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Published online 16 July 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.954
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Snakes' venom chemistry varies with age and location
Lancehead pitvipers give up their poisonous secrets in first 'venomics' study.
The chemical make-up of a snake's venom varies enormously depending on where the snake lives and how old it is.
That's the conclusion of scientists who claim to have made the first detailed comparison between individual venom protein profiles in two geographically isolated populations of the same snake — the deadly lancehead pitviper, Bothrops asper.
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The pit viper (Bothrops asper) metapopulation, consisting of two populations separated for 5 million years, is likely to be composed of two reproductively isolated species. Until controverted by experimental evidence, the two populations are likely to be two disparate species, in which case their "venomics" must differ widely. It is plausible that the Old World population, upon arriving the Caribbean, evolved over millennia into a new species, through eventual acquisition of some novel gene products, in response to new selective pressures. This study essentially shows how proteins vary between two distinct (at least 'incipient') species, albeit of common recent ancestry. Similar studies of venomics from two populations of the same snake in the same country - say a population of Russel's viper from Gujarat and another from Assam (western and eastern parts of India) are warranted before concluding that venoms significantly differ between populations of the same snake. I would offer my help if such a study is conducted. Debal Deb, Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies, Barrackpore, India
Nothing new. Composition of snake venom differs even between juveniles and adults. Snake venom is made for obtaining of prey or for self-protection. Bionomy and ecology of same species in same population differ and there is no doubt about that venom composition differs in another populations that are isolated geographically for millions of years. As they analyzed venoms from different populations it is controversial if it is same species, at least it is different subspecies. Comment from Debal Deb is right. It could be interesting to study snake venoms in same age form different populations that are maternally related.