Beyond sexual maturity: Importance of dietary changes in venom variation in Vipera ammodytes

• DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2025.108291
• Publication Date: 2025-02-19T07:57:12Z
• Authors: Margareta Lakušić; Fernando Martínez...; Marko Anđelković; Benjamin-Florian ...
• Keywords: Sexual maturity

Identifying individual age and size is crucial in venom research to understand potential phenotypic changes. When studying ontogeny, juveniles adults are often determined by at sexual maturity. However, gape-limited predators such as snakes, shifts may occur earlier, coinciding with an increase jaw that allows the intake of larger prey. This study explored variation Vipera ammodytes along snout-vent length (SVL), linking these changes dietary reproductive status. A total 57 samples from two populations were analysed using chip electrophoresis (CE) MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Individuals categorised into three groups: immature individuals feeding on lizards (<300 mm SVL), but start including mammals their diet (between 300 440 mm), mature (>440 mm). Significant composition around SVL observed, aligning a shift marked increased mammalian prey preceding finding highlights need use metric for accurate analysis ontogeny. Our results indicate when pooling necessary, allocating categories should be based rather than Additionally, CE MS proved effective detecting ontogenetic changes, offering fast affordable approach profiling. emphasises importance integrating natural history data studies better ecological evolutionary drivers adaptation.