Snake preserved in wine bites woman

A woman in northern China was rushed to hospital after she was bitten by a snake that had been pickled in wine for three months.

The surprise attack happened after Liu, from Shuangcheng, Heilongjiang Province, opened the bottle to add more alcohol, reports the Global Times.

The snake jumped out and bit her on the hand. Liu made a full recovery after she was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Liu had bought the snake live in June and put it into a bottle of wine to create snake wine to treat her rheumatism.

Alcohols containing preserved snakes boasting medicinal properties are common in China.

http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Snake_preserved_in_wine_bites_woman

Forget planes, now it's snakes on a bus

A BUS travelling through central Vietnam was evacuated when dozens of poisonous snakes escaped from a sack, news reports say.

The bus stopped shortly after setting off from Da Nang city on its way to Quy Nhon City on Wednesday after a passenger saw a snake at her feet, newspaper Tuoi Tre reported.

"I felt something tickle my legs and saw a snake,'' the newspaper quoted passenger Huynh Thi Diep as saying. Diep screamed and alerted other passengers, according to the report.

The snakes, all common kraits, were caught or killed within 30 minutes, the newspaper said. No one was bitten.

The snakes escaped from two sacks given to the driver for delivery en route, police-run newspaper An Ninh Thu Do reported.

The driver said he did not know what was inside the sacks at the time.

A police investigation was under way to find the owner of the snakes.

Kraits are the most common species used to make snake wine in Vietnam.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/the-other-side/look-out-its-snakes-on-a-bus/story-e6frfhk6-1226395625621