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From Wikipedia: "King snakes often eat venomous snakes such as rattlesnakes. The venom has no effect on the snake as it can tolerate the toxins in venom, however if the snake is bitten many times by venomous snakes the venom will have harmful effects."

Does anyone know whats so special about them that they can eat venomous snakes? Wikipedia states "if the snake is bitten many times" - how sensitive are they about being bitten? and how does this differ to other colubrids such as cornsnakes, garters etc ie what effect will many bites have on a similar sized corn?

I know this is how they get their name but I cant find much info on it. Anyone?

I dont know if its been worked out specifically for kingsnakes, but a related question is why the venomous snakes dont suffer from thier own venoms. Some research has been done on that and the two are probably very similar.

Basically, the idea is venom proteins recognize very specific proteins in the prey. Its like a lock and key. If the the venom key cannot open the prey lock it will have no effects. So the protein of the kingsnake evolves and is no longer suseptable to the venom.

Some of the work can be found here:
http://zoltantakacs.com/

Hope that helps,
Vinny
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“There is a grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that whilst this planet has gone on cycling according to the fixed laws of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.” -C. Darwin, 1859

Natural Selection Reptiles

Thanks for that, I was wondering if anyone had done any research on it so this is a great starting point! Thanks again!

Kings are immune to the venom of some snakes like rattlesnakes, but not to the venom of cobras. I believe some skunks are also immune to rattlesnake venom. It is interesting that they are producing immunity in chickens, (as they do in horses and sheep for the production of antivenom) and antivenom from their eggs! The imunity is passed into the egg from parent to offspring. Maybe that is how it is developed in rattlesnake eating snakes like kingsnakes, and passed on to their young. It is also interesting how the rattlesnake seems to sence the kingsnakes immunity, and reacts very differently to a kingsnake compared to other snakes. Enjoy researching the topic- it's cool stuff.

It is a complicated subject. Venom works in many ways. I have never seen very thorough research that would cover all of the answer to your question. Some theories are, as mentioned above, protein interactions on cell surfaces block venom. Or that kingsnakes make their own antivenoms, compounds that break down venom.

The bottom line is that kingsnakes can and do eat poisonous snakes. If your corn got bitten it would die.

This is not my pic but someone posted it a while ago and I saved it cause it was pretty amazing.

>>It is a complicated subject. Venom works in many ways. I have never seen very thorough research that would cover all of the answer to your question. Some theories are, as mentioned above, protein interactions on cell surfaces block venom. Or that kingsnakes make their own antivenoms, compounds that break down venom.
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>>The bottom line is that kingsnakes can and do eat poisonous snakes. If your corn got bitten it would die.
>>
>>This is not my pic but someone posted it a while ago and I saved it cause it was pretty amazing.
>>

That is a neat photo, Mother Nature at work. It’s amazing to me that more snakes are not (snake eaters) they are probably the easiest prey item to consume. I saw a video of a 15’ King Cobra eating a 6’ Mangrove Snake very interesting stuff and surprisingly the Mangrove didn’t have any resistance to the Cobra’s Venom.
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Jason A.
"Long time Herper, first year Breeder `07."

Wow awesome pic, thanks for posting that! I realise that its a complicated topic, but as I know nothing about it I figured I could do with learning a bit lol.

Thanks for everyones reply, really interesting indeed! If I come across any good finds Ill post them

...just how many animals can actually eat a venomous snake. I'd say plenty. Now, of course many of those same animals would suffer from a bitefrom that snake,huh?
Sometimes it is in the delivery of said venom I think.
I guess that's one reason they are not undone by their own venom.
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

crimsonking.piczo.com/

>>I know this is how they get their name but I cant find much info on it. Anyone?

I'd suggest looking for....

Keegan, Hugh, and Ted Andrews.1942."Effects of Crotalid Venom on North American Snakes". Copeia (4)

Weinstein, Scott, Clement Dewitt, and Leonard Smith. 1992. "Variability of Venom-Neutralizing Properties of Serum from Snakes of the Colubrid Genus Lampropeltis". Journal of Herpetology Vol.26 #4

PROBABLY find both articles/journals at Herplit.com. Do a search
there of both Keegan and Weinstein and the articles/journals and their prices should come up.

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Ace

Brilliant! Thanks

http://www.stormingmedia.co.uk/40/4079/A407962.html?PHPSESSID=ea17159c3c3bb54fabc2b1ef63772ded

A very interesting read, especially as it states that "Serum from Elaphe g. guttata effectively neutralized several crotaline venoms". This is getting very intriguing...!

>>A very interesting read, especially as it states that "Serum from Elaphe g. guttata effectively neutralized several crotaline venoms". This is getting very intriguing...!

Yes, the Weintein article tested Corns and found their serums neutralized A.c.mokasen (Northern Copperhead), A.p.conanti (Florida Cottonmouth), and C.v.viridus (Prairie Rattlesnake) venoms. The Pituophis m.sayi and Thamnophis s.sartalis they used both showed no immunity to any venoms tested. None of the Lampropeltis showed any immunity to elapid (coral snake) venom.
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Ace