Snakebite is the wound made by the fangs of a poisonous snake or the teeth of a nonpoisonous one. Snakes usually only bite to capture prey for food. But a snake will sometimes bite to defend itself when it feels threatened. If a poisonous snake bites a human being, the victim must receive immediate medical treatment. But if the snake was nonpoisonous, the bite need only be washed thoroughly with soap and water.