Many clever species are undeterred by porcupine quills, venomous snake fangs, sticky-armed octopuses, and more.
Massasauga rattlesnakes are ovoviviparous, meaningthey give birth to live young, rather than laying eggs externally. The baby snakes stay at their birthplace for the next four to five days to grow and shed their skin for the first time; after that, they are on their own, the mother snake...
The venom they extract can be used to create antivenom. So next time you’re wandering around Australia and get bit by a venomous snake, be sure to thank the local snake milker because an antivenom is the only thing that could save your life....
In 2005, a western diamondback rattlesnake who'd been living alone in captivity rendered herself pregnant and gave birth to a litter of offspring. To accomplish this, the mother reptile used sperm she'd held on to for roughly six years! Sometimes, males aren't needed for reproduction at all...
However, ‘milking’ is only half of the antivenom-creation process. If you injected a person with pure venom, it would kill them as quickly as the snake that bit them. The venom has to be processed before it can be used. This is done by injecting it into an animal that has some re...
You've probably heard a number of myths concerning snakebites and the proper treatment for them. Since rattlesnake bites can be fatal, the treatment is very important. The best possible response to a rattlesnake bite is to get to the...