Research Training Program

Kate Jackson
University of Toronto
Toronto, CANADA

Tom Fritts, Ph.D.
Project Advisor
Department of Vertebrate Zoology
Division or Reptiles and Amphibians

"The RTP has made this the best summer of my life. The program itself is elaborate, ambitious, amazingly well organized, and a great opportunity. The whole experience helped me focus my career goals."

Speculations on the Origin of Venom-Conducting Fangs

As a means of clarifying the anatomy of the teeth that could be involved in introducing venom when snakes bite, a preliminary survey was conducted using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The objectives of this study were:

1. Describe the structure of the teeth in Boiga irregularis, B. forsteni, and other species of the same genus.
2. Make comparisons with other snakes.
3. Attempt to evaluate anatomical innovations related to diet and introduction of venom.

This summer was spent examining the teeth of epistoglyph colbrids using SEM techniques, under the supervision of Dr. Tom Fritts. The functional morphology of venom-conducting grooves was particularly interesting. First, snake teeth were examined in order to investigate the possibility of grooved anterior maxillary teeth in Boiga irregularis and Boiga forsteni, the idea being that additional grooved teeth might increase the amount of venom drawn into a bite wound, accounting for recent reports of a higher incidence of serious bites from B. irregularis than expected from an allegedly harmless snake. Although grooves were not found on the anterior maxillary teeth of either of these two species, interesting morphological features were discovered on the teeth of the other epistoglyphs examined. The final project ended up being a hypothesis for the evolution of the grooved fang, using tooth ridges as landmarks.

This research was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Women's Committee.