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 Group 1 discovered in the venom of Anuroctonus phaiodactylus

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Scorpion Group 1 discovered in the venom of Anuroctonus phaiodactylus

Abstract

Scorpion Group 1 (SG1) represents a novel, highly divergent lineage of symbiotic bacteria within the class Mollicutes (phylum Mycoplasmatota). Currently, SG1’s distribution remains restricted - it has been identified exclusively within the scorpion family Vaejovidae, specifically in the genera Vaejovis and Mesomexovis. To date, SG1 has not been detected in other major scorpion families, suggesting a specialized host-symbiont relationship. In this study, we utilized the long-read capabilities of Oxford Nanopore Technology to sequence the 16S rRNA gene from the venom of two scorpion species: Paruroctonus becki (family Vaejovidae) and Anuroctonus phaiodactylus (family Anuroctonidae). We aimed to uncover cryptic microbial diversity, such as SG1, that may have been overlooked by previous short-read sequencing platforms. Our results revealed SG1 was indeed present in A. phaiodactylus but its presence was undetected in P. becki. We thus extend the host range of SG1 beyond Vaejovidae to include Anuroctonidae, refining the evolutionary boundaries of this unusual Mollicutes-scorpion association.

Heidorn, A., Graham, M. R., & Murdoch, B. (2026). Scorpion Group 1 discovered in the venom of Anuroctonus phaiodactylus. Frontiers in Arachnid Science, 5, 1858835. https://doi.org/10.3389/frchs.2026.1858835