No evidence for proteolytic venom resistance in southern African ground squirrels.
Many mammalian species that interact with venomous snakes show resistances to venoms. The family Sciuridae has several North American members that harass venomous snakes and show proteolytic resistances in their sera. We examined sera collected from an African ground squirrel (Xerus inauris) against two sympatric venomous snakes (Bitis arietans and Naja annulifera) and found no support for proteolytic resistance. Our results add to our understanding of the risks in predator defense within the family Sciuridae.
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada. phillips.map@gmail.com
Molly A
MA
Phillips
Jane M
JM
Waterman
Pg
P
Du Plessis
Martin
M
Smit
Nigel C
NC
Bennett
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D004546:Elapid Venoms / Q000633:toxicity*; D059748:Proteolysis / Q000187:drug effects*; D012589:Sciuridae / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D013019:South Africa; D013045:Species Specificity; D014757:Viper Venoms / Q000633:toxicity*
D004546:Elapid Venoms; D014757:Viper Venoms