8. General characters
Snakes are cold blooded vertebrates
that possess no mandibular joint
allowing them to swallow their pery
fast
Venomous snakes use fangs to inject
venom into their prey
Their teeth are curved backwards
allowing them to pull food into the
throat without being chewed
8Dr N B Shridhar
14. Snake venom proteins
The venoms of snakes are complex
mixtures, chiefly proteins(80-90%)
– Enzymes
– Polypeptides
proteins and peptides.
• Mr. 20,000-95,000
• Crotalid venoms > Viperid venoms
• Elapid and sea venoms have no proteolytic
activity or very little
14Dr N B Shridhar
32. # ( " )
% *
% + %
32
Haemotoxins : Very painful. Inflammation and
oozing occur. Bleeding from the mucous
membrane occur at the mouth, anus, and nose
and there is hemorrhaging under the skin. This
is slower and more painful than the neurotoxin.
Finally there is vascular collapse and loss of
consciousness
Dr N B Shridhar
57. 1 *
$
57
•Will “play dead” when frightened (middle picture)
•Will use their upturned snout for digging.
•Feeds primarily on frogs and toads.
•If they strike (rarely), they will hit you with their snout and not
bite.
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Dr N B Shridhar
78. ScorpoinsScorpoins
They are arthropods thatThey are arthropods that
attack their victims byattack their victims by
means of stingingmeans of stinging
apparatus in the lastapparatus in the last
section of their mobilesection of their mobile
tails.tails.
Action of scorpion venomAction of scorpion venom
It acts on smooth andIt acts on smooth and
striated muscles causingstriated muscles causing
increased excitability andincreased excitability and
muscle contracture.muscle contracture.
78Dr N B Shridhar