Washington, January 6 (ANI): If you’re headed for a region that sees the presence of poisonous snakes and other biting animals, then wearing thick jeans may be your safest bet, for experts have found that denim may help guard against rattlesnake bites.

Shelton Herbert of Loma Linda University and William Hayes, argue that a sturdy pair of denim could help to prevent the damage inflicted by such attacks.

The authors found that though denim did not offer 100 percent protection, “the snakes injected significantly less venom into denim-covered gloves than bare gloves during defensive strikes, with a 60 percent reduction for small snakes and 66 percent for large snakes,” reports Discovery News.

Herbert and Hayes believe the “denim interfered with venom delivery, including the high proportion of dry bites for denim-covered gloves and the large quantity of venom spilled harmlessly on the denim cover. Large rattlesnakes struck more readily, maintained longer fang contact during the bite, and delivered 26 to 41 times more venom into gloves than small snakes.”

They conclude that “denim clothing proved effective at reducing venom injection by both small and large rattlesnakes. Wearing long denim pants as an alternative to shorts may provide a simple, low-cost means of reducing the severity of snakebites.”

The findings were published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine. (ANI)