Properties of duvernoy's secretions from opisthoglyphous and aglyphous colubrid snakes

Abstract

Relatively little attention has been given to the biological properties of Duvernoy's secretions produced by opisthoglyphous and some aglyphous colubrid snakes. A review is presented of literature pertaining to these secretions. Most detailed analyses of Duvernoy's secretions and their biological properties have been performed since the late 1970s. The dispholidines, Dispholidus typus and Thelotornis sp., and the natricines, Rhabdophis tigrinus and R. subminiata, have received the most attention due to the high toxicity of their secretions and their medical importance. These species produce secretions with variably strong prothrombin-activating activity, defibrinating activity, and hemorrhagic potential. Boigines, and natricines other than Rhabdophis, produce secretions of low to moderate toxicity and are variably hemorrhagic and proteolytic. Xenodontines and homalopsines similarly show hemorrhagic potential with low to moderate toxicity. Neurotoxic activity has been reported only from secretions of the boigines, Boiga blandingi and B. irregularis and the xenodontine, Heterodon platyrhinos. These species produce secretions containing postsynaptically acting components. Analyses of some of these secretions have shown that enzymes common to many ophidian venoms such as phospholipases A and l-amino acid oxidase are uncommon in the colubrid secretions studied. This may be due to few studies assaying for multiple enzyme activities and/or the unavailability of many secretion samples for study. Methods of secretion extraction, storage, and assay are discussed. Projected future research and the adaptive implications of Duvernoy's secretions are considered.