Ability of laypersons to identify venomous snakes in Southern China: an emergency department survey

Background Snakebites in China are associated with high morbidity. The effective use of region-specific monovalent antivenoms is contingent upon timely and accurate species identification. However, this critical step presents a significant challenge for the public.Methods We conducted a survey at the emergency department, medical and surgical wards of The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University in southern China in 2024. The participants were shown photographs of six snake species (five venomous and one nonvenomous). We assessed the proportion of respondents who correctly classified each snake as venomous or nonvenomous and the proportion who correctly identified individual snake species. The analysis was based on independent classifications, with each participant providing one judgment per snake species (yielding a total of 205 participants × 6 species = 1,230 data points for analysis).Results Among 1230 classifications (205 respondents * 6 snakes), the 91.5% were accurate for venomous/nonvenomous. Participants accurately named only 48.9% of individual species. This varied by species from 85.9% for Naja atra to 3.4% for Daboia siamensis.Conclusion Survey participants were generally accurate in classifying indigenous snakes as venomous or not, but participants' ability to name the snake species varied widely. Participants more frequently recognized common snakes (Trimeresurus albolabris) and snakes with well-known characteristics (Naja atra, Bungarus multicinctus).