Ahmed El-Deeb

It is rumored that the Russian monk Rasputin survived the attempt to assassinate him with poison, as he was training himself to eat very small amounts of toxins every day, and this may be among the dozens of myths that have woven around the strange man.

Impressed by Rasputin
But research recently published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) highlights beings that actually do something that greatly impressed all of Rasputin's myths.

There is a genus of southeast Asian snake called Rhabdophis, which is a small poisonous snake.

But it is not only toxic, it is also "toxic"! Perhaps the owners of this Arabic tongue will not notice, as there is a clear difference in the English language between the terms (venomous) and (poisonous), even though the Arabic equivalent used for both of them is mostly: toxic.

That is why we will differentiate here between the two descriptions, given that the venomous is the one who injects its victims directly into some bites or poisonous bites, such as snakes and scorpions, while poisonous is the object that can poison predators that try to attack or devour it, such as some types of fish and amphibians. .

It contains a deadly poison
"Species of rabbovis snakes, especially around the necks, carry glands storing substances called bufadienolides, which are among the toxic steroids secreted by the" poisoned "prey of these snakes," said Alan Savitzky, a researcher in reptile science at Utah State University, who is involved in the study.

Rapidoffice snakes bend their glowing necks with stark colors in defensive poses threatening the attackers that a single bite will keep them on date with frightening doses of toxins.

Rapidoffice snakes and necks glow with warning colors (Wikimedia Commons)

Scientists used to think that these snakes produce their toxins themselves, but later they discovered that they get them from their food, specifically from the shrimp and frogs.

In the precedent announced by the study, Savitzky and his international research team from many universities and institutes around the world discovered that there are species of rabbovis snakes that no longer rely on frogs as a main food, and they resort to earthworms instead.

Adaptation mechanisms
Earthworms do not actually produce toxins, but these snakes also feed on the larvae of fireflies (illuminating beetles) that produce toxic substances very close in composition to the toxins of frogs.

"This is the first case of its kind documenting the transformation of a vertebrate predator from feeding on a vertebrate prey to an invertebrate one, and resorting to it as an alternative source of the same chemicals that the predator in turn uses as a defensive weapon against its own predators. This is a striking example of the adaptive mechanisms that may Living organisms use it in response to changes in their natural environments. "

It seems that most human beings have a satisfactory interest in themselves and their type, which prevents them from realizing the amazing natural world, and limits them to weaving mythical myths about the oddities of what was - or even what was never - in people's lives, exposed to completely real marvels that occur before Their eyes and under their noses all the time.

Even among the art people themselves, we saw someone who ignores these amazing poisonous and poisonous snakes - at the same time - and allocates to a man who only succeeded in escaping once from the assassination by poison a very attractive song, whose song the dancer sings in his name and immortalizes him: Ra .. ra .. Rasputin!