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On the Biological Differentiation of the Neotropical Species of Snakes, Bothrops Atrox (Linné, 1758), B. Jararaca (Wied, 1824) and B. Jararacussu Lacerda, 1884¹

Bothrops atrox, B. Jararaca and B. jararacussu are the names which must be applied to the three commonest species of Neotropical solenoglyphous snakes. These species can be distinguished from each other by some of their anatomical characteristics such as pholidosis, markings, physiognomy, hemipenis structure, etc., which characteristics, however, have not been conveniently studied by modern authors. Therefore, the author found it to be advisable to do experiments with both the venoms and the sera of these three species in order to find out whether any biological difference would exist among them. His experiments with the venoms consisted in: determination of the M.L.D. and toxicity for laboratory animals; loss of toxicity and coagulation by heating; proteolytic, hemolytic and blood-coagulant activities; neutralization tests with antivenins. His experiments with the sera consisted in the precipitin tests.

From all these experiments it became clear that even from a biological standpoint the above mentioned snakes must be considered specifically different from each other.

¹ Read at the Twentieth Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine, at Chicago, Ill., June 9 and 10, 1924.