e.g. if the victim's thumb is bitten, the tip of that digit may be lost. Relapses may occur long after the bite. The bites of stiletto snakes are often exceptionally painful.

Very few deaths have resulted from accidents with these snakes, although large individuals of Atractaspis microlepidota and other long-glanded species are very likely to be dangerous. Some of the long-fanged species are able to stab their prey (or an unfortunate human) even while their mouths are closed, and the