Venomdoc Forums

[norml32]

I just picked up an eastern chain kingsnake, Lampropeltis getula getula, largest of the kingsnake family. In researching its requirements, I've found a number of claims that this snake is impervious to all species of venomous snakes in North America, including all rattlesnakes, copperheads, and coral snakes, all of which it often feeds on. What is the evolutionary mechanism that allows this snake to be shielded from the effects of their venom? Is it also protected against all forms of snake venom, like cobra venom, or other venoms, such as scorpions or gila monsters/beaded lizards?

[jdrinehart]

here is an article that may or may not be interesting to you regarding snakes being immune to venom. this particular study involves cobra's being resistant to their own venom but i would suspect that kingsnakes and other snake-eating snakes have a very similar reason to being resistant like the cobra's in this study. as for being resistant to other critters such as scorpions and gila monsters, i can't say definitely that they are not but i would suspect that they would not have immunity from them since they do not prey upon those species. they do eat other snakes including venomous but not scorpions, spiders or gila monsters so i wouldn't think that they have an immunity to them. but i have been wrong before. here is that article.

http://zoltantakacs.com/zt/sc/naja.shtml

jason
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jason (Ιάσων-one who heals)

[Atrox]

I've always heard that L. getula goini were considered the largest of the getula kings.
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In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. -Galileo Galilei
herperhaven