Transcriptomic Insights Into the Evolution of Snake Venom: Mechanisms, Diversity, and Adaptation

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  Transcriptomic Insights Into the Evolution of Snake Venom: Mechanisms, Diversity, and Adaptation Abstract Snake venoms are evolutionarily refined biochemical arsenals composed of diverse toxins with complex functional roles in predation, defense, and competition. Over the past 2 decades, transcriptomic approaches have transformed venom research by enabling high-resolution insights into gene expression dynamics, molecular diversity, and the evolutionary mechanisms driving venom variation across lineages. In this review, we present a comprehensive synthesis of snake venom transcriptomics literature and propose a conceptual framework structured around three major axes: (1) gene family expansion through duplication and neofunctionalization; (2) regulatory complexity encompassing transcriptional, posttranscriptional, and epigenetic modulation; and (3) ecological selection pressures shaping venom profiles in response to diet, habitat, and interspecific interactions. We integrate findin...

Living with the enemy? Predation on the frog Tachiramantis tayrona by a Theraphosidae spider

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Living with the enemy? Predation on the frog Tachiramantis tayrona by a Theraphosidae spider

Given that predation is a biotic interaction that can shape the behaviour of potential prey (Ruxton et al., 2018), it is important to know who is eating who in nature. Invertebrates have often been recorded to predate on amphibian anurans, with spiders being one of the most important predators of terrestrial frogs (Menin et al., 2005; Toledo, 2005; Nyffeler and Altig, 2020). In this short note, we report on a predation event of a mygalomorph spider upon the frog Tachiramantis tayrona (Lynch and Ruiz-Carranza, 1985), an endemic species to Colombia that is currently categorised as “Near Threatened” (IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, 2017).

Herpetology Notes, volume 16: 593-595 (2023) (published online on 08 August 2023)