Researchers Capture Venomous Snake Strikes in High-Definition for First Time
For the first time, scientists have been able to capture venomous snake strikes in stunning high-definition, revealing three distinct ways these deadly predators take down their prey. The breakthrough came after a team of researchers traveled to Paris's Venomworld animal facility, where they crafted fake prey from medical gel and filmed 36 species of venomous snakes striking with multiple high-speed cameras.
The videos, which captured over 100 seconds of snake strikes, showed that most vipers strike within 0.1 seconds, outpacing even the fastest mammals' startle response. However, some elapids – a family of snakes including the rough-scaled death adder and the Cape coral snake – took longer to attack, with some species reaching their prey in over 0.3 seconds.
The researchers also observed different families of snakes injecting venom using distinct methods. Viperids struck quickly from a coiled position but sometimes didn't get an optimal bite angle, prompting them to pull out a fang and reinsert it before delivering the venom. Elapids, on the other hand, employed a sneaky approach by slithering up close to their prey before biting down multiple times, likely to prolong the venom flow.
Two species from the colubrid family – the mangrove snake and Fischer's tree snake – were also observed injecting venom through teeth at the back of their upper jaw. When the latter bit its fake prey, it dragged its fangs across the gel, creating crescent-shaped wounds that may help maximize venom delivery.
The researchers believe that future studies could explore whether the size of the prey affects the snakes' attack strategy. The detailed footage has provided a unique insight into the complex behavior of venomous snakes, shedding light on their hunting techniques and allowing for better understanding of these fascinating creatures.
For the first time, scientists have been able to capture venomous snake strikes in stunning high-definition, revealing three distinct ways these deadly predators take down their prey. The breakthrough came after a team of researchers traveled to Paris's Venomworld animal facility, where they crafted fake prey from medical gel and filmed 36 species of venomous snakes striking with multiple high-speed cameras.
The videos, which captured over 100 seconds of snake strikes, showed that most vipers strike within 0.1 seconds, outpacing even the fastest mammals' startle response. However, some elapids – a family of snakes including the rough-scaled death adder and the Cape coral snake – took longer to attack, with some species reaching their prey in over 0.3 seconds.
The researchers also observed different families of snakes injecting venom using distinct methods. Viperids struck quickly from a coiled position but sometimes didn't get an optimal bite angle, prompting them to pull out a fang and reinsert it before delivering the venom. Elapids, on the other hand, employed a sneaky approach by slithering up close to their prey before biting down multiple times, likely to prolong the venom flow.
Two species from the colubrid family – the mangrove snake and Fischer's tree snake – were also observed injecting venom through teeth at the back of their upper jaw. When the latter bit its fake prey, it dragged its fangs across the gel, creating crescent-shaped wounds that may help maximize venom delivery.
The researchers believe that future studies could explore whether the size of the prey affects the snakes' attack strategy. The detailed footage has provided a unique insight into the complex behavior of venomous snakes, shedding light on their hunting techniques and allowing for better understanding of these fascinating creatures.
they filmed like 36 species of snakes? i wonder which one would win in a fight between a boa constrictor and a python 
also can someone explain how they got the snakes to do what they did? like, didn't they just chill and wait for the fake prey to get close or something lol i'm still trying to figure out why they used medical gel as the fake prey. is that supposed to be realistic or was it just easier that way?
. And can you believe they got 36 species of snakes on camera?! That's like, a whole lot of slithery friends 
.
, but some elapids take their sweet time 
. Like, what's the point of slowing down if you're gonna get your prey? And don't even get me started on those teeth - dragging fangs across the gel to maximize venom delivery? That's like, snake-level innovation 
.
. They've been around for millions of years, so it's no wonder we're just now learning more about their behavior. Can't wait to see what other secrets they'll uncover 
!
just saw this and i'm literally shaking... these snakes are like ninjas or something 
, so fast and deadly! did u know that some elapids take over 0.3 seconds to attack? thats like a heartbeat lol 
imagine being on the receiving end of that 
and btw what's up with those snakes injecting venom from the back of their upper jaw? sounds like they're trying out for a role in a horror movie 
? i mean, i'm all about being mindful of our surroundings but this is just wild! did you know that some snakes are so fast at striking they outpace even the fastest mammals 
? and the way they inject venom is so intricate it's like a little dance 
. i think its amazing how much we can learn from these creatures and their unique hunting techniques 
and the different venom delivery methods? wow! it just goes to show how complex these snakes are. maybe one day we'll get to see more vids of them in action 
it's all about maxin out that venom flow!
can't wait to see what other insights this research brings! 
and the way elapids sneak up on their prey is so sneaky lol! 
...like, can you imagine being that close to death in 0.1 seconds?! 
& did u see those elapids sneak attack their prey? so sneaky 
...but at the same time kinda admire how they do it 
️...anyway, these vids r straight fire 
