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Levantine viper on a rocky slope — cover for Georgia’s venomous-snake guide

Reptiles

Snakebite in Georgia — what should you do?

If a snake has bitten you, the first step is 112. This page is educational and does not replace a clinician or emergency care.

Call 112Snakes

Emergency action

Bitten by a snake? Call 112 immediately

If a snake has bitten you in Georgia, call 112 immediately and seek emergency medical care. Keep movement to a minimum. Do not cut the wound, suck venom, apply a tourniquet, or attempt to capture the snake.

  • Call 112 — Georgia’s single emergency number.
  • Move away from the snake and limit movement.
  • Do not cut, suck, or apply a tourniquet.
  • Do not catch the snake or delay care to identify the species.
Emergency help112

Only medical staff decide treatment. The steps here are educational first-response points based on WHO, CDC, and 112 public guidance — not an antivenom protocol.

What to do

What to do after a snakebite

  1. 01Call 112

    Immediately. 112 is Georgia’s single emergency number — police, fire, and ambulance. Do not wait for symptoms.

  2. 02Move away from the snake

    Get to a safe place. Do not approach the animal again, and do not try to catch or kill it.

  3. 03Stay calm and reduce movement

    Sit or lie down somewhere safe and limit unnecessary movement until help arrives.

  4. 04Keep the bitten limb as still as you can

    Keep the bitten arm or leg as still as possible. This is educational guidance — not a full clinical protocol.

  5. 05Remove tight items

    Rings, watches, bracelets, or tight clothing near the bite can cause harm if swelling develops.

  6. 06Wait for professional care

    Home remedies do not replace medical care. If possible, do not drive yourself — symptoms can affect you.

What not to do

What not to do

  1. Do not cut the bite

    Cutting or excising the wound does not remove venom and causes harm.

  2. Do not suck venom

    Sucking venom by mouth or device does not work and damages the wound.

  3. Do not apply a tourniquet

    A tight arterial tourniquet is not recommended for snakebite and can cause serious harm.

  4. Do not catch or handle the snake

    Catching a snake — even a dead one — often causes another bite. Identification from a distance or a photo is enough, and only if safe.

  5. Do not use alcohol or folk remedies

    Alcohol, ice, electric shock, or other unproven methods are not treatment and waste time.

  6. Do not delay care to identify the species

    Call 112 and seek care first. Species ID must not delay the emergency call.

Symptoms

Possible snakebite symptoms

Symptoms vary with species, venom, bite location, amount of venom, and other factors. The list below is possible signs — not a diagnostic checklist.

Do not wait for symptoms before calling 112. Absence of symptoms does not mean the bite is safe.

  • Pain at the bite site
  • Swelling, redness, or bruising
  • Bleeding or abnormal bleeding
  • Weakness or dizziness
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Muscle weakness or tingling
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Changes in vision

Local and general signs mainly follow the CDC public list; serious effects of envenoming follow the WHO fact sheet. The list is not complete. For severe or unusual symptoms, call 112.

Risk

When is a snakebite especially dangerous?

Every suspected bite is an emergency for 112. Below are situations that need especially fast response.

  • Difficulty breathing, severe swelling, or systemic symptoms.
  • Children often experience more severe effects because of smaller body mass.
  • Delaying care increases risk — do not postpone transport to a health facility.
  • If you did not see the snake but suspect a bite — still seek emergency care.

Venom

Is every snakebite venomous?

No. Many snakes in Georgia are not venomous to people, though a bite can still cause injury or infection. The atlas lists venomous species whose bites are medically important. Species comparison belongs in the identification guide, not at the bite scene.

Do not try to judge medical risk yourself. That decision belongs to medical staff.

If you did not see the snake

What if I did not see the snake?

Still call 112 and seek emergency care. Do not delay the call to identify the species. If you can observe safely from a distance or take a photo, that may help later — never approach or catch the animal.

Species comparison later — in the venomous snake ID guide, only after emergency care is underway.

In Georgia

Which venomous snakes occur in Georgia?

Below are the atlas’s 7 venomous species — for identification, not for decisions at the bite scene. High risk: Levantine viper; moderate rear-fanged: Montpellier snake — not the Levantine viper. Full context: venomous guide, species index, range. After a bite, call 112 first.

Venomous snakesLevantine viper profileSnakes in the yardSnakes guide

Sources

What this page is based on

Medical recommendations cite external authoritative sources. Species and range information come from the Reptiles.ge atlas. This page is not an independent medical authority.

Medical and official sources

Biology and species (Reptiles.ge)

  • Venomous snakes guide and species profiles

    Georgia’s venomous species list, risk levels, and identification — from atlas data, not a medical protocol.

  • Editorial interpretation

    Page structure and wording are prepared by Reptiles.ge from the sources above. The site is not a medical institution.

Related guides

Continue with related pages

Identification, range, safety, and species indexes — stay in the same topic instead of returning to the homepage.

Catalog

Snake species

Every snake in one table — name, venom, range, and size when a source exists.

Index
Safety

Venomous snakes in Georgia

Giurza, vipers, and one rear-fanged species — risk and full profiles.

Venomous snakes
Quiz

Which snake is it?

A photo, four options, instant feedback — identify Georgia’s snakes with no account.

Start the quiz
ID

Venomous or not

Visual cues and lookalikes — no rule is universal.

ID guide
Map

Where snakes occur

12 regions and only confirmed snakes — gaps are not invented.

Range guide
Size

Largest snakes

Giurza, racers, and others — sizes from profiles only. The glass lizard is a lizard.

Largest snakes
Practice

Snakes in the yard

Shelter, food, and myths — what actually reduces visits.

Yard guide

FAQ

Snakebite — frequently asked questions

Short answers for an urgent situation. Detail is above; medical decisions belong with 112 and clinicians.

Call 112 immediately — Georgia’s single emergency number — and do not wait for symptoms. Move away from the snake, limit unnecessary movement, and keep the bitten limb as still as you can. Do not cut the wound, suck venom, or apply a tight arterial tourniquet. This page is educational first-response guidance, not a clinical protocol.

No. WHO and CDC public guidance rule out cutting or excising a snakebite. Cutting does not remove venom and adds tissue damage. Call 112 and seek emergency care instead of home surgery.

No. Sucking venom by mouth or with a device does not work and damages the wound. Focus on calling 112, limiting movement, and getting to professional care quickly.

No. A tight arterial tourniquet is not recommended for snakebite in the public guidance this page cites and can cause serious harm. Immobilize gently and call 112; let clinicians decide treatment.

No. Many snakes in Georgia are not medically venomous to people, though any bite can injure or infect. Do not try to judge medical risk yourself at the scene — call 112 and let clinicians decide. Species comparison belongs in the atlas after care is underway.

Pain, swelling, redness, bruising, bleeding, weakness, dizziness, nausea, muscle tingling, breathing difficulty, or vision changes may occur. Symptoms vary by species and dose. Absence of early symptoms does not mean the bite is safe — call 112 without waiting for a checklist.

No. Catching or handling the snake — even a dead one — often causes another bite and delays care. A distant look or photo is enough if it is safe. Identification must never postpone the 112 call.

Still call 112 and seek emergency care. Do not delay the call to identify the species. If you can observe safely from a distance later, that may help clinicians — never approach or catch the animal. Compare species in the atlas only after emergency care is underway.

Next step

After 112 — the atlas

Species comparison and prevention live on profiles and guides. After a bite, 112 still comes first.

SnakesAll species