A study on the venom yield of venomous snake species from Argentina

• Published in: Toxicon (Oxford) Vol. 36; no. 12; pp. 1949 - 1957
• Main Authors: de Roodt, Adolfo R, Dolab, Jorge A, Galarce, Pedro P, Gould, Eduardo, Litwin, Silvana, Dokmetjian, J.Christian, Segre, Liliana, Vidal, Juan C
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-12-1998; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Age Factors; Animal poisons toxicology. Antivenoms; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Argentina; Biological and medical sciences; Body Weight; Bothrops; Bothrops - physiology; Crotalid Venoms - analysis; Crotalus - physiology; Crotalus durissus terrificus; Elapidae - physiology; Female; Male; Medical sciences; Micrurus; Serpentes; Sex Factors; Snake Venoms - analysis; Snakes - physiology; Toxicology; Argentina; Vertebrata; Antivenom; Body weight; Venom; Milking; Reptilia; Yield; Venomous; Ophidia
• ISSN: 0041-0101; 1879-3150
• DOI: 10.1016/S0041-0101(98)00119-6

A study on the venom yield of snakes from Argentina over a three year period was carried out on adult specimens of
Bothrops alternatus (
n=74);
Bothrops neuwiedii (
n=127);
Bothrops ammodytoides (
n=30);
Bothrops moojeni (
n=14);
Bothrops jararaca (
n=14);
B. jararacussu (
n=6);
Crotalus durissus terrificus (
n=120) and
Micrurus spp. (
n=6) as well as with 12 specimens of newborn
C. d. terrificus kept in captivity. While for each species there was a positive correlation between venom yield and number of snakes milked, the correlation with the snake's body weights after individual milkings was even better, suggesting that the size of the snakes is more important in determining the venom yield than the number of snakes milked or the specimen's sex. Individual milkings indicated that, in addition to the snake size, when the amount of venom is normalized per 100
g body weight there is a species specific difference in venom yield. It follows the order
B. jararacussu>
B. moojeni≅
B. jararaca≅
B. alternatus>
B. neuwiedii>
Micrurus spp≅
B. ammodytoides>
C. d. terrificus. Although the venom yield per 100
g body weight of newborn
C. d. terrificus specimens is 2-fold higher than that of adults, no correlation was observed between venom yield and body weight.