Can a venemous snake with fangs accidentally bite its own lower jaw, and if so what happens to the snake?
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Snakes’ mouths are designed, both shape and material-wise, that, for the most part, they will not hurt themselves with their teeth. Many snakes have their fangs hidden in their flesh, think the Wolverine’s retracting blade claws.
The venom of a snake cannot kill the snake which carries it. Snakes have a natural immunity to their own venom. Their bodies produce natural anti venom in case of an instance of self-poisoning. Snakes CAN however poison other species of snakes ~~who themselves are less venomous~~
EDIT: A commenter below provided sources that said some snakes can die from their own venom but many cannot.
Thanks for asking this. I just randomly had the exact same question pop up in my head late last night in the middle of a run.
It would seem to me that a venomous snake would be eating it’s own venom after every successful hunt.
From my understanding, the mechanics of the snakes jaw also prevent it from bitting itself unless there are extreme cases. In the same way a humans molars cannot touch their incisors (unless extreme cases) in the same way, the biological hinges of a snakes jaw will cause the fangs to sheathe within their respective cavities
I think biting and injecting venom are 2 separate processes.
It’s not like it’s fangs are coated in venom that automatically goes into the bloodstream of whatever it bites.
The fangs are like syringes. The snake has to first bite, then push venom through tubes in it’s fangs.
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