Can a person get salmonella poisoning from snakes?

Answer 1

No- snakes are venomous, not poisonous. Venom is only dangerous if it directly enters your bloodstream, so snakes are mostly safe to eat. Some snakes may actually be poisonous, usually the brighter coloured ones, as a defense against predators and not a method of predation. But just like with any animal, snakes can still cause food poisoning if improperly prepared, or if the meat is tainted.

Answer 2

90% of all reptiles carry salmonella, but it is easily avoided by practicing good hygiene. Always wash your hands after contact with their habitat or the snake itself - good advice with any animal or pet.

Answer 3

Yes. They are considered as a delicacy in many Asian diets, and are known to have high nutritional value. They're used in a number of ways, like in herbal medicines and to make soup, to name two.

Answer 4

Venomous snakes are often said to be poisonous, although this is not the correct term, as venoms and poisons are different. Poisons can be absorbed by the body, such as through the skin or digestive system, while venoms must first be introduced directly into tissues or the blood stream (envenomated) through mechanical means. It is, for example, therefore harmless to drink snake venom as long as there are no lacerations inside the mouth or digestive tract. There are however two exceptions: the Rhabdophis snakes (keelback snales) secrete poison from glands that it gets from the poisonous toads that it preys on; similarly certain garter snakes from Oregon retain toxins in their liver from the newts they eat.[1]