Why Use Scientific Names?
The Venom Interviews
by Ray Morgan
5y ago
Snake taxonomy for masochists: Everything you never wanted to know about snake names. If you frequent any of the growing number of snake education and identification groups on Facebook, you’re probably used to seeing conversations like this: Q: I found this snake in my yard. What is it? A: That’s just Pantherophis alleghaniensis. Nothing to worry about. Q: Uh, okay, but what is it? The asker and the answerer are literally speaking different languages. Scientific names may not seem to be very helpful for anyone not familiar with them, so why should anyone use them? Aren’t common names good eno ..read more
Visit website
Got Venom?
The Venom Interviews
by Ray Morgan
5y ago
By Ellen Marshall Ellen Marshall has been writing since a young age and has been published in “Morbid Curiosity” magazine [Ed: surprise = zero] as well as being a contributor on the “Film Threat” and “Cinefantastique” websites. She has many friends who are herpetologists and owns a very handsome, Indonesian blue tounge skink named Turbo. The “average” person runs screaming from things that creep, crawl and can potentially kill you with all manner of venomous wrath… Herpers are NOT those kinds of people (“Herpers” are people fascinated by herpetology, not people with herpes. A common misunders ..read more
Visit website
Are Hognose Snakes Venomous?
The Venom Interviews
by Ray Morgan
5y ago
Executive Summary: Yes, hognose snakes are venomous. No, hognose snakes are not dangerous. Venomous does not (necessarily) mean dangerous. Which hognose snakes are we talking about? For the purpose of this discussion, “hognose snakes” include Heterodon in North America, Lystrophis in South America, and Leioheterodon in Madagascar. It does not include hognose pitvipers (Porthidium) in Latin America, or any other viperid or elapid. The three genera of hognose snakes are all members of the family Colubridae, the taxonomic junk drawer of “typical” snakes, whatever that means. With a few notable ..read more
Visit website
Solving Snakebite in Sub-Saharan Africa
The Venom Interviews
by Ray Morgan
5y ago
For a long time now, South Asia — and India in particular — has been cited as the world’s epicenter of snakebite mortality and morbidity, but the region is not alone. The problem of snakebite in Africa is comparable in scale to that in India. And while reliable epidemiological data are hard to come by, the best estimates are that Africa may have as many as 30,000 snakebite deaths per year (with some estimates closer to 50,000), plus hundreds of thousands of permanent injuries and amputations. Both deaths and disabilities exact terrible economic and social costs. So it was big news when Sanofi ..read more
Visit website
Response to “Self-immunization with Snake Venom”
The Venom Interviews
by Ray Morgan
5y ago
This post is a response by Dr. Sean Bush of East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine to the preceding article, “Self-immunization with Snake Venom” Republished with permission. July 4, 2016 – 7:30pm Dear Ray, Thank you for an intelligent summary of the state of the art of self-immunization with snake venom. Your insights apply to many snakebite interventions, from The Extractor to Fab antivenoms. I concur that self-immunization has never been properly subjected to the Scientific Method. In short, the Scientific Method involves these steps: (1) Ask a question (2) Find out what is kn ..read more
Visit website
Self-immunization with Snake Venom
The Venom Interviews
by Ray Morgan
5y ago
Few topics in venomous herpetology generate debate as contentious as that around self-immunization. The subject is so divisive and the opposing opinions hurled with such ferocity that it’s the only topic I specifically called out as having “worn out its welcome” in the posting guidelines for The Venom Interviews group on Facebook. (There’s an exception for peer-reviewed research published in credible journals, but I’m not sure that exception has ever been used.) This rule arose as a practical necessity in response to the certainty with which self-immunization discussions descend into loud, ang ..read more
Visit website
The Most Common Myths About Coral Snakes
The Venom Interviews
by Ray Morgan
5y ago
Those of us who work with venomous snakes get a lot of questions about coral snakes, and we find ourselves correcting the same misunderstandings over and over again. The purpose of this post is to address some of the common myths about these colorful little snakes. Executive Summary: Coral snakes are front-fanged, not rear fanged. Coral snakes do not have to chew to envenomate. The “red-on-yellow” rhyme is not 100% reliable, especially outside the US. Venom toxicity does not correlate very well with “dangerousness.” Yes, antivenom for coral snakes is back in production. New world coral snak ..read more
Visit website
Antivenom Should be Required for Private Keepers
The Venom Interviews
by Ray Morgan
5y ago
(This article was originally published by Kristen Wiley of Kentucky Reptile Zoo and is reproduced here with permission.) In light of recent events and conversations here on Facebook and elsewhere, Jim and I decided it was time to make a post about private individuals keeping venomous snakes. In general, neither of us have a problem with it — it is certainly possible for private keepers to do a great job and be safe and responsible — however we do have a big problem with the fact that most private keepers do not have their own antivenom. Please note that we are talking here about private keepin ..read more
Visit website

Follow The Venom Interviews on FeedSpot

Continue with Google
Continue with Apple
OR