October 14, 2025 • 7 mins
A recent study reveals that the venom of India's Russell’s viper varies significantly across the country, influenced by regional climate patterns such as temperature, rainfall, and seasonal shifts. By creating predictive venom maps based on climate data, researchers aim to improve snakebite treatment and understand how environmental factors shape venom composition and evolution.
Read the full article at https://www.paperleap.com/blog/articles/from-desert-to-rainforest-understanding-venom-differences-0cccys
Read the full article at https://www.paperleap.com/blog/articles/from-desert-to-rainforest-understanding-venom-differences-0cccys
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the paper Leap podcast, where a science takes
the mic. Each episode, we discuss cutting edge research, groundbreaking discoveries,
and the incredible people behind them, across disciplines and across
the world. Whether you're a curious mind, a researcher, or
just love learning, you're in the right place before we start.
(00:21):
Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an insight.
All the content is also available on paper leap dot com. Okay, ready,
let's start. Living in India's countryside, chances are you'll hear
of the Russell's viper. This thick, brown, chain patterned snake
is responsible for more snake bite deaths and injuries in
(00:44):
India than any other species. Every year, thousands of rural
farmers and field workers suffer its bite, often with devastating consequences.
But not all Russell's viper bites are created equal. Depending
on where you are in India, the venom can act
very differently, sometimes attacking blood, sometimes destroying tissue, sometimes triggering
(01:09):
life threatening complications In organs the same species, but a
wildly varied bite. A new study by Navenil Sarangi Syjai
locks meat and kartik Sunegar from the Center for Ecological
Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, explains
that climate itself, temperature, rainfall, and seasonal shifts, plays a
(01:32):
huge role in shaking the venom. Their work, published in
plast Neglected Tropical Diseases, uses predictive modeling to connect weather
patterns with venom chemistry. The results could change how doctors
treat snake bites across the subcontinent. Why venom isn't the
same everywhere. Snake venom is like a living chemistry set.
(01:53):
It's made of dozens of toxins, from enzymes that break
down tissues, to proteins that disrupt blood clotting, and even
molecules that paralyze nerves. The mix isn't fixed though. Over time,
snakes tune their venoms to local conditions, to what prey
they catch, what predators they face, and, as it turns out,
(02:14):
the cline they live in. From the dry deserts of
Rajasthan to the lush rainforests of Kerala, the Russell's viper
is spread almost everywhere in India. Farmers in Punjab, fishermen
and Tamil Nadu and tea pickers in the samme all
encounter this snake, but each experience with the bite isn't
the same. Victims in the arid Northwest may experience heavy bleeding,
(02:39):
while those in a wetter Eastern states may suffer tissue
damage or organ failure. For decades, scientists have known about
these regional differences but didn't fully understand why. This study
provides one of the first clear answers. Climate leaves its
fingerprints on venom. The MISC team gathered venom from other
(03:00):
one hundred and fifteen Russell's vipers across India, spanning more
than six thousand, six hundred kilometers of geography. They then
tested how active different venom enzymes were. They found three
key venom enzymes. PLA two enzymes destroy cell membranes and
cause tissue damage. Protease enzymes chew through proteins and disrupt
(03:22):
blood clotting, and laao enzymes damage tissues in subtler ways
and can influence bleeding in inflammation. Next, the venom profiles,
along with historical climate data from more than one hundred
years ago, like average rainfall, seasonal temperature swings, and annual
precipitation were compared using statistical models. The researchers checked how
(03:45):
well climate variables predicted venom behavior. Finally, they used the
models to create venom maps of India. These venom maps
are predictive charts that show where different venom types are
likely to occur based purely on low local climate. They
found no single factor explains venom variation. In fact, temperature
(04:06):
alone or rainfall alone couldn't account for venom variation. Instead,
combinations of climate factors like shifts and temperature between day
and night or patterns of seasonal rainfall did. Also. Protease
activity blood attacking toxins was highest in dry northwestern India,
so bites in northwestern India are more likely to cause
(04:29):
uncontrolled bleeding and blood clotting problems. They also discovered PLA
two activity tissue damaging toxins was higher in wetter regions
like eastern India and parts of the coasts, meaning that
victims in eastern India and parts of the coasts might
seem more swelling, tissue death or organ complications. Finally, LAAO
(04:51):
activity was harder to predict. Climate didn't seem to shape
this enzyme as strongly, suggesting other factors like diet or
genetics may pl bigger rolls. Overall, it was found that
Russell's viper venom adapts to its environment. A snake in
the desert carries a different chemical arsenal than one in
the rainforest. Right now, India relies on a single type
(05:14):
of polyvalent anti venom to treat bites from the big four,
the Russells viper, Indian cobra, common crate, and the saw
scaled viper. Because each venom is different, doctors often find
that the same anti venom doesn't work equally well everywhere.
This new study points to a solution regional specific therapies.
(05:37):
Doctors in Rajasthan could keep treatments that target protease toxins,
while hospitals in West Bengal stock therapies focused on PLA
two toxins. By tailoring treatment to local venom flavors, survival
rates could improve dramatically. The researchers even suggest their predictive
venom mapps could one day guide where to send certain
(05:57):
anti venoms, cutting down on wasted dose and saving more lives.
Beyond how to address things at the hospital, this study
also gives insight into evolution. Snake venom is a dangerous,
finely tuned adaptation shaped by millions of years of environmental pressures.
Climate change may also be quietly reshaping venom right now.
(06:20):
If temperatures rise or rainfall patterns shift, will snake bites
become more dangerous in some areas Predicted models like these
could help scientists see those risks coming, and in this context,
the Russells viper plays a big role as one of
India's most feared snakes. Because of this study, it's also
becoming one of the most scientifically understood, and its predictive
(06:44):
venom maps could transform how doctors prepare for snake bite emergencies,
potentially saving thousands of lives each year. That's it for
this episode of the paperlely podcast. If you found it
thought provoking, fascinating, or just informative, share it with the
fellow science nerd. For more research highlights and full articles,
(07:07):
visit paperleef dot com. Also make sure to subscribe to
the podcast. We've got plenty more discoveries to unpack. Until
next time, Keep questioning, keep learning,
Welcome to the paper Leap podcast, where a science takes
the mic. Each episode, we discuss cutting edge research, groundbreaking discoveries,
and the incredible people behind them, across disciplines and across
the world. Whether you're a curious mind, a researcher, or
just love learning, you're in the right place before we start.
(00:21):
Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an insight.
All the content is also available on paper leap dot com. Okay, ready,
let's start. Living in India's countryside, chances are you'll hear
of the Russell's viper. This thick, brown, chain patterned snake
is responsible for more snake bite deaths and injuries in
(00:44):
India than any other species. Every year, thousands of rural
farmers and field workers suffer its bite, often with devastating consequences.
But not all Russell's viper bites are created equal. Depending
on where you are in India, the venom can act
very differently, sometimes attacking blood, sometimes destroying tissue, sometimes triggering
(01:09):
life threatening complications In organs the same species, but a
wildly varied bite. A new study by Navenil Sarangi Syjai
locks meat and kartik Sunegar from the Center for Ecological
Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, explains
that climate itself, temperature, rainfall, and seasonal shifts, plays a
(01:32):
huge role in shaking the venom. Their work, published in
plast Neglected Tropical Diseases, uses predictive modeling to connect weather
patterns with venom chemistry. The results could change how doctors
treat snake bites across the subcontinent. Why venom isn't the
same everywhere. Snake venom is like a living chemistry set.
(01:53):
It's made of dozens of toxins, from enzymes that break
down tissues, to proteins that disrupt blood clotting, and even
molecules that paralyze nerves. The mix isn't fixed though. Over time,
snakes tune their venoms to local conditions, to what prey
they catch, what predators they face, and, as it turns out,
(02:14):
the cline they live in. From the dry deserts of
Rajasthan to the lush rainforests of Kerala, the Russell's viper
is spread almost everywhere in India. Farmers in Punjab, fishermen
and Tamil Nadu and tea pickers in the samme all
encounter this snake, but each experience with the bite isn't
the same. Victims in the arid Northwest may experience heavy bleeding,
(02:39):
while those in a wetter Eastern states may suffer tissue
damage or organ failure. For decades, scientists have known about
these regional differences but didn't fully understand why. This study
provides one of the first clear answers. Climate leaves its
fingerprints on venom. The MISC team gathered venom from other
(03:00):
one hundred and fifteen Russell's vipers across India, spanning more
than six thousand, six hundred kilometers of geography. They then
tested how active different venom enzymes were. They found three
key venom enzymes. PLA two enzymes destroy cell membranes and
cause tissue damage. Protease enzymes chew through proteins and disrupt
(03:22):
blood clotting, and laao enzymes damage tissues in subtler ways
and can influence bleeding in inflammation. Next, the venom profiles,
along with historical climate data from more than one hundred
years ago, like average rainfall, seasonal temperature swings, and annual
precipitation were compared using statistical models. The researchers checked how
(03:45):
well climate variables predicted venom behavior. Finally, they used the
models to create venom maps of India. These venom maps
are predictive charts that show where different venom types are
likely to occur based purely on low local climate. They
found no single factor explains venom variation. In fact, temperature
(04:06):
alone or rainfall alone couldn't account for venom variation. Instead,
combinations of climate factors like shifts and temperature between day
and night or patterns of seasonal rainfall did. Also. Protease
activity blood attacking toxins was highest in dry northwestern India,
so bites in northwestern India are more likely to cause
(04:29):
uncontrolled bleeding and blood clotting problems. They also discovered PLA
two activity tissue damaging toxins was higher in wetter regions
like eastern India and parts of the coasts, meaning that
victims in eastern India and parts of the coasts might
seem more swelling, tissue death or organ complications. Finally, LAAO
(04:51):
activity was harder to predict. Climate didn't seem to shape
this enzyme as strongly, suggesting other factors like diet or
genetics may pl bigger rolls. Overall, it was found that
Russell's viper venom adapts to its environment. A snake in
the desert carries a different chemical arsenal than one in
the rainforest. Right now, India relies on a single type
(05:14):
of polyvalent anti venom to treat bites from the big four,
the Russells viper, Indian cobra, common crate, and the saw
scaled viper. Because each venom is different, doctors often find
that the same anti venom doesn't work equally well everywhere.
This new study points to a solution regional specific therapies.
(05:37):
Doctors in Rajasthan could keep treatments that target protease toxins,
while hospitals in West Bengal stock therapies focused on PLA
two toxins. By tailoring treatment to local venom flavors, survival
rates could improve dramatically. The researchers even suggest their predictive
venom mapps could one day guide where to send certain
(05:57):
anti venoms, cutting down on wasted dose and saving more lives.
Beyond how to address things at the hospital, this study
also gives insight into evolution. Snake venom is a dangerous,
finely tuned adaptation shaped by millions of years of environmental pressures.
Climate change may also be quietly reshaping venom right now.
(06:20):
If temperatures rise or rainfall patterns shift, will snake bites
become more dangerous in some areas Predicted models like these
could help scientists see those risks coming, and in this context,
the Russells viper plays a big role as one of
India's most feared snakes. Because of this study, it's also
becoming one of the most scientifically understood, and its predictive
(06:44):
venom maps could transform how doctors prepare for snake bite emergencies,
potentially saving thousands of lives each year. That's it for
this episode of the paperlely podcast. If you found it
thought provoking, fascinating, or just informative, share it with the
fellow science nerd. For more research highlights and full articles,
(07:07):
visit paperleef dot com. Also make sure to subscribe to
the podcast. We've got plenty more discoveries to unpack. Until
next time, Keep questioning, keep learning,
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