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Killing bites

It takes the right amount of venol from the snake to kill its p I go. Larger the prey, more the venom and vice versa. William Hayes of tho University of Wyoming, US, in a series of laboratory experiment-4 demonstrated that rattlesnakes indeed 'meter' the quantity of venom they inject into mice of different sizes. This is especiaII4 done better by experienced snakes. Hayes used the enzyme link immunoabsorbant assay or ELISA technique to measure thl quantity of venom injected by estimating the venom in the body of the struck mice (Animal Behaviour, No 50,1995).

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