Scientists are worried, this is dangerous Venomous snakes are likely to migrate en masse

Climate change is likely to lead to a large migration of venomous snake species into new regions, according to a new study.
Researchers predict that Nepal, Niger, Namibia, China and Myanmar will receive the most venomous snake species from neighboring countries under warm climates.

Low-income countries in South and Southeast Asia, as well as parts of Africa, will be highly vulnerable to increased snakebites, according to findings published in the Lancet Planetary Health journal.

The study modeled the geographic distribution of 209 venomous snake species known to cause medical emergencies in humans to understand where different snake species might find favorable climatic conditions by 2070.

While most venomous snake species will experience range reductions due to loss of tropical and subtropical ecosystems, habitat for some species such as the West African Gaboon viper will increase by up to 250%, the study shows. It is also predicted that the distribution of European vipers will double by 2070, the Guardian reports.

“As more and more land is converted to agriculture and livestock farming, it destroys and fragments the natural habitats that snakes rely on,” said study authors Pablo Ariel Martinez of the Federal University of Sergipe in Brazil and Talita F. Amado of German Center for Integrative Biology in Germany.
“However, some common snake species, especially those of medicinal importance, can adapt to agricultural landscapes and even live in certain crop fields or livestock areas that provide food sources such as rodents.” “Our research shows that when venomous snakes start appearing in new places, it’s a call to start thinking about how we can protect ourselves and our environment,” said the study authors.
They could bite more people
The World Health Organization estimates that 1.8 to 2.7 million people are bitten by venomous snakes annually, causing up to 138,000 deaths and at least 400,000 amputations and permanent disabilities. In 2017, the WHO categorized snakebite as a neglected tropical disease of the highest priority.

“Now we finally get a better idea of how snakes will change their distribution with climate change, but there is also a big concern that more people will be bitten if there are high temperatures, heavy rain and flooding that will displace snakes and people,” he said. Ana Pintor, a scientist from the WHO Neglected Tropical Diseases Group.
“We urgently need to better understand exactly how this will affect where people will be bitten and how many people will be bitten, so we can prepare.”
“A snake bite is essentially a conflict between humans, animals and the environment. The modeling does not take into account how people themselves will adapt/change to climate change. But the global study addresses the gaps in what we know,” says Soumyadeep Bhaumik, a lecturer in medicine at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, who was not involved in the study.
“After all, international borders are not about snakes, they are about people,” he added.