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...

Guest editorial: celebrating the 70th birthday of Hisham K. El-Hennawy – Egypt’s arachnologist

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Guest editorial: celebrating the 70th birthday of Hisham K. El-Hennawy – Egypt’s arachnologist

Introduction 

Arachnology in the Middle East was, for centuries, shaped largely by colonial researchers. This was particularly evident in Egypt, which endured many decades of colonial rule. Today, Egypt has a number of active arachnologists, but since the 1980s local arachnology has been pioneered by a single man: Hisham K. El-Hennawy. Now, on the occasion of his 70th birthday, I am delighted to present this editorial, recognising the many contributions he has made to arachnology, spanning from over one hundred faunistic papers on arachnids to translations of major historical works, and establishing and editing the Middle East’s only arachnological journal, which has now been running for over 30 years. 

Biography 

Hisham Kamal El-Din Mohamed El-Hennawy was born in El-Mansourah, ElDakahlia, Egypt on 19th December 1955. After a happy childhood, a grown Hisham married his beloved wife Rana and in 1978 joined the Egyptian Ministry of Interior as a law enforcement officer. He would spend his entire police career at the Ministry of Interior, specialising in detection and interception of forged money and documents but also with training (some as a United Nations fellow) in detection of narcotics and computer forensics. At the time of his retirement in 2000, Hisham had become the Director of Egypt's Department of Documents' Examination and held the rank of Colonel, the third most senior rank possible in Egyptian law enforcement. During his time as a senior officer, Hisham also lectured on forensics of forgery and general criminology both 124 across Egypt and much wider to other parts of the Middle East and Africa. He also conducted classified missions in Iraq and Saudi Arabia during his tenure. During all this time, he was publishing on arachnids and editing Serket, the Middle East’s only arachnological academic journal, in his spare time. Following his retirement, Hisham dedicated his life full-time to arachnology over the last 25 years. 

Acknowledgement: I would like to extend a special and sincere thank you to Danni Sherwood for kindly sharing this communication with me, as well as for authoring this thoughtful editorial on behalf of Hisham K. El-Hennawy.

Sherwood, Danniella. (2026). Guest editorial: celebrating the 70th birthday of Hisham K. El-Hennawy – Egypt’s arachnologist. SERKET The Arachnological Bulletin of the Middle East and North Africa. 21. 123-136. ResearchGate