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...

The spider collection (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Manchester Museum: people, history, and a type catalogue

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The spider collection (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Manchester Museum: people, history, and a type catalogue

Abstract 

This paper is devoted to the history of the spider collections held at the Manchester Museum, UK. By the end of 2024, the Manchester Museum had accumulated over 172,000 spider specimens belonging to 4255 identified and around 1130 (21%) undetermined species. The history of the Museum’s spider collections is narrated in the form of short essays focusing on specific araneologists who have donated significant (over 1000 specimens) spider collections. Smaller acquisitions of tens/hundreds of specimens (130 in total) are dealt with in a separate section. A complete catalogue of the type specimens of Araneae in the Manchester Museum (to the end of 2024) is also provided. A total of 179 spider species (746 specimens) are represented by type specimens, of which 71 species are represented by holotypes.

Logunov, Dmitri. (2025). The spider collection (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Manchester Museum: people, history, and a type catalogue. Arachnology. 20. 173-227. via ResearchGate