Venom potency varies from snake to snake, even among individuals from the same local population.

Until now, scientists thought venom varied from population to population. A rattlesnake living along the edge of a swamp doesn't hunt the same prey as a rattlesnake living among the boulders at the base of a mountain -- it makes sense that different groups of snakes would use venom adapted to their particular diets.

But according to new research, venom variation can be found among snakes living in the same place. The venom of one snake might prove deadly for one lizard but not for another, and the snake next-door might easily take down any and all lizards.

"We found differences within the same population that were almost four times greater than differences in toxicity between snakes from different regions," H. Lisle Gibbs, professor of evolution, ecology and organismal biology at Ohio State University, said in a news release. "To my knowledge, nobody has ever documented anything like this before -- we've all been focused on the snakes from different populations living in different habitats."

Gibbs and his colleagues collected venom samples from 32 pygmy rattlesnakes in Florida. Scientists tested the venom's effects on brown anole lizards, an invasive species closely related to one of the rattlesnake's preferred snacks, the green anole.

The venom from some snakes knocked out every lizard. But the venom from a few snakes proved deadly for only some lizards and harmless for others.

Researchers published their findings in the journal Biology Letters.

"It could be that the snakes that aren't good at killing these lizards are great at killing other prey, such as frogs. We just don't know," Gibbs said. "Another big question from an evolutionary perspective is 'Why aren't they good at killing everything all the time?'"

The proteins that lend venom its toxic punch aren't easy to produce, they require the snake's energy -- energy that is finite. Some snakes may devote more energy to producing proteins toxic to one type of prey but less effective for others.

"This is a whole new way of looking at how evolution operates on venom that we haven't considered," Gibbs said. "There's a new act in this evolutionary play that we didn't know about until now."

Related Links
Darwin Today At TerraDaily.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Invasive species with charisma are harder to eradicate
Washington (UPI) Feb 4, 2019
Charismatic invaders are harder to expel, according to a new study of animal experts. In an effort to improve the efficacy of management and eradication plans for invasive and introduced species, scientists set out to understand why people are more accepting of certain introduced species, and how public perception of a species is often at odds with it's ecological impact. Humans tend to view animals that don't bite, crawl or squirm more favorably, surveys show. Culturally valued species ... read more