Abstract
The incidence of snake bite in rural West Africa is reportedly high with an 11–17% mortality rate. Nigeria has one third of the cases for snake bite cases in this region.Thus, most tribes in North-western part of Nigeria depend on medicinal plants for snakebites. However, it appears that a gap exists on documentation of these plants especially tropical flora used in the management of snake bite. This led to increase depletion of medicinal plant resources and knowledge of their traditional use. Consequently, this survey provided knowledge and data on medicinal plants use in management of snake bite which will help retard the current rate of extinction and decimation of the medicinal plants in these areas and then provide need to conserve what is left as medicinal plants for posterity sake. The study was carried in three northwestern states of Nigeria namely Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara for three months. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered and fourteen respondents made up of herb sellers (7%), traditional medical practitioners (93%). The majority of the respondents were male (100%) and 34% were above 50 years of age. From the study, the data collected shows 25 medicinal plants were in use by different categories of practitioners. Botanical names, local names, family names, plant part (s) use and number of citations were also obtained and documented. Key words: North-western Nigeria, snakebites, medicinal plants.  
Highlights
Snakebites are common global health problem with complex consequence that is somewhat neglected (Isa et al, 2015)
Snakebite is common in many other parts of Africa and the tropics (Gutierrez et al, 2010; Warrell 2010).The incidence of snakebite in rural West Africa is reportedly high with an 11-17% mortality rate (Habib et al, 2001; Habib 2013)
An ethnobotanical survey was conducted from January to April, 2017 where relevant information about medicinal plants used in the management of snakebites in Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi States, Nigeria were obtained
Summary
Snakebites are common global health problem with complex consequence that is somewhat neglected (Isa et al, 2015). Snakebite is common in many other parts of Africa and the tropics (Gutierrez et al, 2010; Warrell 2010).The incidence of snakebite in rural West Africa is reportedly high with an 11-17% mortality rate (Habib et al, 2001; Habib 2013). Nigeria is one of the countries in West Africa that has one fourth of the cases for snakebites (Nasidi, 2007). North-western part of Nigeria depend on medicinal plants for snakebites. Medicinal plants have played an important role throughout the world in the treatment and prevention of a variety of diseases. Most people in the world still rely on medicinal plants and most most of them have a general knowledge of medicinal plants which are used as first aid remedies, to treat cough, cold, fever, headache, poisonous bites and some simple ailments (Muniappan and Savarimuthu, 2011)
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