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Weinstein SA, Warrell DA, Daoues K, Vidal N. The first reported snakebite by an African snake-eater, Polemon spp. (Atractaspididae, Aparallactinae); Local envenoming by Reinhardt's snake-eater, Polemon acanthias (Reinhardt, 1860). Toxicon 2021; 200:92-95. [PMID: 34280410 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2021.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The first reported snakebite by an African snake-eater, Polemon spp. (Atractaspididae, Aparallactinae); Local envenoming by Reinhardt's snake-eater, Polemon acanthias (Reinhardt, 1860). Toxicon XX, xxx. A 51-yr-old male herpetologist was bitten on the left index finger by a captive male Polemon acanthias while manually removing fragments of incompletely shed skin from the specimen. The snake sustained its bite for approximately 2 mins, advancing its jaws several times. The victim rapidly developed moderate pain, erythema, progressive edema that ultimately extended to the left wrist; a blister later developed in the wound site, as well as joint stiffness in the bitten and adjacent two fingers that limited flexion and extension. These effects regressed during the week following the bite, but recurred thereafter and were similar to the effects that developed immediately post-envenoming. There were no systemic signs or symptoms. The victim sought medical advice and was treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics, antihistamines and wound care; no laboratory investigations were conducted. He improved during the subsequent month with complete resolution in 5 and one-half weeks. This is the first documented bite by a Polemon spp. and the victim's clinical course suggests the development of local effects from venom components. The phylogenetic relationship of Polemon spp. with the burrowing asps (Atractaspis spp.) and the similarity of some of the features of this local envenoming by P. acanthias with mild/moderate envenoming by some Atractaspis spp., suggests that none of these snakes should be handled; they should be considered capable of inflicting potentially serious envenoming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott A Weinstein
- Department of Toxinology, Women's and Children's Hospital, North Adelaide, South Australia, 5006, Australia.
| | - David A Warrell
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Karim Daoues
- La Ferme Tropicale, 54 rue Jenner, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Vidal
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, UMR 7205, MNHN, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Institut de Systématique, Evolution et Biodiversité, CP 30, 57, Rue Cuvier, F-75005, Paris, France
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Portillo F, Stanley EL, Branch WR, Conradie W, Rödel MO, Penner J, Barej MF, Kusamba C, Muninga WM, Aristote MM, Bauer AM, Trape JF, Nagy ZT, Carlino P, Pauwels OSG, Menegon M, Ineich I, Burger M, Zassi-Boulou AG, Mazuch T, Jackson K, Hughes DF, Behangana M, Greenbaum E. Evolutionary history of burrowing asps (Lamprophiidae: Atractaspidinae) with emphasis on fang evolution and prey selection. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214889. [PMID: 30995262 PMCID: PMC6469773 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Atractaspidines are poorly studied, fossorial snakes that are found throughout Africa and western Asia, including the Middle East. We employed concatenated gene-tree analyses and divergence dating approaches to investigate evolutionary relationships and biogeographic patterns of atractaspidines with a multi-locus data set consisting of three mitochondrial (16S, cyt b, and ND4) and two nuclear genes (c-mos and RAG1). We sampled 91 individuals from both atractaspidine genera (Atractaspis and Homoroselaps). Additionally, we used ancestral-state reconstructions to investigate fang and diet evolution within Atractaspidinae and its sister lineage (Aparallactinae). Our results indicated that current classification of atractaspidines underestimates diversity within the group. Diversification occurred predominantly between the Miocene and Pliocene. Ancestral-state reconstructions suggest that snake dentition in these taxa might be highly plastic within relatively short periods of time to facilitate adaptations to dynamic foraging and life-history strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Portillo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, United States of America
| | - Edward L. Stanley
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - William R. Branch
- Port Elizabeth Museum, Humewood, South Africa
- Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Werner Conradie
- Port Elizabeth Museum, Humewood, South Africa
- School of Natural Resource Management, George Campus, Nelson Mandela University, George, South Africa
| | - Mark-Oliver Rödel
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | - Johannes Penner
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Wildlife Management, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Michael F. Barej
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | - Chifundera Kusamba
- Laboratoire d’Herpétologie, Département de Biologie, Centre de Recherche en Sciences Naturelles, Lwiro, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Wandege M. Muninga
- Laboratoire d’Herpétologie, Département de Biologie, Centre de Recherche en Sciences Naturelles, Lwiro, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Mwenebatu M. Aristote
- Institut Supérieur d'Écologie pour la Conservation de la Nature, Katana Campus, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Aaron M. Bauer
- Department of Biology, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jean-François Trape
- Laboratoire de Paludologie et Zoologie Médicale, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Dakar, Senegal
| | | | - Piero Carlino
- Museo di Storia naturale del Salento, Calimera, Italy
| | - Olivier S. G. Pauwels
- Département des Vertébrés Récents, Institut Royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Michele Menegon
- Division of Biology and Conservation Ecology, School of Science and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Ivan Ineich
- Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, Département Systématique et Evolution (Reptiles), ISyEB (Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité), Paris, France
| | - Marius Burger
- African Amphibian Conservation Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
- Flora Fauna & Man, Ecological Services Ltd. Tortola, British Virgin Islands
| | | | | | - Kate Jackson
- Department of Biology, Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington, United States of America
| | - Daniel F. Hughes
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, United States of America
| | - Mathias Behangana
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Eli Greenbaum
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, United States of America
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