Chinese Farmer Cuts Off His Own Finger After Snake Bite – A Lesson in Fear and Misinformation
By Staff Writer | Published on November 25, 2025
In a startling incident from eastern China, a 60-year-old farmer cut off his own finger after being bitten by a snake, convinced that the reptile was deadly and that drastic action was the only way to save his life. The man, identified as Zhang, later discovered that the snake was not dangerously venomous and that his self-amputation had been completely unnecessary.
The Bite That Sparked Panic
Zhang was working outdoors in the Shangyu district of Zhejiang province when a snake struck his finger while he was going about his usual farm work. Living in a rural area where stories about lethal snakes are common, he immediately believed he had been bitten by a notorious “five-step snake,” a creature of local legend said to kill a person within just a few paces of being bitten.
Terrified that he would collapse and die before he could reach help, Zhang decided to take matters into his own hands. In a moment of sheer panic, he amputated the bitten finger himself, hoping that removing the affected tissue would stop the supposed venom from spreading through his body.
Hospital Reality Check
After the self-amputation, Zhang wrapped his injured hand and rushed to a hospital in the nearby city, enduring a long journey while believing he had narrowly escaped death. When doctors examined his wound and the pattern of the bite, however, they delivered a surprising verdict: the snake was not as dangerous as he feared, and his life had never been in immediate danger from the bite itself.
Medical staff explained that the species involved did not pose the kind of instant fatal threat suggested by local folklore, and that cutting off his finger had offered no real medical benefit. Unfortunately, by the time he reached the hospital, it was too late to retrieve and reattach the severed digit, leaving Zhang permanently without his finger.
The Power of Legend: The “Five-Step Snake”
The panic that drove Zhang’s decision was rooted in long-standing myths surrounding so-called “five-step” or “hundred-pacer” snakes, venomous pit vipers that appear in stories across parts of China and neighboring regions. Folklore claims that a victim of these snakes can walk only a handful of steps before collapsing, an image so powerful that many rural residents still treat such bites as instant death sentences.
Modern herpetologists and doctors note that while some of these vipers do have potent venom, death is rarely as sudden as the legends suggest, especially with prompt medical treatment. Myths, however, can be more persuasive than medicine in remote communities, leading people to rely on extreme, outdated, or outright dangerous home remedies rather than seeking calm, informed care.
Snakebite Myths and Dangerous “Treatments”
Zhang’s case is far from unique; many people around the world still believe that cutting into a bite wound, sucking out venom, or even amputating a limb is the best way to survive a venomous snake encounter. Doctors who treated Zhang pointed out that none of these drastic measures are recommended by modern medical guidelines and can cause more harm than the bite itself. [web:43][web:46]
Proper first aid for snakebites typically involves keeping the victim calm, immobilizing the affected limb, and getting to a hospital as quickly as possible for observation and, if needed, antivenom. Experts warn that home interventions such as cutting, burning, or applying tight tourniquets can damage tissue, complicate treatment, and increase the risk of disability—exactly what happened in Zhang’s case.
Fear, Misinformation, and Rural Vulnerability
This story highlights how fear and misinformation about wildlife can push people to irreversible decisions, especially in rural areas where access to accurate medical information and timely care is limited. When community knowledge is built more on legend than on science, even a treatable situation can lead to life-changing injury.
Zhang paid a painful price not for being bitten by a truly lethal snake, but for trusting frightening stories more than modern medicine. His experience underscores the urgent need for better public education about snakebite first aid and clearer communication between health authorities and rural communities so that the next person in his position does not feel forced to sacrifice a limb to save a life.
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