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Bizarre caecilians may be the only amphibians with venomous bites | Science News
Creatures that look like snakes appear to have glands near their teeth that secrete venom
Caecilians are amphibians like salamanders and frogs, but they’re often mistaken for snakes because of their long, legless bodies. Now, scientists think that the similarities between the two are more than skin deep.
New microscope and chemical analyses suggest that, like snakes, caecilians have glands near their teeth that secrete toxins. The discovery raises the possibility that caecilians may be the first amphibians found capable of delivering a venomous bite.
Pedro Mailho-Fontana, an evolutionary biologist with the Butantan Institute in São Paulo, has been studying caecilians for several years, and in particular, the glands in their skin. He has helped show that the animals have separate glands for secreting mucus on their heads and poison on their tails.
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While studying the anatomy of the skull in these animals he found large poison glands with ducts leading up to the teeth.
The toxin contains phospholipase A2, a common protein found in the toxins of venomous animals. This protein (an enzyme) is also found in the venom of bees, wasps & some reptiles.
Creatures that look like snakes appear to have glands near their teeth that secrete venom
Caecilians are amphibians like salamanders and frogs, but they’re often mistaken for snakes because of their long, legless bodies. Now, scientists think that the similarities between the two are more than skin deep.
New microscope and chemical analyses suggest that, like snakes, caecilians have glands near their teeth that secrete toxins. The discovery raises the possibility that caecilians may be the first amphibians found capable of delivering a venomous bite.
Pedro Mailho-Fontana, an evolutionary biologist with the Butantan Institute in São Paulo, has been studying caecilians for several years, and in particular, the glands in their skin. He has helped show that the animals have separate glands for secreting mucus on their heads and poison on their tails.
=================================================================
While studying the anatomy of the skull in these animals he found large poison glands with ducts leading up to the teeth.
The toxin contains phospholipase A2, a common protein found in the toxins of venomous animals. This protein (an enzyme) is also found in the venom of bees, wasps & some reptiles.
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