Does the victim affect snake venom composition?

carly submitted, created time 1 year 3 months (www.biologynews.net)

A snake's intended prey might affect the type and evolution of toxins in their venom, research published in the online open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology shows.

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Researchers track snakes to study populations, behavior

deirdre submitted, created time 1 year 6 months (www.physorg.com)

The researchers are studying timber rattlesnakes and copperheads in their Pitviper Research Project. They hope their efforts will educate the public and convince people that they can live with the species without destroying them. The researchers take captured snakes and implant a small radio transmitter on them to study movement, migration patterns and habitat use.

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Binge Eaters: Pythons Down Bones and All

psychologist submitted, created time 1 year 9 months (www.livescience.com)

If binge eating were diagnosed in the reptile world, Burmese pythons would be said to have major eating disorders. They eat infrequently but devour their prey whole, bones and all. Juvenile pythons normally eat every week, while adults can have a meal every month and can even stop feeding for several months under certain circumstances. The scientists said this process allows pythons to optimize their absorption of the bone’s calcium from their meals. Strange,isn't it?

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Venomous Snake Count Rises Dramatically

addict submitted, created time 1 year 9 months (www.livescience.com)

A newly identified deadly snake in India is one of several now challenging the long-held concept that there are only four dangerous snakes in the country, sometimes known as the land of snakes. A newly identified deadly snake in India is one of several now challenging the long-held concept that there are only four dangerous snakes in the country, sometimes known as the land of snakes. Very lethiferous!

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Snake with Taste for Escargot Evolves Bizarre Strategy

channel submitted, created time 1 year 9 months (www.livescience.com)

The Japanese snake, Pareas iwasakii, preying mostly on snails and slugs, uses pin-sharp teeth to grab a snail’s body and tug it from its shell. Most snails have shells that swirl to the right in a clockwise direction. So the snake has evolved an upper jaw with more teeth on the right side than the left which helps the snake extract and scarf down its slimy meal.The trait is genetically determined, and it seem that the head of snake does not look anisomerous although it has a opsided-jaw.

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Snakes eat poisonous toads and steal their venom

digiview submitted, created time 1 year 11 months (space.newscientist.com)

Rhabdophis tigrinus snakes are unable to synthesise their own toxins, so they can only have derived bufadienolide compounds from their diet (poisonous toads).

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Snake Bites the Toxic Toad That Feeds It--and Spreads Its Poison

eudemon submitted, created time 1 year 11 months (www.sciam.com)

It sounds like something straight out of a video game: A snake collects toxin by biting a poisonous toad and uses that venom as a defense against hawks and other predators.

Some R. tigrinus snakes carry toxins called bufadienolides in their nuchal glands, sacks located under a ridge of skin along their upper necks. When threatened, they arch their necks, exposing the poisonous ridge to an antagonist. The clawing and biting of hawks and other predators most likely rips the skin and lets the poison ooze out, potentially blinding the snake's attackers

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Snakes that snack on poison

nomad submitted, created time 1 year 11 months (www.nature.com)

They say you are what you eat. And that's especially true of Rhabdophis tigrinus — zoologists have discovered that this snake eats poisonous toads and keeps their venom for itself.

Rather than going to the trouble of making its own venom to use against predators, R. tigrinus, which is found in Asia, takes the venom from its prey and transports it to its own venom glands for storage and use.

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Snake Eats Toxic Toad and Steals its Poison

penguin submitted, created time 1 year 11 months (www.livescience.com)

The Asian snake Rhabdophis tigrinus is one tough customer. Not only can it swallow toxic toads and live to tell. It also uses the toad’s poison for its own defense, new research shows. And rather than deploying the toxin, the snake uses it as the biological equivalent of waving a busted gun.

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