Sex Role–Dependent Behavioral and Architectural Divergence in a Jumping Spider

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  Sex Role–Dependent Behavioral and Architectural Divergence in a Jumping Spider ABSTRACT Sex differences in behavior and functional traits are often attributed to differences in mating effort intensity, but the role of sex-specific parental demands remains poorly understood. Using the jumping spider Toxeus maxillosus —where males engage in mate searching and courtship without providing parental care, while females provide extended maternal care from egg attendance to offspring maturity (around 3 months)—we conducted an exploratory investigation into whether these distinct selective pressures led to divergence in spatial behaviors and nest architecture. Results revealed that males and females showed equivalent accuracy, latency, and learning-related performance in both a route-planning test under water stress and a color-pattern associative memory task. In contrast, during nest-construction assays, females built complex, multi-entrance structures that closely matched the container'...

Fatal Bothrops atrox snakebite with thrombotic microangiopathy, hemorrhagic stroke and acute kidney injury

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By Darío De la Fuente - https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/113840233, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=129474300

Fatal Bothrops atrox snakebite with thrombotic microangiopathy, hemorrhagic stroke and acute kidney injury

Abstract

Bothrops atrox is responsible for most snakebite envenomations in the Amazon region. Its venom induces systemic hemostatic disturbances and local tissue damage, potentially leading to severe complications. This report describes a fatal case of B. atrox envenomation in a 53-year-old male with a history of hypertension and alcoholism. The patient presented with persistent incoagulable blood, thrombocytopenia, anemia, and progressive renal dysfunction. These findings were consistent with venom-induced consumption coagulopathy (VICC) associated with thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). He subsequently developed intracranial hemorrhage, the autopsy revealed a confirmed subarachnoid hemorrhage, and acute kidney injury (AKI), which contributed to systemic decompensation. Postmortem findings included subarachnoid hemorrhage, acute tubular necrosis, hepatic steatosis, and fibrin thrombi in cutaneous vessels. This case highlights the potential for severe systemic involvement in Bothrops atrox envenomation, particularly in patients with preexisting comorbidities, and underscores the need for early recognition of complications such as VICC and TMA to guide appropriate clinical management.
Duarte, L. R. A., Carvalho, É., Melo, T. F. C., Barbosa, F. B. A., De Andrade, R. V., Sartim, M., Araújo, F. Q., Sachett, J., Pivoto, G., De Lima Ferreira, L. C., & Monteiro, W. (2025). Fatal Bothrops atrox snakebite with thrombotic microangiopathy, hemorrhagic stroke and acute kidney injury. Toxicon, 268, 108610. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2025.108610