/oss/taxonomy/term/188/all en /oss/article/environment-you-asked/how-does-snake-venom-kill-human <p>There are more than 3000 species of snakes on Earth, ranging from the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/Barbados-threadsnake">Barbados threadsnake</a> at roughly 10 cm long (about the same as a deck of cards) to the <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-is-the-biggest-snake-in-the-world.html">reticulated python</a> at around 6 m in length (almost as tall as an adult male giraffe!). Luckily, only about 600 are venomous, and only around 200 are venomous enough to seriously harm or kill a human.</p> Fri, 11 Nov 2022 11:00:00 +0000 Ada McVean M.Sc. 9290 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-general-science/fake-snake-news-how-not-identify-poisonous-snake <p><span>There are almost no poisonous snakes. That’s because for something to be poisonous means it’s toxic if ingested. Like hemlock.</span></p> Tue, 10 Jul 2018 17:06:08 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 7163 at /oss /oss/article/health-history/symbol-healing <p>A snake coiled around a staff is a widely recognized symbol of healing.  The staff belongs to Asklepios, the mythical Greek god of medicine.  In ancient Greece the sick would go to be healed at shrines called “asklepieia” where priests often used sacred serpents in their ceremonies.  Whether the snakes just scared people into feeling better, or were actually used in treatment, is not clear, but Italian researchers have now examined the healing potential of the "four-lined snake" commonly found in the area.  The research was prompted by an ancient relief showing contact between a boy’s wound</p> Fri, 03 Jan 2014 20:05:44 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2057 at /oss /oss/article/drugs-health-toxicity/poisons-can-be-drugs <p>Why do snakes make venom? Essentially to bring down prey for food, but snakes will also bite to defend themselves. Chemically, the poisons are very complex and are generally composed of numerous compounds, although these fall into two general categories. They either affect the nervous system or the circulatory system. Components can prevent the transmission of messages from one nerve cell to another, they can destroy red blood cells, prevent or enhance blood clotting, or directly affect the heart.</p> Tue, 11 Feb 2014 08:04:44 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2093 at /oss /oss/article/health-history-toxicity/snake-bitten <p>Not many people have heard of boomslang. That’s not surprising because these venomous tree snakes are a super shy and non-aggressive species native to Sub-Saharan Africa. These snakes exhibit sexual dimorphism therefore it is easy to distinguish between genders. One of the most obvious morphological differences between genders is that females are brown in color while males are usually bright colors such as green, yellow or pinkish red. Boomslang snakes have strikingly large eyes and juvenile boomslangs are known for their beautiful iridescent green eyes.</p> Mon, 12 Jan 2015 01:09:36 +0000 Alexandra Pires-Ménard, OSS Intern 2229 at /oss /oss/article/health-quackery/blue-scorpion-venom-cancer <p>Cancer patients from around the world have been travelling to Cuba for years to be treated for cancer with venom extracted from the blue scorpion. It all started in the 1980s when biologist Misael Bordier Chivas was carrying out experiments with animal toxins and found that the scorpion venom decreased the size of tumours in rats and dogs. Then, in 1993, a Cuban whose daughter had pancreatic cancer heard about the scorpion venom story and approached Chivas who consented to give the girl some venom mixed with distilled water. She recovered and is alive today.</p> Wed, 15 Feb 2017 20:08:20 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1451 at /oss