
- the bite appears to be only a scratch
- symptoms have not yet developed
- the snake could not be identified.
A snake bite can be difficult to see and may initially cause little or no pain. A first aider cannot safely tell whether venom was injected by looking at the bite.
Help the person lie or sit still. Keep them reassured and under constant observation.
Where emergency services can reach the person, bring help or transport to them rather than making them walk to a vehicle. Movement can increase lymph flow and may help venom move from the tissues towards the bloodstream.
If the person becomes unresponsive and is not breathing normally, follow DRSABCD and commence CPR. CPR takes priority over completing pressure immobilisation. ANZCOR states that performing CPR does not expose the rescuer to snake venom.
What if the person is alone or in a remote location?
The safest action depends on whether urgent help can reach the person and what communication is available.
In all cases, contact Triple Zero (000) or the relevant emergency service as soon as possible and follow the call-taker's instructions.
Why is keeping still so important?
Snake venom injected into tissue can move through the lymphatic system before entering the circulation.
Unlike blood, lymph is not pumped around the body by the heart. Muscle and joint movement help move lymph through lymphatic vessels.
This is why stillness matters. Walking, running or repeatedly moving the bitten limb can increase lymph movement.
Pressure immobilisation aims to:
- apply pressure to tissues around the bite
- reduce movement of the affected limb
- slow lymphatic movement of venom.
A pressure immobilisation bandage is not an arterial tourniquet. Its purpose is to slow lymph movement and restrict limb movement. It is not intended to deliberately stop arterial blood flow.
A pressure bandage does not neutralise venom and cannot guarantee that envenomation will not progress. Emergency medical assessment is still essential.
How do you apply a pressure immobilisation bandage?
The pressure immobilisation technique is recommended for bites from Australian venomous snakes, including sea snakes.
For a bite on an arm or leg:
- Keep the person and bitten limb still.
- Apply a broad pressure bandage over the bite area as soon as possible. An elasticised roller bandage about 10–15 cm wide is preferred where available.
- Apply a further firm bandage along the affected limb. Start just above the fingers or toes and work upwards, covering as much of the limb as possible.
- Use firm pressure. The bandage should restrict lymphatic movement without being used as an arterial tourniquet.
- Leave clothing in place where practical. Avoid unnecessary movement simply to expose the skin.
- Splint the limb to reduce joint and muscle movement.
- Record the time of the bite and bandage application if known.
- Mark the bite site on the outside of the bandage if you know where it is.
- Keep the person still until the ambulance arrives.
- Do not remove the bandage or splint before appropriate medical assessment.
Healthdirect also advises that the bandage should be firm enough that you cannot easily slide a finger between the bandage and the skin.
What if you only have one bandage?
If only one suitable bandage is available, ANZCOR provides an alternative technique using a single bandage from the fingers or toes upwards, including over the bite site.
If standard bandages are unavailable, suitable material or clothing may be used to help provide pressure and immobilisation.
What if the bite is not on a limb?
For a bite on the body, firm direct pressure over the bite site may be useful.
Do not apply pressure that:
- restricts breathing or chest movement
- tightly encircles the neck
- is applied firmly around the head.
Keep the person still while waiting for medical help.
What should you never do after a snake bite?
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Call Triple Zero (000) | Wait to see whether symptoms appear |
| Keep the person still | Let them walk around unnecessarily |
| Apply pressure immobilisation | Apply an arterial tourniquet |
| Splint the bitten limb | Remove the bandage while waiting for help |
| Leave the bite area alone | Wash or scrub the bite |
| Wait for emergency services | Cut or incise the wound |
| Monitor breathing and responsiveness | Try to suck out venom |
| Keep away from the snake | Try to catch, kill or handle it |
Do not wash the bite
Leave the bite area alone.
Venom residue on the skin or clothing may assist clinicians with identification or testing. Washing the area can also cause unnecessary movement.
Do not cut or suck the bite
Cutting the bite creates an additional wound and is not recommended first aid.
Trying to suck venom out of the wound is also not recommended.
Do not use an arterial tourniquet
An arterial tourniquet is designed to stop blood flow.
That is different from pressure immobilisation, which is intended to slow lymphatic movement while maintaining circulation.
Do not catch or kill the snake
Do not approach the snake to photograph, catch or kill it.
Trying to capture it risks another bite. The snake does not need to be brought to hospital before treatment can begin.
Many Australian snakes are also protected species.
If you saw the snake from a safe distance, you can tell paramedics what you observed. Treatment should never wait for identification.
What does a snake bite look like?
There is no single appearance that proves or rules out a snake bite.
A bite may appear as:
- one or more puncture wounds
- a single small puncture
- small scratches
- a minor abrasion
- bruising
- swelling
- local bleeding
- almost no visible mark.
Healthdirect notes that snake bite marks can range from obvious puncture wounds to almost invisible scratches.
Do not rely on the common image of two clear fang holes. The absence of obvious fang marks does not mean the person is safe.
Do snake bites hurt?
They can, but pain is not a reliable guide to severity.
Pain may be:
- immediate
- delayed
- mild
- difficult to notice.
A painless bite can still require urgent treatment. Do not use pain levels to decide whether to call an ambulance.
Do snake bites bleed?
Some bites cause local bleeding. Others may not.
Serious envenomation can also affect blood clotting. Whether the bite wound itself bleeds does not show how severe the bite is.
What are the symptoms of a snake bite?
Symptoms depend on factors such as:
- the snake involved
- whether venom was injected
- the amount of venom
- the location of the bite
- the person's response.
Envenomation means venom has entered the body and is causing clinical effects.
Possible local symptoms include:
- pain
- swelling
- bruising
- bleeding
- puncture wounds or scratches.
Possible systemic symptoms include:
- nausea or vomiting
- abdominal pain
- headache
- dizziness or faintness
- confusion
- blurred or double vision
- drooping eyelids
- difficulty talking or swallowing
- muscle weakness
- paralysis
- difficulty breathing
- abnormal bleeding or problems with blood clotting
- collapse.
Serious effects can develop even when the bite site appears minor.
Symptoms may also take time to develop. The absence of immediate symptoms does not mean there has been no envenomation.
Do not wait for symptoms before calling 000.
What are the symptoms of a snake bite?
Snake venom is made up of biologically active substances that can affect several body systems.
Australian snake venoms can cause effects involving:
- the nervous system
- muscles
- blood and clotting
- the heart and circulation.
For example, some venom effects can contribute to muscle weakness or paralysis. Others may affect clotting or cause muscle damage.
These effects overlap between snake groups. They should not be used by a first aider to diagnose the species involved.
The emergency response remains the same for any suspected Australian venomous snake bite: call 000, keep the person still and apply pressure immobilisation.
What happens if a brown snake bites you?
Brown snakes are medically significant Australian snakes.
Brown snake envenomation can cause severe problems with blood clotting and may cause cardiovascular collapse.
However, there is no separate first aid procedure for a suspected brown snake bite.
Use the same emergency response described above. Do not delay first aid while trying to identify the snake.
A brown-coloured snake is also not necessarily a member of the brown snake group, so colour alone should never guide treatment.
What happens if a red-bellied black snake bites you?
A suspected red-bellied black snake bite also requires urgent medical care.
These bites can cause significant envenomation and should not be dismissed as harmless simply because severe outcomes may be less common than with some other Australian species.
Again, the emergency response does not change.
Other medically significant Australian snake groups include:
- tiger snakes
- taipans
- death adders
- black snakes
- rough-scaled snakes
- sea snakes.
A first aider does not need to identify the species before starting treatment.
What is a dry snake bite?
A snake can bite without injecting enough venom to cause clinically significant envenomation. This is sometimes called a dry bite.
That distinction is useful in medical assessment, but it should not change what a first aider does.
At the scene, you cannot safely determine whether:
- venom was injected
- enough venom was injected to cause serious illness
- symptoms may develop later.
A person who feels well after a suspected bite still requires urgent medical assessment.
Do not use the possibility of a dry bite as a reason to wait at home.
What happens at hospital after a snake bite?
Hospital clinicians assess the person's symptoms, observations, bite history and clinical findings.
They may perform blood tests to look for evidence of envenomation, including changes in blood clotting.
The patient may also require repeated observations because serious effects are not always obvious immediately.
Treatment can include:
- monitoring
- supportive medical care
- management of complications
- antivenom when clinically indicated.
You do not need to catch or kill the snake so doctors can begin treatment.
How does antivenom work?
Antivenom is a specialised medicine containing antibodies that bind to and neutralise components of snake venom.
It is not automatically given after every snake bite.
Healthdirect currently states that about 5 in 100 people bitten by a snake receive antivenom. A doctor, often working with a clinical toxicologist, decides whether antivenom is needed based on the person's symptoms, test results, clinical findings and the circumstances of the bite.
Antivenom is given in a medical setting where the patient can be assessed and monitored.
Can you buy snake antivenom for home use?
Antivenom should not be treated as a household, workplace or hiking first aid product.
Do not attempt to purchase, store or self-administer antivenom as an alternative to emergency care.
Correct first aid, ambulance transport and clinical assessment remain essential.
How many people die from snake bites in Australia?
Healthdirect currently states that around 1 to 4 people die from snake bites each year in Australia.
That low number should not create a false sense of safety. Every suspected snake bite still needs urgent medical assessment.
A precise national total for all snake bites is not used here because datasets may count different things, such as reported incidents, hospital presentations or confirmed envenomations.
How long does a snake bite take to heal?
There is no standard recovery time.
Recovery can depend on:
- whether envenomation occurred
- local injury
- abnormal bleeding or clotting
- muscle damage
- other complications
- treatment received
- the person's general health.
Some people may have few local effects. Others may require substantial hospital treatment and follow-up.
The treating medical team should guide recovery rather than relying on a fixed number of days or weeks.
How can you prevent snake bites?
Snakes may be active during the day or night and can be encountered around homes, farms, sheds, bushland, waterways and outdoor work areas.
Practical steps can reduce the chance of accidental contact.
Around homes and workplaces
- Wear enclosed footwear outdoors.
- Wear long pants where appropriate.
- Use gloves when moving timber, debris or garden materials.
- Use a torch when walking outside at night.
- Avoid reaching blindly into holes, sheds, rocks or dense vegetation.
- Keep yards and work areas tidy.
- Reduce rodent activity and other food sources that may attract snakes.
- Supervise children around known snake habitat.
Hiking, camping, farming and remote work
Stay alert when moving through:
- long grass
- bushland
- leaf litter
- fallen timber
- rocks
- riverbanks.
Carry first aid equipment suited to the environment, including broad elasticised pressure bandages.
Remote workers and outdoor groups should also plan for:
- communication
- emergency access
- first aid equipment
- evacuation arrangements.
What should you do if you see a snake?
Stay calm and give it space.
Do not approach, touch, corner or attempt to move the snake. Back away to a safe distance and allow it an escape route where possible.
Do snake gaiters stop snake bites?
Snake gaiters and other protective clothing may reduce exposure in some outdoor environments, but they cannot guarantee protection.
Do not treat protective clothing as a reason to approach or handle snakes.
First aid training for snake bites
Knowing the emergency steps is useful. Practical training can help people apply those skills under pressure.
Our HLTAID011 Provide First Aid assessment includes management of snake/funnel-web spider envenomation.
For people working or travelling where emergency help may be delayed, HLTAID013 Provide First Aid in Remote or Isolated Site also includes snake/funnel-web spider envenomation alongside remote-site preparation, basic triage and evacuation coordination.
HLTAID014 Provide Advanced First Aid also includes assessment involving snake/funnel-web spider envenomation.
Australian Pacific Training Solutions delivers and assesses relevant nationally recognised training on behalf of Allens Training Pty Ltd RTO 90909.
Learners must meet the relevant assessment and certification requirements. Course attendance alone does not guarantee competency or certification.
Our range of First Aid Courses are nationally recognised, widely available and can be done in group bookings.
