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Venomous Snakes
Venomous Snakes
Venomous Snakes of
the Philippines
Venom is primarily a means for the snake to immobilize prey. Those that
employ venom for the purpose of predation typically have less stronger
musculature as compared to the constrictors and are most likely to be injured
when tackling prey items. The capability to deliver venom thus enables
venomous snakes to subdue prey with the least possible contact. The need to
immobilize prey indicates that venom is a predatory device.
The secondary purpose of venom is to start the digestive process on the prey
animals even before they are actually consumed. This factor is especially
pronounced in cytotoxic venoms.
Venom may also be employed for defensive purposes, but this actually is
disadvantageous to the snake.
Composition and types of
venom
Venom composition varies from one species to the next, and even varies
depending on the snake’s age, and the season and temperature of its
surroundings. It is essentially modified saliva but is a very complex mixture of
enzymes, toxins and smaller molecules such as organic compounds as well as
metals (calcium, zinc, potassium, sodium and manganese). The water content
of snake venoms range from 50-70 %. Snake venoms consist of three types:
Edema
Blister formation
Local tissue and muscle necrosis
Destruction of capillary walls (hemorrhaging)
Necessary amputation of damaged area/s, even
death
Effects of hemotoxic venom
This venom type is specifically designed to
target the cardiovascular system.
Elapidae
Hydrophiidae
Rear-fanged snakes
Family Viperidae Subfamily
Crotalinae
True vipers are not represented in the Philippines, but the pit vipers are.
All vipers have solenoglyphic fangs that are capable of independent action.
Venom is delivered thru a small opening at the anterior end of the fang, much
like a hypodermic needle.
The venom in vipers are strongly cytotoxic, although a few, such as in the
Mojave rattlesnake, neurotoxins are more dominant.
Tropidolaemus wagleri
Parias flavomaculatus
Parias mcgregorii
Parias sp.
Family Elapidae
This family contains some of the most notorious venomous snakes known and
includes the African mambas (Dendroaspis), the African and Asiatic cobras
(Aspidelaps, Haemachatus, Naja and Ophiophagus) the Asiatic kraits (Bungarus), and
the taipans (Oxyuranus), mulga snakes (Pseudechis), death adders (Acanthophis) and
tiger snakes (Notechis) from Australia. Additionally, the secretive coral snakes from the
Americas (Leptomicrurus, Micrurus and Micruroides), Asia (Calliophis and
Hemibungarus) and Australia (Simoselaps and Vermicella) also belong in this family.
The fangs of the elapids are proteroglyphic in nature and venom is delivered thru a
canal on the inner outer wall of the fang. In contrast to the solenoglyphic fangs of the
vipers, those in elapids are far shorter and furthermore are not capable of movement.
Venoms of the members of this family are primarily neurotoxic, although some
Australian species have almost equal amounts of cytotoxins and neurotoxins present in
their venom.
Ophiophagus hannah
Calliophis
intestinalis bilineata
Hemibungarus calligaster calligaster
Hemibungarus calligaster mcclungi
Hemibungarus calligaster
gemiannulis
Naja philippinensis
Naja samarensis
Naja sumatrana
Laticauda colubrina
Family Hydrophiidae
These, the “true sea snakes”, are distributed mainly in warm Pacific waters,
although one species, Pelamis platurus, managed to reach the Atlantic Ocean
when the Suez Canal was opened.
All sea snakes possess laterally flattened tails which they use for sculling.
The venom fangs of sea snakes are also proteroglyphic as with elapids.
Drop for drop, these snakes are the most venomous snakes on the planet,
although bites are rare. This may be due to cases that go unreported, or
simply because these are fairly docile snakes that make no attempt to bite.
Fatal bites have however been inflicted by:
Aipysurus laevis
Astrotia stokesii
Hydrophis ornatus
Pelamis platurus
Emydocephalus annulatus
Hydrophis belcheri
Hydrophis semperi
Lapemis hardwicki
The rear-fanged snakes
The designation of “rear-fanged snakes” actually
is a loose term used to encompass colubrid
snakes with opisthoglyphic teeth connected to
venom glands. As a whole, the venom produced
by these snakes are much less potent than those
from the true venomous snakes.
Most genera are found in the Neotropics and the Ethiopian Regions. Few are
Asian, but all the genera known in this respect are found in the Philippines:
Ahaetulla, Boiga (also in Africa), Chrysopelea, Dryophiops, Hologerrhum
(Philippine endemic) and Psammodynastes.
Venom type within this subfamily is poorly known, but in studied cases it was
determined that hemotoxins are predominant.
Venom highly dangerous to humans have been documented for the Bird
snake (Thelotornis), South African Vine snake (Oxybelis fulgidus) Boomslang
(Dispholidus typus) and the Mangrove snake (Boiga dendrophila).
Ahaetulla prasina
Boiga cynodon
Boiga dendrophila divergens
Boiga dendrophila levitoni
Boiga dendrophila multicincta
Chrysopelea paradisi
Psammodynastes pulverulentus
Subfamily Homalopsinae
Snakes in this subfamily are commonly found in
rice paddies, rivers, lakes, irrigation systems, river
mouths and mangrove forests; seldom in marine
waters.
Not all snakes are venomous, not all venomous snakes bite and
not all venomous snakes that bite have venom dangerous to
humans.
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank
Mario Lutz and Ravan Schneider
for the additional photos; Ressie
Navarro for supplementary
materials pertinent to the
photos taken by the author; and
Jet Bernal for useful
information regarding the
Wagler’s vipers.
References
Cole R., 1997. ‘Australia’s Fierce Snake’. Reptiles
Magazine, December
Schultz, D., 2008. ‘Tread Carefully’. Reptiles
Magazine, 16 (4): 34-39
Strimple P. & Covacevich J., 1997. ‘The Taipans
of Australia and New Guinea’. Reptiles
Magazine, December
Obst, F.J., Richter, K. & Jacob, U., Atlas of
Reptiles and Amphibians.