A police officer in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India, was alarmed by a snake that had lost consciousness after being exposed to water containing pesticides.
The man, named Atul Sharma, came to the house and gave her the ‘kiss of life’. Shortly after, the animal was recovered, local media reported.
Residents of Narmadapuram district observed that a rat snake, which is non-venomous, entered their house and took refuge in a pipe they had poured water with pesticides on, so they contacted the police officer, a self-taught snake rescuer.
“He was unconscious. We picked him up and tried to revive him by washing his mouth with water,” Sharma said, adding that since he was unresponsive, he decided to give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. “It took almost an hour for the snake to regain consciousness and we released it safely,” he continued.
Despite the efforts of the police to revive the snake, since these reptiles do not have lungs, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is not useful, so the animal may only survive after a temporary loss of consciousness.
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“Unlike mammals, snakes do not have lungs that can be expanded through CPR,” details the Everything Reptilion site, adding: “Instead, they have a series of air sacs that enable them to breathe. These air sacs are located in the intestine and depend on the muscles of the snake to move air through it. “As a result, it is not possible to use CPR to free a snake.”
“If you’re trying to revive a snake that can’t breathe, the best thing to do is put it in a bowl of hot water and try to stimulate its muscles,” he explained.
