The striking speed of venomous snakes in the Viperidae family surpasses that of elapids, with the exception of the rough-scaled death adder.
In a recent study, researchers set out to compare the striking abilities of 36 venomous snake species from three families: 31 Viperidae, 4 Elapidae, and 1 Colubridae. Using high-speed video cameras capable of capturing 1,000 frames per second, they recorded strikes at a ballistics gel prey and tracked their trajectory in 3-D to measure performance.
The researchers also analyzed various factors such as predation style, diel activity pattern, diet, habitat type, temperature and frist jaw contact with prey within the Viperidae family. They measured variables like peak velocity and acceleration and also angle of gape and head size based on which part of the jaw made initial contact with prey.
The results showed that venomous snakes in the Viperidae family had faster peak velocities than elapids (except for rough-scaled death adders). The ambush predators and those that preyed on mammals had even faster strike velocities. In fact, they where able to reach their target within just 100 milliseconds – comparable to mammalian startle response time.
Behavioral differences were also observed among the three families. Viperidae strikes were smooth and often accompanied by fang repositioning while Elapidae had a fast bite time followed by repeated squeezing with their jaws. Colubridae used their rear fangs to damage the prey’s surface with alternate jaw movements.
The complete paper, “Kinematics of Strikes in Venomous Snakes,” can be found on The Company of Biologists website.
Fascinating research on snake strikes! 🐍🔬