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| Snake diet find aids anti-venom | Snake diet find aids anti-venom |
| (1 day later) | |
| New research by a Bangor university student has found that the diet of venomous snakes affects its venom strength. | |
| Axel Barlow's discovery means that anti-venom can be developed specific to a certain snake's location or diet. | Axel Barlow's discovery means that anti-venom can be developed specific to a certain snake's location or diet. |
| His studies into saw-scaled vipers, which have evolved to eat scorpions, found that they also had venom which was more lethal to scorpions. | His studies into saw-scaled vipers, which have evolved to eat scorpions, found that they also had venom which was more lethal to scorpions. |
| Researchers hope the information will lead to fewer snake bite deaths. | Researchers hope the information will lead to fewer snake bite deaths. |
| The research was done as part of a final-year paper on saw-scaled vipers by Mr Barlow. | The research was done as part of a final-year paper on saw-scaled vipers by Mr Barlow. |
| Anti-venom treatment | Anti-venom treatment |
| He said the significance of the discovery was that variation in venom composition between different species or populations of snakes can complicate anti-venom treatment. | He said the significance of the discovery was that variation in venom composition between different species or populations of snakes can complicate anti-venom treatment. |
| This is particularly relevant in the case of saw-scaled vipers which are probably responsible for the majority of snakebite deaths in Africa, he said. | This is particularly relevant in the case of saw-scaled vipers which are probably responsible for the majority of snakebite deaths in Africa, he said. |
| This was because west African hospitals still rely on imported anti-venom from Asia, where the saw-scaled vipers have a very different venom composition. | This was because west African hospitals still rely on imported anti-venom from Asia, where the saw-scaled vipers have a very different venom composition. |
| The saw-scaled vipers have evolved along with their diet | The saw-scaled vipers have evolved along with their diet |
| Axel Barlow added: "Saw-scaled vipers provide a good model to study venom variation as different species have extremely different diets. | Axel Barlow added: "Saw-scaled vipers provide a good model to study venom variation as different species have extremely different diets. |
| "This allows us to investigate the effects of evolutionary changes in diet within a single group of related snake species." | "This allows us to investigate the effects of evolutionary changes in diet within a single group of related snake species." |
| Dr Wolfgang Wüster, an expert in snakes and snake venoms who lectures at Bangor added: "This study provides one of the most convincing pieces of evidence to date for the role of natural selection for diet in shaping snake venom composition. | Dr Wolfgang Wüster, an expert in snakes and snake venoms who lectures at Bangor added: "This study provides one of the most convincing pieces of evidence to date for the role of natural selection for diet in shaping snake venom composition. |
| "It is a key question in our understanding of venom evolution in snakes." | "It is a key question in our understanding of venom evolution in snakes." |
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