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After a thorough investigation of our venomous snakes category and a few Google searches, we hit pay dirt with an outstanding site from the National Aquarium in Baltimore called Venom and You. As it turns out, antivenom is surprisingly simple to make. First, the venom is "milked" from the snake. Be sure to watch the great video clip of this process. Then, it's diluted and injected into a horse or goat. As the animal builds up immunity to the venom, the dosage is increased, and the animal creates
blood rich in antibodies. Antibodies are blood proteins created to fight antigens. These antibodies collect in the serum, which is eventually separated from the dark red cells. After the serum has been purified a little more, it's ready to be injected at a moment's notice. Of the 300,000 species of snakes, around 3,000 are venomous. In the U.S., between 8 and 15 people die of snakebite every year. Most snakebites can be prevented by wearing hiking boots that cover your ankles, so lace up.
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