Graeme Gow, the owner of a reptile farm in Australia, has been bitten by venomous snakes 142 times, including three bites from the inland taipan (native to Australia and considered the most venomous snake in the world), yet he has survived.
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| Graeme Gow with snakes. (Image: ecouniverse.com) |
Meanwhile, the amount of venom released in a single bite from this species can be lethal to 127 individuals weighing an average of 80 kg. This phenomenon is unprecedented, prompting scientists to investigate and uncover the truth. Through extensive research, it has been discovered that this is a case of venom resistance.
According to experts from the Royal Darwin Hospital in Australia and the UK’s venom research laboratory, venom resistance is not only found in humans but also in other animal species, especially those that consume venomous snakes. These creatures not only possess the ability to resist venom but can also ingest large amounts of it without harm. For example, the American and Australian marsupial known as the opossum can tolerate the venom of rattlesnakes, which could be lethal to other mammals, even in small doses that could kill a healthy horse. However, strangely, if bitten by a cobra, the opossum would fall over dead immediately.
Some snake-eating predators also exhibit significant venom resistance, such as the mongoose, a tropical carnivore that can consume numerous venomous snakes, including cobras and rattlesnakes, without any adverse effects.
Additionally, venomous snakes can also resist the effects of their own venom, although the degree varies among species. Evidence shows that some venomous snakes, when fighting over prey or mates, have used their venom to attack each other and been bitten in return, yet their wounds only swell for a time before healing themselves. In rare cases, venomous snakes have been known to fatally bite themselves, dying within hours—a phenomenon that science has yet to explain.
The reason why venomous snakes can consume each other without harm lies in their blood, which contains a compound known as “protective factor”. It is believed that this factor can produce an antivenom, named antivenene, which helps humans effectively treat snakebite injuries.
Saul Wei, an Australian venom expert, has conducted a series of experiments to demonstrate venom resistance for research purposes aimed at discovering an antibody to treat snakebite victims. In his study, he found a volunteer named Charles Tanner at Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. Tanner was injected with increasing amounts of cobra venom, ranging from 0.002 mg to 25 mg, over a period of 13 months. Remarkably, at the highest dose, which could kill 30 healthy individuals, Tanner showed no adverse effects.
This is a very peculiar phenomenon, reminiscent of Graeme Gow’s experiences. The answers still await further investigation from scientists in larger-scale studies.
