Venom composition of the Iberian adder (Vipera seoanei) from northern Portugal reveals limited sex and size variation

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  Venom composition of the Iberian adder (Vipera seoanei) from northern Portugal reveals limited sex and size variation Abstract Snake venom is a complex and dynamic ecological trait, with high potential for intraspecific variation. In this study, the venom composition of the Iberian adder ( Vipera seoanei ) from the Peneda Mountains of northern Portugal was investigated to explore whether venom varies with body size and sex. Venom proteomes from six individuals representing juvenile, subadult, and adult males and females were characterised using LC–MS/MS, while individual variation was assessed from SDS–PAGE profiles of 18 snakes. LC–MS/MS identified 144 proteins, dominated by phospholipases A 2 (PLA 2 ), snake venom serine proteases (svSP), and C-type lectin-related proteins (CTL). Descriptive comparisons revealed contrasting individual profiles, particularly between the juvenile male, characterised by high svSP and svMP abundance, and the juvenile female, characterised by high ...

Spider Recording Scheme News Summer 2024, No. 109

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Review of the Spiders Recorded  (2015–2023) and Harvestmen of Watsonian County Durham and Northumberland

Introduction 

The following article represents the third review covering spider recording in Watsonian County Durham (vicecounty 66) and Northumberland (vice-counties 67 and 68), collectively referred to in this series as north-east England. The two previous articles separately covered County Durham (Wilson, 2018) and Northumberland (Wilson, 2015); whereas this article covers all three VCs combined because of limited recording effort in this region. The previous two reviews focussed solely on the spiders (Araneae) whereas this, for the first time so far as the author is aware, provides an overview of the harvestmen (Opiliones) fauna of the three vice-counties. 

Spider Recording Scheme News Summer 2024, No. 109 SRS website: http://srs.britishspiders.org.uk