Five-step Snake

Five-step Snake

　　The five-step snake is a famous specialty of Qichun and is known as one of the “Four Treasures of Qichun”

　　Belonging to the genus Deinagkistrodon in the family Viperidae, it is an extremely venomous snake. Legend has it that a bite from this snake can be fatal within five steps, hence its name “five-step snake.” Its black body covered with white markings also earns it the name “white-flower snake.” Additionally, because its rostral and internasal scales are both upturned toward the back, it is also called the “upturned-nose snake.” It has a triangular head, a blackish-brown back, and a white belly and throat with scattered small blackish-brown spots known as “rosary spots.” The tail is laterally compressed, and the tip has a single elongated scale called a keratinous spine, commonly referred to as the “Buddha’s fingernail.” When cornered with no escape, the five-step snake is said to turn its “venomous tail hook” inward and commit suicide by disembowelment, “dying with its eyes not sunken.”

　　　　Although highly venomous, the five-step snake is a valuable traditional Chinese medicinal ingredient. It was a tribute item designated by emperors of feudal dynasties and is also a precious medicinal material for export. Regarding its habits and medicinal value, Tang dynasty writer Liu Zongyuan mentioned in his work “The Story of the Snake-Catcher”: “In the wilds of Yongzhou, there is a strange snake with a black body and white markings. It kills any plant it touches. If it bites a person, there is no antidote. However, when preserved and prepared as medicine, it can cure conditions such as leprosy, muscle contractures, fistulas, and skin ulcers, remove dead tissue, and kill parasites.” The Song dynasty text “Chicken Rib Compilation” by Zhuang Chuo, under the entry for “white-flower snake,” states: “The ones used by physicians today are exclusively from the mountains of Qiyang Town in Qizhou. About five or six li from the town lies Lingfeng Temple, behind which is a cave inhabited by these snakes, though they are very rare. Those who find them often present them as tribute. Even if the snakes are dried, their eyes remain bright; those from neighboring counties such as Huangmei may have only one bright eye; and in Susong County of Chuzhou, which borders Huangmei, specimens are occasionally found, but their eyes are completely dull when dried.” The renowned Ming dynasty pharmacologist Li Shizhen visited Longfeng Mountain in Qizhou several times, personally observing the five-step snake feeding on Photinia leaves and how it was captured. Based on these observations, he wrote “The Legend of the White-Flower Snake.” He also provided a detailed account of the snake’s morphology, habits, capture methods, drying techniques, and uses in his “Compendium of Materia Medica.” He noted: “Flower snakes are found in both the lakes and Sichuan regions, but nowadays only those from Qizhou are renowned. However, even in Qizhou, they are rarely seen. Most sold in markets or collected by officials come from the mountains of Xingguo Prefecture in southern Jiangnan.” According to him, genuine five-step snakes have “a dragon-like head and tiger-like mouth, a black body with white markings, twenty-four square-shaped patterns on the back, rosary spots near the abdomen, a Buddha’s fingernail at the tail tip, and often feed on the flowers and leaves of Photinia. People track them by scattering sand—they curl up and become still. Then they are captured with a fork, hung up with rope, dissected, and placed in water where they naturally curl their tails to clean their bellies.” “Erya Yi” also contains similar records: “All snakes’ mouths close after death, except for the Qizhou flower snake, whose mouth remains open. Those found between the regions of Shu and Qizhou may have one side open and the other closed—this is how people identify them.”

　　　　In the past, five-step snakes were found in the Longfeng, Qilin, and Fenghuang mountains, as well as around Yuhu Lake in Qichun. They were occasionally available in the triangular mountain area at the border of Qichun and Xishui. According to the early Qing dynasty text “Huang Gong’s Character Studies” by Gu Jingxing: “The flower snakes of Qizhou come in three colors: yellow, white, and black. The yellow and white varieties could fetch tens of gold pieces, while the black ones only a few. They used to be found in caves in Longfeng Mountain, but now they are gone. Only the triangular mountain produces them, and even then, not many in a year. Locals must consume meat before attempting to catch one—if not, it moves incredibly fast, with sharp fangs and deadly venom. If a person is bitten on the hands or feet, the affected limb must be amputated immediately, or else it’s fatal.” It also notes: “What is sold in markets is mostly Zhejiang snake, not the genuine Qizhou variety—the patterns and ‘Buddha’s fingernails’ look the same, and locals can’t tell the difference. But the triangular mountain lies on the border of Qichun and another region, and legend says that once a snake crosses the boundary, it develops only one bright eye…” Due to its high value, the five-step snake is much sought after. The “Huangzhou Prefecture Annals” record a folk ballad: “White-flower snake, who taught you to ward off wind evils? Your superiors demand you urgently, like fire, and the officers on the boat press me hard—I can’t afford to lose flesh or skin just yet…” The five-step snake prefers damp and cool environments, often dwelling in caves among valley streams, rocks, fallen leaves, bamboo groves, and grass. When out in the open, it typically lies hidden among dead grass and fallen leaves, ready to launch attacks, hunt prey, or conceal itself.

　　The five-step snake is a broadly carnivorous species. Its diet includes frogs, toads, lizards, birds, and rodents, with rodents being the most frequently consumed. It is viviparous, gives birth to few offspring, and grows slowly, making it a rare animal.

　　The five-step snake tastes sweet and salty, with a warm nature. Its meat is believed to dispel rheumatism, scatter cold, relax tendons and activate collaterals, as well as calm spasms and relieve itching. It can treat conditions such as rheumatic joint pain, limb numbness, neuralgia, paralysis, leprosy, body-wide scabies, tinea, skin itching, malignant sores, pediatric convulsions, and mouth ulcers.

　　Five-step snake wine has a clear color, a refreshing and fragrant taste, and is said to dispel wind, activate collaterals, relax tendons, invigorate blood circulation, dispel cold and dampness, strengthen the body, and treat injuries from falls or blows. It is considered an effective remedy for leprosy. “Chicken Rib Compilation” states: “The smaller ones are better—one weighing four taels could be worth ten thousand coins.” It also says: “Those that feed on raspberries in summer are especially efficacious in treating illnesses.” (Huanggang)