Abstract: This study was performed to assess the ability of polyvalent snake venom anti-serum, produced by the Egyptian Organization for Biological Products & Vaccines (VACSERA), to neutralize several toxic activities of snake venoms, not only of those included in the antivenom mixture, but also some additional venoms of snakes from Egyptian, African, and Middle Eastern habitats. In general, the results revealed that polyvalent snake venom anti-serum from VACSERA is highly effective in neutralizing Egyptian snake venoms, especially Naja haje, Naja nigricolles, Naja pallida, Cerastes cerastes, Cerastes cerastes cerastes, Cerastes vipera, Pseudocerastes persicus fieldi, and Walterinnisia egyptia. The antivenom was also effective against Naja haje, Walterinnisia egyptia, and Bites aritans from Saudi Arabia. High activity was obtained against venoms from Naja haje, Naja nigricolles, and Naja pallida of Sudan, as well as the African Naja melanoleuca, Naja mossambica, Naja naja oxiana, Bites gabonica, and Vipera lebetina. Only moderate effectiveness was obtained with Echis coloratus and Echis carinatus, and the polyvalent antiserum was ineffective against the venom of Naja nivea.

Abstract: Sex-biased differences in dietary habits of snakes are often linked to pronounced sexual size dimorphism in absolute body size or in relative head size We studied the food habits of free-ranging forest cobras (Naja melanoleuca) in southern Nigeria to find whether any intersexual dietary divergence is present in this species, and measured both museum vouchers and freeranging specimens to find whether any intersexual divergence in relative head size is present We demonstrated that: (1) head sizes increases more rapidly with SVL in females than in males, with a result that, at the same body length, the females tended to have significantly larger heads; (2) males and females were nearly identical in dietary habits, both if we consider prey size or prey type; (3) both sexes tended to prey upon relatively little sized preys It is concluded that traditional evolutionary scenarios for explaining sexual dimorphism and food niche divergence are hardly valid in this case, and we need to look for entirely different hypotheses (eg linked to the sexual preference of males for females with larger heads)

Abstract: Blood samples of 17 monocellate cobras (Naja kaouthia), 12 Siamese spitting cobras ( Naja siamensis) and 6 golden spitting cobras ( Naja sumatrana) in the Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute were collected from ventral caudal vein for basic hematology, light microscopic, scanning and transmission electron microscopic features of blood cells. There was no hematozoa detected in all monocellate cobras. Five Siamese spitting cobras (42%) and four golden spitting cobras (74%) were positive for Hepatozoon sp. Lymphocytes were the most commonly observed leukocytes in all cobras and average 6-8 ∝m in diameter. Azurophils were the second most commonly observed leukocytes, averaging 10-17 ∝m in diameter. Azurophils in golden spitting cobra contained more number of azurophilic granules and ribosomes than the other cobras. Heterophils were the largest leukocytes, averaging 16-19 ∝m in diameter. Eosinophils in monocellate cobras revealed large bulging granules and usually were medium-sized cells, averaging 10-14 ∝m in diameter. Eosinophils in Siamese spitting cobra were larger than those in monocellate cobra but contained smaller granules. Eosinophils in golden spitting cobra showed bulging granules but smaller than those in monocellate cobra. Basophils in all kind of cobras were similar and as small as lymphocyte but revealed many small granules polarity. Scanning electron microscopic examination revealed the surface of thrombocytes, erythrocytes, lymphocyte, azurophil and heterophil in monocellate cobra. Transmission electron microscopic examination showed organelles within azurophil and thrombocyte of Siamese spitting cobra and azurophis and gamonts of Hepatozoon sp. in erythrocytes of golden spitting

Abstract: From 1976 to 1999, we conducted a prospective study of overall and cause-specific mortality among the population of 42 villages of south-eastern Senegal. Of 4,228 deaths registered during this period, 26 were brought on by snakebites, 4 by invertebrate stings and 8 by other wild or domestic animals. The average annual mortality rate from snakebite was 14 deaths per 100,000 population. Among persons aged 1 year or more, 0.9% (26/2,880) of deaths were caused by snakebite and this cause represented 28% (26/94) of the total number of deaths by accident. We also investigated the snake fauna of the area. Of 1,280 snakes belonging to 34 species that were collected, one-third were dangerous and the proportion of Viperidae, Elapidae and Atractaspididae was 23%, 11% and 0.6%, respectively. The saw-scaled viper Echis ocellatus was the most abundant species (13.6%). Other venomous species were Causus maculatus (6.5%), Naja katiensis (5.5%), Bitis arietans (2.7%), Elapsoidea trapei (2.4%), Naja nigricollis (1.2%), Naja melanoleuca (1.1%), Atractaspis aterrima (0.4%), Dendroaspis polylepis (0.3%) and Naja haje (0.1%).

Abstract: Snake (Naja naja) collected from Karachi, Sindh had acanthocephalan infection. On examination it was found that the specimens belonged to the genus Centrorhynchus (Van Cleave, 1916). The specimens differed from all the species reported of the genus in having 18-20 rows of spines each having 16-24 spines. The name C. sindhensis refers to the locality of the host. This is the first report of genus Centrorhynchus from snake in Pakistan.

Abstract: The cobras Naja naja and N. kaouthia are abundant in eastern and north-eastern India, accounting for maximum snakebite deaths. Here we report on variation in the composition of Naja kaouthia and N. naja venom from eastern India on corresponding differences in the severity of pathogenesis. These two venoms differ in chromatographic elution profile through Sephadex G-50 and enzyme activity, protein and carbohydrate contents associated with each fraction. The presence of greater amounts of basic phospholipase A2, L-amino acid oxidase and low molecular weight membrane active polypeptides in the N. naja venom makes it more toxic than N. kaouthia venom. A commercial polyvalent antivenom raised against N. naja venom inactivates lethality and variety of toxic effects of homologous venom more effectively than N. kaouthia venom.

Abstract: Two cobra species are found in the forest block of southern Nigeria (West Africa). However, whereas the one species, the spitting cobra (Naja nigricollis), is often found in strongly altered habitats (including suburban areas), the other, the black forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca), is a typical forest species that is currently subject to a rapid decrease in population abundance because of intensive forest alteration and landscape modification in this part of Africa. We studied whether the body sizes, diets, and feeding strategies of these two species changed in relation to habitat type, and whether the ecological success of the one species versus the other in altered habitats depends upon greater dietary flexibility in prey type or prey size. Therefore, we divided our cobra records into three habitat categories: (1) suburbia, (2) plantation–forest mosaic, and (3) mature forest. We observed that sexual size dimorphism was minor in both species and in all habitat types, and that intersexual differences in pr...