Abstract
Comparisons were made on the lethal and hemorrhagic activities and immunological specificities of venoms from the snakes belonging to genus Trimeresurus (Crotalidae).
The venoms from T. flavoviridis found in the Amami Islands, the island of Okinawa and Kume, and from T. elegans in the Yaeyama Islands were not different significantly with respect to the specific lethal and hemorrhagic activities. The specific activities of the venoms from T. okinavensis in the Amami Islands and from T. tokarensis in the Tokara Islands were lower than those of the four different snake venoms of the two species mentioned above.
The neutralization tests, agar-gel diffusion and immuno-electrophoresis, using an antivenine against Habu venom from the Amami Islands, indicated little difference in immunological specificities among the venoms from T. flavoviridis collected in different islands.
The hemorrhagic activities of the venoms from T. elegans, T. okinavensis and T. tokarensis were neutralized by the Habu antivenine, while the lethal activities of these were not neutralized. Immunological specificities of these venoms, as revealed by the immuno-electrophoresis and agar-gel diffusion tests, differed from that of T. flavoviridis.
In view of the above findings, the specific antivenine against each venom should be administered for the treatment of poisoning by venom of any species of genus Trimeresurus.
