Korean Job Discussion Forums

[giggles84]

have heard the worst snake in terms of poison is on a island just of Doha Qutar. another amazing fact i found about snakes was though australia has the most in term of number of snakes and types, it only had 2 deaths related to snake bites in the last 15 years compared to 347 a year in india. the first 1 or 2 are key to getting treatment, so make sure u r near a hospital when u get bitten!

[jesuslizrd]

[yoja]

...

[hugekebab]

Venomous snakes in South Korea
[ TOC ]

* Gloydius blomhoffi

* Gloydius saxatilis

* Gloydius ussuriensis

* Hydrophis cyanocinctus

* Hydrophis ornatus

* Mesobuthus martensii

* Pelamis platurus

* Rhabdophis tigrinus

* Vipera berus

[5600]

I've visited every national park here and climb Dobongsan several times a week all throughout the year, for the last 4 years. I have only seen 2 live snakes, and they were about a foot long, tiny, brown and no threat at all. Maybe I'm lucky. I am more worried about the crazy green spiders that build their webs across the trail. Getting bit by one of those would have to suck. Also the centipede thing, black with red legs will make you look twice.

www.hikingkorea.com

[McGenghis]

I found a snake once, and I picked him up and posted him on my facebook. I mean, he was a fine snake and I was a fool Canadian who thought all snakes north of say Cambodia were essentially harmless. Anyway, I showed the picture to a Korean teacher and he said "that snake is poisonous". The snake was so cool and collected throughout the whole ordeal, too. I would have named him 'Pill Face' but then I wouldn't have been able to take his picture.

[gavinhudson]

The short answer to your question is yes. There are venomous snakes in South Korea. Several are the Short-tailed mamushi, Short-tailed viper, Red-tongued viper and tiger keelback. As far as I've learned, these species tend to be docile and shy. They try to avoid people and aren't much of a threat.

On the other hand, my girlfriend works at a hospital here in Gangwon-do and she says that viper bite patients are not uncommon. She tells me that bites are easily treated and that they are most frequent in the fall when people are hiking and doing maintainance on grass-covered burial mounds (the snakes sometimes live in the grass).

Take a look here for references:

English: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_snakes_in_Korea

Korean: http://cafe.daum.net/bucheonchurch/EXxY/78?docid=19uc9|EXxY|78|20090201190635&q=%C7%D1%B1%B9%20%B9%EC&srchid=CCB19uc9|EXxY|78|20090201190635

Korean: http://cafe.daum.net/djokgyesu/FgFK/95?docid=1935z|FgFK|95|20080926220744&q=%C7%D1%B1%B9%20%B9%EC&srchid=CCB1935z|FgFK|95|20080926220744

[bananahammock]

I haaate snakes. I hope I don't see any when I come over. I like to go nature hiking and whatnot so hopefully they aren't around the mountains near Seoul.

[kiaratokorea]

huh interesting myth

[gelynch52]

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=50521
There are a couple varieties of poisonous snakes in Korea although I never saw one in 7 years. By the way, it is people like the guy who made fun of the use of the word poisonous instead of venomous who give English teachers & Americans a bad name. It is not necessary to pay so much attention to semantics of simple words when talking about such things as snakes. Remember that communication is the key & correctness often just irritates people.
The puffer fish is poisonous to eat but is not venomous. I
know of no poisonous (to eat) snakes but we all know what is being talked about.

[ATlasIAm]

[gelynch52]

[skgirl]

yup, best to stay away from all of them!

[lostinincheon]

Don't mind me, just trying to get to 25 posts so I can PM

[lostinincheon]

and again