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Snakes that snack on poison

Predators take venom from prey and use it themselves.

They say you are what you eat. And that’s especially true of Rhabdophis tigrinus — zoologists have discovered that this snake eats poisonous toads and keeps their venom for itself.

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Posted by on January 29, 2007
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Hi
Its a very unique finding, this shows the evolution of these species. They may be non poisnous snake but inorder to protect themselves they may have acquired this unique property. It will be intresting to know how they are able to store the poison without digesting that. What i think, they may do Regurgitation into the poison gland. Than to very exclusive finding.

Posted by: abhinav kumar dokania | January 30, 2007 01:32 AM

This is pretty remarkable, although I myself eat a lot of beef, and what comes from my mouth is often a load of bull. I wonder if this is in any way similar? I have been known to use it to ward off threatening predators.

Posted by: Terry Andrus | January 30, 2007 05:58 AM

You'll never know the years of work that went into this research.The most difficult thing was rearing the babies.We hatched hundreds.The babies would feed,and suddenly die.Out of about 100 I managed to raise two on pink mice. This is a notoriously short-lived snake, but my two lived for 9 years.

Posted by: Richard C. Goris | January 31, 2007 05:37 AM

To "dokania", sir :) Rhabdophis tigrinus is a very venomous snake, rear-fanged.Its venom is equal in potency to that of the African boomslang.I was the first to publish this in English, some 35 years ago.Herpetologica, 30(2),1974.J.Herpetology, 12(1), 1976.
Cheers!

Posted by: Richard C. Goris | January 31, 2007 05:50 AM

is the toad poison found in its venom glands in its mouth or only on the poisonous sacs on the back of its neck?

i have never heard of poison sacs on the back of a snakes neck. is there any other snakes like this?

Posted by: jake the snake roberts | January 31, 2007 07:08 PM

Is the venom produced by Rhabdophis tigrinus exaclty same that of toad poison. And if snake has aquired this evolutionary trait for its protection , who's the predator of this snake. Apart of there querries, its very interesting to learn that a snake can use a poison of its prey for its own benefit

Posted by: atul bharde | February 6, 2007 12:11 PM

For Jake Roberts, Please contact me at gabe50@earthlink.net (If you are jake roberts the wrestler.) Thanks! Gabriel

Posted by: Gabe | April 1, 2007 06:21 PM

How do snakes "make" poison? How can an animal evolve a trait like this? It is almost as if the snake wills itself, wills the cells, to concentrate salavia so that it is toxic . Do animals have a will, and does this will exist in even a one cell animal?

Posted by: jo neace krause | July 1, 2007 01:16 AM

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