Education
Established: 1958 Conservation Member based (~400) 501c3 Non Profit Publishes the journal: Catesbeiana
Website with species information and resources: Research http://www.vaherpsociety.com/
So
Let’s
Snakes Talk Ophidiophobia
Greek words : "ophis" (ὄφις) = snake "phobia" (φοβία) = fear
“Fearless great-grandma kills venomous snake with shovel in her Pennsylvania yard” June 25, 2019
Normalization and Cultural Acceptance
Fear is exploited by some for profit and entertainment
J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2015 Apr; 7(Suppl 1): S49–S50. doi: 10.4103/0975-7406.155794 Mami Wata: various African and African-American religions
The classic Maya vision serpent, as depicted at Yaxchilan
Manasa: Goddess of snakes worshipped in Bengal Nagi: semi-divine race of half (northern India) human half serpent beings: Hinduism and Buddhism
Taxonomic Review of Serpentes
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia Families: 24
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes Genera: ~483
Species: ~3,848 24 • ~3,848 species • Found on all continents Families except Antarctica
• Have inner ears Lack ear • Can hear soundwaves openings traveling through the ground
• Eyes are protected Lack through an ocular scale eyelids that is shed with the rest of the skin
All are • Boids and Pythons have retained their pelvic legless girdle, femur and 1 pair tetrapods of claws
Megachirella wachtleri Oldest known Squamate (240 mya) Parviraptor estesi 144 mya
Portugalophis lignites 155 mya
Diablophis gilmorei 155 mya How do we know snakes are tetrapods?
In the more “primitive” snakes such as pythons and boas, we see vestigial pelvic girdles, femurs and claws.
Genetic research in more “advanced” snakes reveals “fossilized” genes for the development of limbs.
Leal and Cohn, 2016 VOLUME 26, ISSUE 21
Mechanism of action of snake venom phospholipase A2.
PLA2: phospholipase A2; Asp49: Aspartate49; Lys49: Lysine49; PAF: platelet activating factor; LPA: lipoprotein- Nanjaraj A. N. Urs, et al, 2013 A. http://www.venomdoc.com/ Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry
Associate professor at the School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland - group leader of the Venom Evolution Laboratory.
Spider leg autotomy induced by prey venom injection: An adaptive response to “pain”? Thomas Eisner, Scott Camazine Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Jun 1983, 80 (11) 3382-3385;
Compounds with antitumor activities isolated from snake venoms Toxins (Basel). 2018 Sep; 10(9): 346.
Target/Mechanism Protein Names Compounds Snakes Reference
Leucurogin disintegrin Bothrops leucurus [39]
Contortrostatin disintegrin Agkistrodon contortrix [40]
antiangiogenesis Obtustatin disintegrin Vipera lebetina obtusa [41]
A. halys brevicaudus Adinbitor disintegrin [42,43] stejneger
Salmosin disintegrin A. halys brevicaudus [44]
LAAO LAAO A. halys [45,46] AHP-LAAO LAAO A. halys pallas [47] LAAO LAAO V. berus berus [48] apoptosis disintegrin disintegrin Naja naja [49] induction metalloprotease/disi VAP and VAP2 Crotalus atrox [50,51] ntegrin Trimeresurus stejnitin SVMP [52] stejnegeri Antimicrobial activity of snake venoms Toxins (Basel). 2019 Oct; 11(10): 564. Factor Properties Target Microbe Source (Snake Specie) (Protein/Peptide)
Bothrop alternatus, Bothrop pirajai, Bothrop asper, Bothrop L-amino acid oxidase leucurus, Crotalus adamanteus, Daboia russelli russelli, Ophiophagus Gram-positive and gram- hannah and Pseudechis australis Antibacterial negative bacteria Bothrop asper, Bothrop jararacussu, Bothrop pirajai, Bothrop Phospholipase (PLA2) moojeni, Bungarus faciatus and Crotalus durissus terrificus Measles, yellow fever and Crotoxin and PLA Crotalus durissus terrificus dengue viruses 2 Sendai virus Cytotoxins Naja nigricollis Human Immunodeficiency Trimeresurus stejnegeri, Bungarus Antiviral L-amino acid oxidase candidus, Naja naja and Naja Virus (HIV) kaouthia Crotoxin, PLA and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) 2 Crotalus durissus terrificus crotapotin
Candida parapsilosis and Sporothrix Metalloproteinases and PLA2 Crotalus durissus cumanensis Antifungal schenckii Crotamine Crotalus durissus terrificus
Leishmania species, Plasmodium Antiparasitic falciparum and Trypanosoma cruzi L-amino-acid oxidases Brothrops snakes Snake venom-based drugs in the market and in clinical trials. Toxins (Basel). 2019 Oct; 11(10): 564. Stage Protein/Peptide Lead Source Pharmacology Indication
Inhibiting angiotensin- Captopril Bothrops jararaca Hypertension converting enzyme.
Aggrastat Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Echis carinatus Heart attack (Tirofiban) inhibitors. Integrilin Sistrurus miliarus Glycoprotein (GP) Acute coronary (Eptifibatide) barbouri IIb/IIIa inhibitors. syndrome
Stroke, pulmonary FDA Approved Defibrase/Reptilase Bothrops atrox & B. Converts fibrinogen embolism, deep vein (Batroxobin) moojeni into fibrin. thrombosis and myocardial infarction
Catalyzes the Plastic surgery, Hemocoagulase Bothrops atrox coagulation of the abdominal surgery, blood. and human vitrectomy
Thromboembolic Exanta Direct thrombin Cobra venom complications of atrial inhibitors. (Ximelagatran) fibrillation Acute peripheral Alfimeprase Agkistrodon contortrix Thrombolytic activity. arterial occlusion In clinical trials Agkistrodon Defibrinogenating Viprinex (Ancrod) Acute ischemic stroke rhodostoma agent.
African Bush Viper
Venomous 3 Primary Characteristics of Pit Vipers
Non-venomous Venomous Venomous vs Non-venomous
What about Triangular or Diamond shaped heads? Which of these silhouettes is a venomous species occurring in Virginia?
Hibernation = Mammals Brumation = Reptiles