Venomous Visitors Highlight Global Health at USU

“Snakes Alive!” program immerses students in the realities of snakebite prevention and treatment across the globe.

A group of uniformed military medical students attentively watch as a presenter shows them a large, beaded lizard in an auditorium.
Military Tropical Medicine course students get an up-close view of a venomous reptile held by
herpetologist Bruce Shwedick. The "Snakes Alive!" program provides future military medical
professionals with practical knowledge about global snakebite threats. (Photo credit: Tom Balfour, 
USU)

August 28, 2025 by Sharon Holland

The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) community packed Sanford Auditorium July 22, 2025, for one of the summer’s most anticipated traditions: the annual “Snakes Alive!” program. The event is part of the Military Tropical Medicine (MTM) course hosted by USU’s Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics each year. Since 1982, herpetologist Bruce Shwedick has captivated students, faculty, staff, and even some USU family members, with his live reptile demonstrations, blending science, storytelling, and a healthy respect for the natural world.

The program introduced MTM students and other attendees to 11 medically important snake species—the ones responsible for most cases of snakebite worldwide. The packed audience saw familiar North American threats like the Copperhead and Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, alongside dramatic international species such as the African Gaboon Viper and the legendary King Cobra.

Herpetologist Bruce Shwedick gives a thumbs-up while a King Cobra rises from a wicker basket during a presentation.
Herpetologist Bruce Shwedick introduces a King Cobra during the annual "Snakes Alive!"
presentation at the Uniformed Services University on July 22, 2025. The event allows
students in the Military Tropical Medicine course to learn about medically important
snake species. (Photo credit: Tom Balfour, USU)

While these snakes rarely bite people, they are among the largest and most venomous species on earth. Shwedick’s presentation gave participants the rare chance to see them up close while learning about their habitats, the global burden of snakebite, the effects of venom on the human body, and the medical protocols used to treat envenomation in the field.

For medical professionals preparing to serve in regions where snakebite remains a daily danger, this wasn’t just a show-and-tell; the knowledge gained was practical, timely, and potentially lifesaving. 

“Each year, ‘Snakes Alive!’ engages students, faculty, and staff in a vivid reminder that snakebite is not just a biological curiosity—it is a real and pressing global health challenge,” said Dr. James Mancuso, chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics. “By experiencing these species up close, students gain knowledge and perspective that will serve them well as they confront tropical medicine threats in diverse settings around the world.”

Two uniformed students and a presenter smile as they hold a large yellow and white python, with other students looking on in a classroom.
Students from the Military Tropical Medicine course hold a large python with herpetologist
Bruce Shwedick during the "Snakes Alive!" program. The annual tradition has been a part of
the university's summer curriculum since 1982. (Photo credit: Tom Balfour, USU)