`They use it for prey capture. Contrast the behaviour of the Asian 'Elaphe-types' with that of the Americans (which have recently undergone a secondary loss of the gland). The Asians are actually pretty pathetic contrictors but absolutely bite the living crap out of the prey item (quite viciously). The Americans do little biting (other than the intial strike) but are robust constrictors.'



Really? That's nifty... I guess I just don't have enough experience with Asian `Elaphe'. I've been keeping a Coelognathus radiatus for a few years, and he'll just do the typical Pantherophis thing... just one initial strike and a bunch of (apparently quite effective) coils.



Also, though, I remember seeing a paper a while back indicating that constriction rather than venom was the cause of prey death in Boiga irregularis...



`The evolutionary key here is that there was no evolutionary selection pressure for the development of fangs unless there was already a potent venom to deliver. Sort of like all primate lineages being able to make noises but we are the only lineage with the highly developed piece of architecture called the voice box.



Venom in the advanced snakes are analagous. The heavy bodied primitive snakes dumped the muscle that was essential for prey capture in order to become more gracile and agile. They needed a new weapon. Enter venom.'



Makes sense.



Patrick Alexander

[ Hide Replies ]

• Snake venom paper (including 'rearfangs') - BGF, Tue Aug 19 08:15:43 2003
• I thought Coelognathus were racers... : ) Cool research, though. ~NP~ - paalexan, Tue Aug 19 10:40:29 2003
• RE: Snake venom paper (including 'rearfangs') - Rick gordon, Tue Aug 19 13:01:02 2003
• They were when we started writing these papers n/p - WW, Tue Aug 19 14:35:30 2003
• That should have read: They weren't when we started writing these papers - WW, Tue Aug 19 14:36:24 2003
• Thats fine.... as long as we agree they are NOT Elaphe ;-p n/p - BGF, Tue Aug 19 15:08:12 2003
• At last! AT LAST!!! - Trust, Wed Aug 20 20:52:39 2003
• RE: At last! AT LAST!!! - BGF, Thu Aug 21 01:57:45 2003
• Yup, they sure ain't Elaphe... more - paalexan, Thu Aug 21 10:38:35 2003
• RE: At last! AT LAST!!! - Trust, Thu Aug 21 15:20:58 2003
• RE: At last! AT LAST!!! - wilduk, Thu Aug 21 15:50:07 2003
• RE: Yup, they sure ain't Elaphe... more - BGF, Thu Aug 21 23:51:37 2003
• RE: At last! AT LAST!!! - BGF, Thu Aug 21 23:55:04 2003
• RE: At last! AT LAST!!! - BGF, Thu Aug 21 23:57:28 2003
• RE: Snake venom paper (including 'rearfangs') - MarkW, Fri Aug 22 06:48:45 2003
• RE: Yup, they sure ain't Elaphe... more - paalexan, Fri Aug 22 11:04:12 2003
• RE: Yup, they sure ain't Elaphe... more - paalexan, Fri Aug 22 11:19:20 2003
• Now that I think about it... - meretseger, Fri Aug 22 20:16:07 2003
• RE: Now that I think about it... - Saker, Fri Aug 29 06:27:38 2003
• RE: Now that I think about it... - BGF, Fri Aug 29 07:56:34 2003