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I was asked a question today that I didn't know, and I actually had never thought about.
Ok, if dart frogs get their poison that they secrete from what they eat in the wild, and Komodo dragons get their nasty saliva from what they eat, then why don't king snakes have some pretty nasty saliva from rattlesnakes and other venomous snakes they may eat in the wild?

Maybe because that isn't a constant diet?
I just figured I'd get your guys opinions
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Komodo Dragons mouths just naturally harbor the disgusting bacteria from all the crap they eat. I'm no expert but they probably lack the right bacteria in their mouth to keep it from being less toxic, yet it doesnt hurt the host animal itself. It's an interesting balance of what's toxic to others but not toxic to itself.

Poison Dart Frogs eat certain foods and their bodies are designed to take the protiens or enzymes and convert it over to the toxin they secrete. So, they're like little poison factories more or less.

So, just because a kingsnake eats a rattlesnake, this doesnt mean the venom from the glands gets passed into the snake when it's digested and the kingsnake becomes venomous. The venom gets digested just as easily as the muscle and bone, and there are no other processes in the kingsnake that use those raw materials to manufacturer anything like a poison or cesspool of saliva. I'm sure the protiens get broken apart into other substances that are no longer dangerous when introduced into a bloodstream and just become skin, scales, organs, bones, etc...

So, kind of an interesting question, but the answer is relatively simple when you look at the basic components of the things you're asking about. It's all a matter of what processes are present within the animal and how they operate.

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Tom

"The more people I meet, the more I like my snakes"

right. komodo dragons eat LOTS of carrion that has long since "turned". They will actually let it sour longer so that the bacteria can develop further. Then it grows even more in their saliva to create a vicious toxin. It's similar to the nasty crap beneath a cat's claws, only 100x worse.

when kingsnakes eat venomous snakes, the venom just gets digested. they might have poisonous feces, but you'd have to inject it to find out.

In theory, if a snake ate lots of rancid meat, it's saliva could be harmful from the bacteria.
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>>right. komodo dragons eat LOTS of carrion that has long since "turned". They will actually let it sour longer so that the bacteria can develop further. Then it grows even more in their saliva to create a vicious toxin. It's similar to the nasty crap beneath a cat's claws, only 100x worse.

Actually this is all complete scientific voodoo. They dramatically prefer live prey over fresh kills and way over rotting meat. They will take it if planted for a documentary but it is not a significant part of their natural ecology. They are quite fastidious in their hygiene. Post meal they liplick for up to fifteen minutes and also repeatedly rub their heads in the leaf litter. Last time I looked in a komodos mouth, the gums were pink and the teeth shiny and white. No retained flesh at all.

We have shown that instead of toxic bacteria, they have venom quite similar to that of the gila monster which is not too suprising since they have the same venom gland. Look at a picture of one, or any other monitor lizard, and the large bulge running the length of the lower jaw becomes immediately apparent.

Cheers
B
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Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry
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Venomics Research Laboratory,
Department of Biochemistry,
Bio21 Institute,
University of Melbourne
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http://www.venomdoc.com