Abstract
The venom of Atractaspis is unique in having a large percentage of both high and low molecular weight components. Its Sephadex G-50 S 5 fraction appears to represent a new type of toxin that contains 17–18 Asx, 13–14 Cys and 10–11 Glx out of a total of 72–78 amino acids. The N-terminal of this toxin does not seem to resemble any of the known toxins. The overall lethal potency of the venom is very high; i.v. injections of 5 μg of venom or 1 μg of fractions S 5 or S 6 per mouse causes death within minutes. The results of the present study corroborate previous findings that suggested a separate grouping of the snakes genus Atractaspis at the subfamilial or familial level.
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