Karl P Schmidt was an American herpetologist (amphibian and reptile expert) who was fatally bitten by a boomslang ( Dispholidus typus) in 1957.īoomslangs are highly venomous snakes found in Africa, but they are not in the elapid or viper family. Karl Patterson Schmidt and the boomslang incident Venoms may also have other notable abilities when they contain myotoxins (skeletal muscle destroying), cardiotoxins (which specifically affect the heart) or sarafotoxins (blood vessel constricting) for example. Some rattlesnake venom also has neurotoxic properties. Rattlesnakes can cause horrible bleeding, but their venom is also cytotoxic (tissue destructive) and can cause wounds and necrosis. Taipans, for example, have immobilising neurotoxic venom which also has very fast-acting blood clotting abilities. Neurotoxicity and haemotoxicity are not the only effects venoms can have, nor are they mutually exclusive. It generally has an immobilising effect, either making a victim's body turn rigid or become limp. Their venom is typically neurotoxic, which means that it interferes with the transmission of nerve impulses. Many famously venomous snakes are elapids, such as cobras, mambas, kraits and taipans. They can cause bleeding or interfere with the blood's ability to clot. This means they attack the circulatory system. Vipers, which includes adders and rattlesnakes, have venoms that are generally haemotoxic. Broadly speaking, the venoms in these two groups do different things to a bite victim. Two groups of venomous snakes are particularly well known: vipers (Viperidae) and elapids (Elapidae). For example, male platypuses use their venomous spurs against their competition in the breeding season, tawny crazy ants use theirs as an antidote to the venom of fire ants and some species, such as shrews, are thought to use their venom to preserve food. There are several other less common uses for venom. Many of these are likely to be venomous too, though this group generally poses less of a threat to humans, with a few exceptions.Īlmost all snakes evolved venom to help them hunt but some will also use it defend themselves. There are an additional 1,800 rear-fanged species which belong to the family Colubridae. There are about 700 species of front-fanged venomous snakes, almost all of which belong to the families Viperidae and Elapidae. It is also commonly used for defence, serving would-be predators with a painful and memorable warning. Lots of animals use venom for predation, killing or immobilising their prey before eating it. Today there are thousands of venomous animals thriving around the world and over time their venoms have evolved to do specific jobs in the animals they envenomate.ĭiscover what snake venom does, why some species have incredibly potent venom, and why speed is so important when treating snakebite. Venom is thought to have evolved independently at least 100 times.
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