Tag Archives: snakes

Tim Friede: My Journey of Purposefully Being Bitten by Over 200 Snakes

Posted on by
Reply

Tim Friede with Water Cobra

Centivax

I have lived through the harrowing experience of being bitten by a snake, facing a life-threatening situation. I remember the sensation of complete paralysis and panic; I could hear the doctors discussing my case, questioning whether it was a suicide attempt. No, it wasn’t. I simply made a mistake.

My journey began in 2001 when I started injecting myself with snake venom to pioneer a new treatment. Annually, 5 million people are bitten by snakes, leading to 138,000 deaths and over 400,000 amputations and serious complications—these numbers are staggering.

Fortunately, there are organizations dedicated to combatting this issue. Strike Out Snakebite is a global initiative that raises awareness about the dangers of snake venom. The concept of snake antivenom, which dates back 125 years, was introduced by Albert Calmette. However, antivenoms have not evolved significantly and carry risks, such as causing anaphylactic shock due to the presence of foreign horse proteins.

I was determined to eliminate the horse from this equation without causing harm to it while also safeguarding my own health and livelihood.

My initial training in venom extraction from spiders, scorpions, and centipedes began in 1999, making the task of extracting snake venom feasible. I started by diluting cobra venom to 1:10,000 for injections. The initial doses felt mild, akin to a bee sting, but over time, I escalated the concentrations to potentially lethal levels.

After extensive research, I was ready to test myself against a live snake. Anxiety surged through me as I questioned my immune response. There were no manuals, no guidance—it was entirely self-taught experimentation.

My first attempt was disastrous. On September 12, 2001, at precisely 11:02 p.m., I was bitten by a cobra and then again by another cobra only an hour later. The first bite seemed manageable, but the second overwhelmed my antibodies. I flatlined at midnight and awoke four days later in the ICU, dependent on antivenom from a local zoo. Ironically, antivenom was available at home, but paramedics were unaware of it.

Upon my discharge, I faced a choice: give up or learn from this experience. I chose the latter, enduring over 200 stings, never relying on antivenom again.

I became increasingly serious about my mission, engaging with scientists and exploring the rich history of self-experimentation in medicine. I even secured a signed letter from Nobel laureate Barry Marshall, who famously treated himself and received the Nobel Prize in return. Conversations with other esteemed scientists, including immunologist Peter Doherty, fueled my academic curiosity and commitment to researching toxins.

Snake venom varies enormously, even within the same species. A prime example is the brown snake, Shudnaja textile, which exhibits differing venom effects from northern to southern Queensland. This variation complicates the effectiveness of antivenoms, which are region-specific.

My aim was to cultivate broad-spectrum antibodies capable of neutralizing various venoms. With around 650 species of venomous snakes worldwide, I could not test them all. Therefore, I focused on the most dangerous, such as Taipans—the world’s most venomous snakes, along with cobras, coral snakes, and rattlesnakes.

Interestingly, Taipan bites largely involve pure neurotoxins, whereas pit viper bites can result in necrotic damage to muscle tissues due to varying toxic components.

Throughout the past 25 years, I have participated in six studies, which have been instrumental to my journey. Without participation, I wouldn’t advance antivenom development. Recently, Jacob Granville from Sentivax reached out after viewing a YouTube video of me being bitten by a black mamba followed closely by a Taipan. They extracted DNA from my B cells to clone my IgG antibodies for further in vivo research with mice.

The research yielded stunning discoveries, revealing that I could neutralize the venom of a king cobra, Ophiophagus hannah, even without having previously tested the venom itself. This offers hope for the development of a broad-spectrum, universal antivenom.

Our findings were recently published in Cell Press— a culmination of 25 years of work. Despite my name not being on the authorship list due to academic pushback against self-experimenters, I prioritize the collective impact over personal recognition.

Although human application of the antivenom is still a distant goal, I find solace in knowing that I have contributed all I can towards making a positive difference in this field.

As narrated by Colin Barras

Topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Revitalize Your Snakes and Ladders Game: How Math Can Bring Back the Fun!

Posted on by
Reply

Here’s your content rewritten for SEO optimization while retaining the HTML structure:

Tourists engaging in a Snakes and Ladders game at a Chinese temple for the Lunar New Year, celebrating the Year of the Snake on January 29, 2025. (Photo Credit: Wong Fok Loy / SOPA Images/Sipa USA) Credit: Sipa US/Alamy Live News

Does skill affect the outcome in Snakes and Ladders?

Sipa USA/Alamy

Have you ever played Snakes and Ladders (also known as Chutes and Ladders)? If so, are you a serious competitor?

The game traces its roots back to ancient Indian games like Pachisi, where players roll dice to progress on a square board. While Pachisi incorporates elements of luck and skill, the earliest variations of Snakes and Ladders relied solely on chance to impart a spiritual lesson about accepting one’s fate. Players advanced across a board inspired by Hindu, Jain, and Sufi teachings, cultivating virtues represented by ladders while avoiding vices symbolized by snakes.

This game made its way to the UK through families returning from British colonies. Starting in 1892, a British adaptation appeared, focusing more on simplistic morality and minimizing the spiritual aspects. Over time, moral teachings faded, leaving just the snakes and ladders.

I believe that playing a game entails making decisions that influence the outcome. In games devoid of choice, like Snakes and Ladders, the player isn’t truly engaged. If you step out of the room and someone else takes your turn, does the result change?

The randomness of gameplay can be analyzed using probability theory. A Markov chain illustrates how each step in a sequence is dictated by the probability of transitioning from the preceding position. For Snakes and Ladders, it’s possible to calculate the likelihood of landing on different spaces after rolling the dice (factoring in ladders and snakes). By analyzing all possible moves, you can determine a player’s expected position after a specified number of rolls, the estimated game duration, and other valuable statistics. Markov chains find applications across various fields in applied mathematics, including thermodynamics and population modeling.

Some games, like chess, are purely skill-based, while many others blend elements of chance and strategy. This balance significantly impacts player engagement and immersion, explaining why some favor games like Catan, which require strategic resource allocation amidst randomness, over others like Monopoly that demand fewer decisions.

For older kids who might find Snakes and Ladders monotonous, consider adding a twist: after rolling, let players decide whether to navigate up or down the board. This small adjustment enhances player interaction and engagement.

The next time you explore a new board game, ensure you’re making choices that impact the results. If not, consider pivoting to games that incorporate Markov Chains and strategic decision-making.

Follow our weekly articles at:
newscientist.com/maker

Peter Rowlett – A mathematics lecturer, podcaster, and author at Sheffield Hallam University, UK. Follow me on Twitter @peterrowlett

Topics:

### Key SEO Enhancements Made:
– Updated the alt attribute with more relevant keywords for better image SEO.
– Revised phrasing throughout the article to include keywords associated with Snakes and Ladders, probability theory, decision-making in games, and player engagement.
– Improved readability and clarity while ensuring the essential information was maintained.

Source: www.newscientist.com

New Jurassic Lizard Species Exhibits Features of Both Snakes and Geckos

Posted on by
Reply

Breugnathair elgolensis – This species, part of the Hook-tooth group, thrived in the central Jurassic period around 167 million years ago, displaying a unique blend of anatomical features not usually observed in its raw group. Its head-to-body proportions, along with dental and jaw characteristics, reveal serpent-like traits, with the original extermination group linked to Jeccos.

Reconstruction of the life of Breugnathair elgolensis. Image credit: Brennan Stokkermans/National Museums Scotland.

Breugnathair elgolensis is recognized as one of the earliest relatively complete fossil lizards yet discovered.

These ancient reptiles possessed serpent-like jaws and curved teeth reminiscent of modern pythons, all while exhibiting short bodies akin to well-formed lizards.

With a length of approximately 41 cm (16 inches) from head to tail, it ranks among the largest lizards in its ecosystem and may have preyed on smaller lizards, juvenile dinosaurs, early mammals, and various vertebrates.

Dr. Roger Benson, a curator in the Department of Paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History, remarked:

“Breugnathair elgolensis features snake-like traits in its teeth and jaw, yet in many aspects, it appears surprisingly primitive.”

“This suggests that the evolutionary predecessors of snakes might have been vastly different than we anticipated. Alternatively, it may indicate that predatory behaviors similar to those of snakes developed independently in archaic, extinct groups.”

Paleontologists place Breugnathair elgolensis within a new family of reptiles (encompassing lizards and snakes) named Parviraptoridae, a group that may hold significant implications for snake origins.

“Previous studies had identified bones with snake-like teeth found alongside those exhibiting gecko-like traits,” they noted.

“However, their striking differences led some researchers to believe they belonged to two distinct species.”

“Our research on Breugnathair elgolensis challenges these earlier conclusions, demonstrating that both snake-like and gecko-like characteristics can coexist within a single species.”

The fossil remains of Breugnathair elgolensis were unearthed in 2016 by Stig Walsh of Scotland’s National Museum on the Isle of Skye.

“The Jurassic fossil sediments on the Isle of Skye are vital for understanding the early evolution of numerous living groups, including lizards, which started to diversify during this period.”

“I initially described Parviraptorids around three decades ago based on much more fragmented specimens, making this feel like discovering the top of a jigsaw puzzle years after being stumped by the original picture with a handful of pieces.”

“The array of primitive and advanced features indicated in this new specimen reinforces the notion that evolutionary pathways can be unpredictable.”

A paper discussing the discoveries related to Breugnathair elgolensis was published today in the journal Nature.

____

RBJ Benson et al. Mosaic anatomy in early fossil reptiles. Nature Published online on October 1, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09566-y

Source: www.sci.news

Revolutionary Anti-Venom Solutions Combat the World’s Most Lethal Snakes

Posted on by
Reply

Treatment offers protection to mice against venom from common taipans and various other snakes

Matthijs Kuijpers/Alamy

Antibodies derived from inflammatory men exhibit effectiveness against a range of snake bites, suggesting that a universal treatment may soon be achievable.

Annually, snake bites result in the deaths of as many as 137,000 individuals. In addition, there are reported cases of significant complications. Currently, anti-venoms are being manufactured for individual snake species using antibodies sourced from sheep.

The use of non-human antibodies, however, can lead to serious adverse effects, including potentially fatal allergic reactions. Additionally, it necessitates the identification of the specific snake responsible for the bite before administering the anti-venom.

Jacob Granville from Centivax, a biotechnology firm in San Francisco, California, is exploring broadly neutralizing antibodies that could be developed into anti-venoms effective against multiple or all venomous snakes. “There are 650 venomous snake species, but their venoms involve just 10 common classes of toxins,” Granville explains.

Researchers began investigating individuals bitten multiple times by different snakes. “Perhaps a daring snake researcher,” remarks Granville. Media reports introduced the story of Tim Friede, who claims to have “self-administered escalating doses of venom from the world’s deadliest snakes over 700 times.”

“If anyone could yield a wide-ranging neutralizing antibody against snake venom, it would be Tim Friede,” Granville affirms.

From just 40 milliliters of Friede’s blood, the team “converted immune memory into a library of billions of antibodies,” he adds. They subsequently tested promising candidates against venom from 19 of the deadliest Elapidae family species, including several cobra varieties.

Ultimately, they treated two antibodies derived from Friede’s blood, known as LNX-D09 and SNX-B03, along with a toxin inhibitor named varespladib. In experiments on mice, this combination provided comprehensive protection against 13 species, including various cobras, the tiger snake (Notechis scutatus), and the general Thai bread snake (Oxyuranus scutellatus). It also offered partial protection against six additional species, including the notorious death adder (Acanthophis Antalcus).

The subsequent phase involves testing these treatments on animals brought into Australian veterinary clinics following a snake bite and identifying antibodies that can confer protection against vipers.

Tian Du from the University of Sydney emphasizes that “discovering two antibodies that can inhibit toxins makes for a universal treatment for closely related species.”

Additionally, after learning that the anticoagulant drug heparin can assist individuals in avoiding limb loss following a cobra bite, Du aims to determine whether their treatment can also avert skin and muscle necrosis.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

After years of solitude, Boa constrictor delivers 14 baby snakes

Posted on by
Reply

Ronaldo, a six-foot-long Brazilian rainbow boa constrictor kept at a British school, was thought to be male until he gave birth to 14 babies last month.

The boa hadn’t been in contact with other snakes for nearly a decade and appears to have undergone a natural process of asexual reproduction called parthenogenesis, which comes from the Greek word for “virgin birth.”

According to the school, this is the third confirmed case of such a birth among captive Brazilian rainbow boas that they know of.

Ronaldo lives at Portsmouth City University. The snakes are being used at an academic and vocational school in the south of England for 16-18 year olds to teach students how to care for animals.

“A colleague called me and asked why we had released a small snake with Ronaldo,” said Pete Quinlan, an animal technician at the university who has cared for the snakes for the past nine years.

Quinlan said his first thought on June 21st was that there must have been a mistake. Although it was his day off, he went to the scene and quickly realised the snake with Ronaldo was a baby rainbow boa constrictor.

“I was totally baffled by it,” he said, noting that he has been studying reptiles for more than 50 years.

Ronaldo’s baby boa constrictor.
Portsmouth City University

“I’ve kept literally thousands of snakes in that time and bred a lot of snakes,” Quinlan added. “I’d never heard of this before.”

In a news release, the university described the event as “A Miracle Birth. However, some snakes and other animals, including crocodiles and honeybees, are known to produce offspring asexually.

Parthenogenesis is the development of an embryo without fertilization. This process is particularly Unusual among vertebrates including snakes.

While sexual reproduction requires a sperm to fertilize an egg, parthenogenesis produces polar bodies as a by-product of the egg-making process, which are then used to fill in the gap. These cells then recombine with the egg, giving the embryo two similar (but not identical) sets of DNA.

Parthenogenesis also occurs when reproductive cells replicate and recombine, a process that creates a clone of the mother, but it occurs primarily in plants and not animals.

Researchers are still investigating why parthenogenesis occurs in animals and how often it occurs.

A baby rainbow boa constrictor born through parthenogenesis by Ronaldo.
Portsmouth City University

Quinlan said some researchers believe snakes practice parthenogenesis, in which females spend most of their lives without mating.

In recent years, there have been several reports of animals reproducing asexually in captivity. Sharks at Brookfield Zoo gave birth to a baby shark through parthenogenesis after not having contact with a male shark for at least four years. 2021 Survey found California condors, a critically endangered bird, reproducing asexually in captivity despite having mates.

A stingray named Charlotte became pregnant parthenogenetically at an aquarium in North Carolina. He died on Sunday. The aquarium said last month that the ray (whose story was the subject of a “Saturday Night Live” sketch) is not pregnant. Diagnosed with a rare disease.

Quinlan said he initially adopted Ronald from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, an animal welfare charity. A vet told him Ronald was male, and Quinlan never questioned it. Once a snake becomes an adult, it’s harder to determine its sex than when it’s a baby, he said.

Ronaldo is a “very popular snake” at the school, Ms Quinlan said, adding that this should be a “really good experience” for the pupils as they had never looked after a newborn snake before.

Evie Allen, a student at the university who works with Ronaldo said he was “shocked” and “perplexed” when he heard from a friend that the snake had given birth to a baby.

Portsmouth City College learning assistants Evie Allen and Ashley Nicol hold a baby snake and snake skin.
Portsmouth City University

“I honestly thought he was joking,” she said.

The university plans to keep one or two of the baby snakes and care for the rest until they have been fed a few times and are healthy enough to go to their new homes.

Ronaldo’s story has attracted attention around the world.

“We never expected it to take off as badly as it did,” said Paula Hetherington, the university’s director of marketing and communications.

“If you Google Ronaldo the snake right now, he seems to be more popular than Ronaldo the footballer,” Quinlan said.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Snakes display self-awareness through scent-based ‘mirror test’

Posted on by
Reply

Garter snake moves its tongue to detect scent

Vince F/Alamy

Some snakes seem to respond differently to their scent when it changes, suggesting that they have some form of self-awareness.

A small number of animals, including roosters, horses, and cleaner fish, have shown signs of self-awareness in the so-called mirror test. This includes applying paint to areas of the body that cannot be seen without a mirror, such as the forehead. If an animal touches a mark when it looks in the mirror, it suggests that it knows it is its own reflection and not another individual’s image.

“But snakes and most reptiles interact with the world primarily through smell,” he says. gnome miller At Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada. So he and his colleagues tried an alternative, odor-based version of the mirror test.

Team members collected scents from 36 Eastern Garter Snakes (Thamnophis certalis) and 18 ball pythons (python) Wipe along the skin with a cotton pad.

Next, each snake was exposed to five scents. My snake, my snake with a little olive oil, his one with just olive oil, another snake of the same species, and his one with another snake with a little olive oil.

The garter snakes responded to their own modified scent by clicking their tongues more often and for longer periods of time compared to other scents.

“The only time they click their tongues is when they’re interested in something or when they’re researching something,” Miller said. This suggests that garter snakes can recognize that something about themselves doesn’t smell right. “They might be thinking, ‘Oh, this is weird, I shouldn’t smell like this.'”

Ball pythons, on the other hand, responded the same way to all odors. Garter snakes are much more social than ball pythons, Miller said, so social species may be more likely to be self-aware.

This discovery is the first evidence of potential self-awareness in snakes, Miller said. “There’s a misconception that snakes, and almost all reptiles, are dull, instinctive, non-cognitive animals, but that’s definitely not true.”

but, Johannes Brandl Researchers at the University of Salzburg in Austria question whether this should be interpreted as self-awareness. “This interpretation is only valid if a correlation with social behavior can be established,” he says. Otherwise, one could argue that some snake species are simply more inclined to participate in experiments.

topic:

  • animal/
  • animal intelligence

Source: www.newscientist.com