Beyond Venom and Constriction: Bite Performance and Trophic Ecology in the Genus Drymarchon

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  Beyond Venom and Constriction: Bite Performance and Trophic Ecology in the Genus Drymarchon Abstract Snakes exhibit extreme cranial kinesis that facilitates ingestion of prey with large cross-sectional area, but this ability is widely predicted to reduce bite performance due to decreased structural rigidity. Consequently, most large-bodied snakes rely on envenomation or constriction to subdue prey prior to ingestion. Species within the genus Drymarchon represent a notable exception: these large, non-venomous, non-constricting snakes routinely consume a wide range of prey, including large and potentially dangerous vertebrates, using only simple seizing and pinioning behaviors. Here, we quantify bite performance in three species of Drymarchon ( D. corais, D. couperi, and D. melanurus ), examine morphological predictors of biting performance, compare biting pressure to constriction pressure in similarly sized snakes, and synthesize dietary records across the genus. Our results sh...

Scorpion sting envenomation: should it be considered a neglected tropical disease?

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Scorpion sting envenomation: should it be considered a neglected tropical disease?

Abstract

At least 2772 species of scorpion (Arachnida: Scorpiones Koch, 1837) have been described.1 Of these, only 104 species (3.8%) are medically relevant.2 Mexico has the highest biodiversity, with 12% of all scorpion species worldwide.3,4 Other countries with a high incidence of scorpion sting envenomation include Brazil, Iran and Morocco2,5–7 (Table 1). Despite the high incidence and the disproportionate number of cases in marginalized areas of the world, scorpion sting envenomation is not formally recognized as a neglected tropical disease (NTD) by the World Health Organization (WHO).8 However, snakebite envenomation is an official NTD according to the WHO, and PLOS (Public Library of Science) Neglected Tropical Diseases acknowledges that scorpion sting envenomation has many features that characterize NTDs.9