Biting back: Costa Rica experts harvest deadly snake venom
Thursday, April 22, 2010 - 05:30
in Biology & Nature
The dreaded Matabuey, a snake so fearsome its name means "ox killer," has a deadly bite that immobilizes its prey in minutes, making it the kind of creature generally to be avoided. But far from steering clear of the legless lizards, researchers at the world leading Clodomiro Picado institute in Costa Rica are avidly cultivating them, along with hundreds of equally-venomous vipers.