COLUBRID SNAKES AND DUVERNOY'S “VENOM” GLANDS

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Abstract
One of the largest groups of snakes is the family Colubridae. This is a paraphyletic assemblage that includes a few venomous species, but most pose no special health risk to humans. Thirty to forty percent of colubrids possess a Duvernoy's gland, a specialized oral gland located in the temporal region. Although it is a homologue to the venom glands of viperid and elapid snakes, the Duvernoy's gland is anatomically and functionally distinct. Generally it lacks a large internal reservoir of secretion, emptying is under low-pressure flow, and the secretion is not delivered via hollow fangs. In contrast, true venom glands hold a large store of ready venom, expel the venom under direct action of striated muscles, and inject it as a high-pressure pulse via hollow fangs. Both the Duvernoy's gland and the venom gland are part of a snake's trophic system, involved primarily in predatory behavior. True venoms are composed of potent toxins whose main biological role is to bring about rapid prey death. Although the s...