A Brazilian biologist put all his physical efforts into his research: the young scientist stepped on a poisonous snake widespread in his homeland 40,000 times to study its biting behavior. João Miguel Alves-Nunes wore a specially made protective boot
His study subject, the Jararaca lance viper, is particularly common in southeastern Brazil. This snake is the cause of most snakebites in the region and is responsible for a significant portion of incidents in the country, with a total of approximately 20,000 poisonings per year. It is therefore one of the most relevant poisonous snakes – although the bite is rarely fatal.
That’s why Alves-Nunes of the Butantan Research Center in Sao Paulo wanted to investigate what factors cause otters to bite — reptile behavior is a generally neglected area of research, especially in Brazil, Alves-Nunes explained in an interview with the journal Science. “If you study malaria, you can study the virus that causes the disease, but if you don’t study the mosquito that transmits the disease, you will never solve the problem,” he said.
“I tested 116 animals and stepped on each animal 30 times.” During the test series of several days, he stepped on and off the hoses a total of 40,480 times. The animals were used individually at different times of the day for extended periods of time in an arena of approximately two square meters. After a 15-minute habituation period, the biologist, wearing a safety boot, randomly stepped directly next to the snake or gently stepped on its head, belly or tail.
Long hospital stay after snakebite
He felt 100 percent safe and none of the bites penetrated the foam-covered boots. He was recently bitten during a simulation with a rattlesnake. “Unfortunately, I discovered that I am allergic to both the antivenom and the snake venom,” he said. That’s why he had to go to the hospital for a long time.
Here the young scientist poses with a snake at the Butantan research center on Instagram:
Young females in particular like to bite in warm weather
The research found that the smaller a Jararaca lance viper is, the more likely it is to bite. “In addition, females are more aggressive and more likely to bite, especially when young and during the day.” The research also shows that females bite more often at higher temperatures, but that males are less likely to bite at night. they then prefer to escape with their well-heated bodies. In addition, you are much more likely to get a defensive bite if you touch a snake on the head than if you step on the center of the body or tail.
The aim of the research is to better distribute the antidote
The researchers hope the results will improve the distribution of antidotes. These are often sent to larger hospitals, which require some patients to travel far because they have been bitten in places where no antivenom existed. “By combining our data with data from other snake distribution studies, we can identify places where the animals are likely to be aggressive,” Alves-Nunes explains. “For example, warmer locations with a higher proportion of female snakes should be a priority for antivenom distribution.”
Source: Krone
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