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T oxins Biting Biting M handled—and itsbitecankillaperson. desert snakedoesn’t particularlylikebeing a Mojaverattlesnakeoutofitscage.This they produce. and collecttheextremelypoisonousvenom It’s Hockmuller’s jobtocareforthereptiles Kingsville that’s hometoabout450snakes. research facilityatTexas A&MUniversity- Hockmuller runstheSerpentarium,a //

Today, Hockmullerandanassistantpull at thecup,piercingfilmwith its Biology: fangs andsprayingitsvenom intothe container below. venom to researchers at universities, Later, Hockmuller will ship the Hockmuller gripsthesnake’s

dozens ofthemeveryday. Hockmuller, whopicksup snakes. ButnotMark avoid handlingdangerous ost peopleintheirrightminds Adaptations film. Thesnakestrikes head betweenhisbare covered withplastic fingers andcarefully guides ittowardacup Back

the planet. They’re also the planet.They’realso saving people’slives. make venom ( and even mammals that lizards, insects, fish, are spiders, scorpions, the only ones. There but they’re far from that come to mind, be the first animals tures, snakes may of venomous crea Weapons Chemical can even help us treat disease. deadly effects on human victims, and how it harmful, how to counteract its sometimes- They’re learning what makes venom so and other venomous creatures. that are studying these snakes institutions around the U.S. drug companies, and other members,” says BryanGrieg of animalhasvenomous Diversity, p.17). deadliest poisons on deadliest poisonson produce some of the Venomous animals “Just abouteveryorder When you think

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instance, contains from operating normally. throughout the victim’s body and prevent it another with venom, the toxins circulate called contain a mixture of poisonous molecules weapon is its chemical composition. Venoms venom-shooting spurs on their hind legs. over territory, they stab at each other with against attackers. When male platypuses fight Others, such as stingrays, use it to defend the way snakes do, to kill or immobilize prey. species outthere.” hundreds ofthousands[venomous] of QueenslandinAustralia.“Thereare Fry, avenomresearcherattheUniversity An eastern coral snake’s venom, for What makes venom such an effective Many of these animals use their venom toxins. When one animal injects neurotoxins that block Thailand v iper: pit Continued on the nextpage BEAUTIFUL bodies and use them to treat people who have been bitten or stung. or bitten been have who people treat to them use and bodies toxins. venom the disable produce to systems immune their causes which venom, of tiny,dose a harmless with animals ranches. specialized on live that horses vials to hospital pharmacies. hospital to vials powder.dried freeze- or liquid a as it package venom. the to immune it’s that antibodies many so produces venom. of amounts increasing with shots antivenom. an make to want scientists which for species is made antivenom how 3 5 1 T

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page 14: Kevin K. Caldwell/FLickr/Getty Images (Top Left); Dorling Kindersley/Getty Images (Bottom Left); page 15: Michael D. Kern/naturepl.com (Pit Viper); Joel Sartore/National Geographic/Getty Images (Coral Snake) illustrations by damien scogin. stinger venom diversity Venom is such a useful adaptation that many different types of animals have evolved to produce it. They use their venom for hunting, fighting, or defense.

Blue-ringed Octopus All octopuses use venom to hunt, but only

STING this 15 cm (6 in.)-long Australian MACHINE: A species is dangerous to honeybee’s humans. Its bite can kill a stinger, shown here under swimmer within minutes. bulb a powerful microscope, stores venom in a tiny sac. When stingray the bee stings, When these fish feel the central bulb threatened, they use barbs on their whip- pumps venom venom sac into the stinger. like tails to inject their attackers with venom. It contains toxins that damage muscle tissue and cause extreme pain. or stings. These Venom Benefits lifesaving drugs are Treating bites isn’t the only reason to signals between the brain and muscles of prepared in advance and kept in hospital collect venom from animals like snakes. slow loris its prey. This paralyzes the prey so that the pharmacies for when they’re needed. Scientists are studying the effects of The world’s only venomous primates, snake can more easily eat it. Other venoms, To make antivenom, scientists collect a the toxins in venom so that they can slow lorises lick or rub toxin-producing like that of the diamondback rattlesnake, sample of venom and inject it into an animal use those effects to our advan- glands on their arms to fill their antivenom include toxins that prevent blood from clot- (see How Antivenom Is Made, p. 15). The tage—to treat disease. mouths with toxins. Then they bite ting and cause their victims to bleed to death. dose is too low to hurt the injected animal. Take the toxins that potential predators. Every venomous species uses a slightly But the toxins trigger its disease-fighting prevent blood clots from different mix of toxins that are specially immune system to produce antibodies— c e (Bee) forming, says Elda E. Sanchez,

S our bark scorpion SNAKE adapted to disable its targets. For snakes, specialized proteins that attack and disable co-director of the National Natural MILKING: These arachnids use venom to prey on

those targets are usually rodents and other those particular toxins. Scientists then collect N ational S artore/ Toxins Research Center at Texas Researchers insects, spiders, and even other extract venom prey. But snakes may also strike people who the antibodies and turn them into antivenom. A&M. The large dose in a snakebite

from snakes c e scorpions. Their sting make them feel threatened—and their toxins When a person comes into the hospital is dangerous. “But when you isolate like the Gaboon can be life-threatening viper (above) to can have similar lethal effects on us. with a snakebite, doctors first question the S our those molecules,” says Sanchez, “they ott Camazine/ Sc ien c e ott

redrag P redrag I mages; to small children. make antivenom patient to try to find out what type of snake Sc can be used to [prevent] strokes and and other drugs. c e Joel ( A nti-venom); Treating Toxins bit him or her. Antivenom works only on the heart attacks, which are caused by S our tinger); ©

In the U.S., 8,000 to 10,000 people are type of venom from which it was made, so L orenz/ Sc ien c e blood clots.”

bitten by dangerous snakes every year, doctors have to choose the right one. If they c e ( S Scientists are discovering lots of new G eographi c / etty says Leslie Boyer, a toxinologist at the can’t identify the snake, the doctors use an S our medical uses for venom ingredients. The

University of Arizona. These bites antivenom made from a blend of venoms Sc ien c e N ovosti/ venom of the black mamba, an African snake discovered that melittin can also kill the RIA have the potential to be deadly, but from snakes common to the area. Then they with one of the deadliest bites on Earth, dangerous HIV virus in a laboratory dish. these days, almost all snakebite inject it into the victim’s veins. contains toxins that numb its victims. Last Because venom is so useful in medicine, ational D ou b ilet/ N ational V enom); © T ed Kinsman/ Sc ien c e

yellow- victims in the U.S. survive. That’s “The antibodies go into the person’s blood- avid year, scientists figured out how to separate it may ultimately save the lives of many more ery; © Craig anting/ M edia K. Ba k ery; D blotched because scientists like stream,” says Boyer. “They go throughout L those compounds and turn them into a people than it kills, says Fry. Unfortunately, palm pit viper: Boyer have learned the body, and wherever they encounter the V iper); © painkilling drug. many venomous creatures are now critically Core Guatemala om ( H arvesting

how to make molecules of toxin, they neutralize it.” om; © Frans Others are studying melittin, the main endangered. If they become extinct, we may Question op to Bottom: op Bottom: to and Mexico T

antivenoms— Antivenom saves people’s lives. But it can’t I mages ( P it component of honeybee venom. Bees inject never discover what their venom could do.

rom f rom Why do scientists medications reverse any damage the venom has already melittin through their stingers. The chemical “Venomous species have already done all collect venom from that block done, says Boyer, so it’s important for people c photo. ck to compound irritates the skin of their victims this work for us,” says Fry. “We just have to c H eu c lin/naturepl. D iversity snakes and other

the effects of who have been bitten or stung by venomous c /i S ovi and triggers a severe allergic reaction in be smart enough to keep them around.” 9

aniel venomous creatures? D G eographi c / etty V enom venomous bites animals to seek medical attention quickly. V u ck some people. But this past March, scientists —Mara Grunbaum

16 september 16, 2013 www.scholastic.com/scienceworld 17