This is in regards to "hognose snake venom." Has anyone ever actually found venom glands on hognose snakes as seen in known venomous snakes? I believe that the venom just may be a re-designed enzyme derived from bufo-toxins that has a primary function to help in digestion of the bufo-toxins in toads, and the swelling is just a side effect. I have been bitten by my western hognose (I intentionally coaxed it to bite by rubbing a mouse on my hand) and had no reaction. My western hognose feeds exclusively on feeder pinkies and fuzzies. I have coaxed a bite out of my eastern hognose by rubbing toad on my hand (it only takes amphibians) and I did get a minor reaction of localized, minimal swelling from it. Granted venom is just enzymes technically, but I believe this mis-conceived venom isn't actually designed to be venom and that it just shares a few similar, non-problematic side effects.

I do not wish to bring up any big debate on this, just speculation. For sake of this lets just assume that reactions do occur, weather we have seen them or not.

Basically to make it clear, is it possible that an enzyme not designed to be venom, could have similar side-effects that exposure to venom would produce? This doesn't even have to be in terms of hognose snakes, that's just where the debate is at is all.

Thoughts on this?

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Hide Replies ]