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...

How to ensure a species remains in oblivion: the history of Nemesia hispanica L. Koch, 1871 (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Nemesiidae)

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How to ensure a species remains in oblivion: the history of Nemesia hispanica L. Koch, 1871 (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Nemesiidae)

Abstract

The taxonomic history of Nemesia hispanica L. Koch 1871 is revised; it is a species long affected by misidentifications since 1871. New material from Monte Abantos, San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Madrid (Spain) is analyzed, providing the first descriptions of males, adult females, and burrow structure—particularly relevant given that the holotype seems to be an immature specimen. Morphology of copulatory organs and the distinctive burrow architecture allow clear differentiation from other morphologically related species. Finally, the historical chain of misidentifications is examined, along with its implications for Iberian nemesiid diversity and taxonomy.

Pertegal, C., Narro, A. & Olivares, P. (2026) How to ensure a species remains in oblivion: the history of Nemesia hispanica L. Koch, 1871 (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Nemesiidae). Zootaxa , 5869 (1), 93–104. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5869.1.7