A mouse's bite holds venomous potential, finds new study

We are not venomous, and neither are mice—but within our genomes lurks that potential, suggest scientists from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) and the Australian National University. ...

Team proposes new model for snake venom evolution

Technology that can map out the genes at work in a snake or lizard's mouth has, in many cases, changed the way scientists define an animal as venomous. If oral glands show expression of some of the 20 gene families associated ...

How the snake got its venom

The venom of advanced snakes is a mixture of dozens of different proteins and is an example of an evolutionary innovation – a novel trait that has arisen in a particular animal group and which has contributed to their success. ...

Predatory sea snails produce weaponized insulin

As predators go, cone snails are slow-moving and lack the typical fighting parts. They've made up for it by producing a vast array of fast-acting toxins that target the nervous systems of prey. A new study reveals that some ...

Komodo even more deadly than thought: Research

The carnivorous reptiles (Varanus komodoensis) are known to bite prey and release them, leaving them to bleed to death from their wounds: the victims are reported to go into shock before the dragons kill and eat them.

The rapid evolution of cobra venom

A new study has provided the first comprehensive insight into how snake venom evolved into the sophisticated cocktail of different proteins it is today.

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