1 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 1: From Mediators World News headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. This is 2 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:10,880 Speaker 1: Cal's we Can review, presented by Steel Steel products are 3 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 1: available only at authorized dealers. For more, go to Steel 4 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: Dealers dot com. Now here's your host, Ryan cal Callahan. 5 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 1: A recent study out of the Okinawa Institute of Silence 6 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 1: and Technology in Japan showed that human beings have the 7 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 1: genetic building blocks to become venomous we meaning that given 8 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 1: the right selection pressures, you and I could eventually evolve 9 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:47,559 Speaker 1: fangs that deliver poison. The researchers analyze the genetic makeup 10 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:51,360 Speaker 1: of the Taiwan habu, a brown pit viper that's an 11 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 1: invasive species on the island of Okinawa. They were then 12 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 1: able to read the snake's genome and determine the function 13 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:01,240 Speaker 1: of each of its genes, and so they were able 14 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:04,880 Speaker 1: to isolate the group of genes responsible for producing venom 15 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 1: in the oral glands. It turns out that this collection 16 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 1: of genes is common across all amniotes. An amniote is 17 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:18,559 Speaker 1: any vertebrate that fertilizes eggs internally or lays them on land. 18 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 1: So birds, reptiles, and most mammals, including humans, are amniotes. 19 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 1: You've probably heard the term amniotic fluid for the goo 20 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 1: that surrounds a human fetus in the womb. Now, if 21 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:37,679 Speaker 1: you were in the agriculture industry, like being subjected to 22 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:41,319 Speaker 1: having to go out and do lambing for your mother 23 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:45,480 Speaker 1: in the wintertime, we'd call that a b after birth. 24 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: That's a free one for it. Anyway, you heard that right, 25 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: Humans could, in theory evolved to have a deadly bite 26 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 1: or kiss. One telltale sign that humans have the building 27 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 1: blocks for venomousness is the presence of proteins called calicranes. 28 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:12,279 Speaker 1: They're in our saliva already. Calacranes are extremely stable proteins 29 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 1: that break down other less stable proteins for digestion, and 30 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 1: they are a key component of many kinds of venom 31 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 1: across species. Dissolving proteins is useful both for humans digesting 32 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 1: food and for snakes breaking down muscle tissue in animals 33 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 1: they're attacking. Makes me think of how helpful this would 34 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 1: be in the late night slightly overcooked muscle tissue that 35 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:40,079 Speaker 1: was in the chewy mule, dear steak I nodded through 36 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: the other evening. Also, what happens to the high school 37 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 1: makeout scene? In the future gives the term swapping spit 38 00:02:49,040 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: something extra, doesn't it? Parents, Relax, you one have to 39 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 1: include the possibility of a venom filled smooch with you know, 40 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:10,920 Speaker 1: quote the talk. As for this toxic tongue tying to occur, 41 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:13,680 Speaker 1: all of the other tools at our disposal that have 42 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 1: helped us survive and procreate would either have to go away, 43 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:22,120 Speaker 1: like think of losing your eyesight but everybody does, or hearing, 44 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:28,640 Speaker 1: or maybe the opposable thumbs somehow quit showing up. Not likely, right, Well, 45 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 1: maybe our surroundings in the future change enough that those 46 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: tools just become useless. It's in that circumstance, like a 47 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 1: possible post apocalyptic future, that it would then be possible 48 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 1: that people with the most calacranes in their saliva would 49 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 1: produce more successfully, and maybe millions of years later we 50 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 1: would be uh snake people. But still, off the top 51 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 1: of my head, I can think of about three or 52 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 1: four people who currently right now seem you know, venomous. 53 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 1: Maybe you can too, I plead the fifth. This week 54 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 1: we've got more venom the Snort reports, Saga continues, and 55 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: the Grasslands Act. But first, I'm gonna tell you about 56 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 1: my week and my week was hot in the shade, 57 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: so hot you couldn't sleep even after a long bug 58 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 1: riddled night. My friend Jim, who drew the tag, is 59 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 1: sixty seven years old. He came out to Idaho from 60 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 1: New Hampshire when he was nineteen and joined the Forest Service. 61 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:40,679 Speaker 1: He told me wants that his dad owned a fuel 62 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:43,600 Speaker 1: company back east, and every Sunday he would load the 63 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 1: kids into the car and drive around collecting late payments. 64 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 1: As far as Idaho sheep is concerned, Jim is only 65 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:55,039 Speaker 1: eligible to kill a California big horn sheep, which is 66 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 1: why he has been applying for this tag and the 67 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: why he's The Idaho system for bighorn sheep in the 68 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 1: Mountain goat is a once in a lifetime system, meaning 69 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:07,840 Speaker 1: if you draw a tag and successfully harvest an animal, 70 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:10,720 Speaker 1: like Jim did with a Rocky Mountain big horn, you 71 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:15,159 Speaker 1: are no longer eligible to apply for that animal, unless, 72 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 1: of course, you're really rich. Then you can participate in 73 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 1: auction tags, uh, you know, every year and potentially hunt 74 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 1: those animals every year because you got a ton of money. 75 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:28,400 Speaker 1: I of course find that Uh, let's just leave it 76 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:33,040 Speaker 1: at a distasteful monetization of public wildlife. Shall we thanks? 77 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:36,080 Speaker 1: I hate it anyway, This was Jim's once in a 78 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 1: lifetime California bighorn sheep opportunity. We hiked our butts off, 79 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 1: slid down hard scrabble slopes four feet to the river bed, 80 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:47,800 Speaker 1: climbed back up, baked in the sun, and were mercifully 81 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:51,719 Speaker 1: drenched in rain, then blow dried by twenty mile winds 82 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:54,840 Speaker 1: on the flat tops that stretched for five or seven 83 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:57,359 Speaker 1: miles of flat hiking in the near dark when the 84 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:01,719 Speaker 1: water had run out, covered serious country, and despite walking 85 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:04,800 Speaker 1: past and around and through the area, snort was bit. 86 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 1: We never did see or hear a rattlesnake, We found sheep, 87 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:11,720 Speaker 1: we lost sheep, and never did get a shot at 88 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:15,880 Speaker 1: a ram. But according to Jim, so what, dude, I've 89 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 1: killed a bunch of stuff. All I wanted to do 90 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 1: was have fun, and this was pretty fun. Furthermore, the 91 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 1: hunter harvest statistics for this particular hunt are near one success. 92 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 1: When I pressed old Gim on that, he said, yeah, 93 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:36,240 Speaker 1: one didn't harvest in two thousand eighteen and about the 94 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 1: same in two thousand seventeen. And someone has to be 95 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:41,800 Speaker 1: that guy who doesn't fill his tag. And this year 96 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:44,599 Speaker 1: it was me. We gave it a good effort and 97 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 1: I never would have checked out this country otherwise. We 98 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:51,200 Speaker 1: ended up leaving a day early. As Jim's leg and 99 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: foot or numb from sciatica that has pastored him since 100 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 1: his high school days. He figured scrambling in the canyon 101 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:01,920 Speaker 1: on a numb foot was not the best idea. Maybe 102 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:04,039 Speaker 1: this year is the year he'll have a doctor look 103 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:07,159 Speaker 1: at it so he'll be ready for bird season. When 104 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 1: I got home and started knocking the dust out of 105 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:12,720 Speaker 1: my gear, a small scorpion about the size of the 106 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:15,800 Speaker 1: end of my thumb scrambled out of my backpack frame. 107 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:20,960 Speaker 1: Moving on to the legislation desk and this week's cal 108 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:26,560 Speaker 1: to action, did you know that in the last ten years, 109 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:30,120 Speaker 1: the United States has lost fifty three million acres of 110 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 1: grassland ecosystems. These ecosystems include tall grass, mixed grass, short grass, prairie, 111 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 1: and sage brush habitats used by a huge variety of species. Unfortunately, 112 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 1: thanks to development and invasive plants, over seventy of grasslands 113 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:50,880 Speaker 1: have disappeared, and this has put a big hurt on 114 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 1: game species like elk, pronghorn, and upland birds. Since about 115 00:07:56,800 --> 00:08:01,160 Speaker 1: pheasant populations have dropped by sev bob white quail have 116 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 1: declined by eight and the overall grassland bird population is 117 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:10,120 Speaker 1: down over think about the last time you walked through 118 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:13,440 Speaker 1: a field, how many birds of all kinds popped up. 119 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:18,520 Speaker 1: Those birds are seed spreaders and pollinators and truly as 120 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:21,160 Speaker 1: important as the ones you want to put on your plate. 121 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:26,440 Speaker 1: To combat this troubling trend, a group of conservation organizations 122 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:31,640 Speaker 1: are lobbying Congress to propose the North American Grasslands Conservation Act. 123 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:35,800 Speaker 1: The text of this legislation hasn't been released yet, but 124 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:40,680 Speaker 1: advocates say it creates a landowner driven, voluntary, incentive based 125 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:46,440 Speaker 1: program to conserve and restore threatened grassland ecosystems across the continent. 126 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:50,520 Speaker 1: It will be modeled after the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, 127 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 1: which has successfully funded over three thousand wetland conservation projects 128 00:08:56,200 --> 00:09:00,600 Speaker 1: to help preserve thirty million acres of habitat or zations 129 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:04,720 Speaker 1: that I find fantastic, like backcountry hunters and anglers. The 130 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:10,479 Speaker 1: Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership NWF, which stands for National Wildlife Federation, 131 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:13,880 Speaker 1: and the National Deer Association are hoping to use the 132 00:09:13,920 --> 00:09:19,160 Speaker 1: Wetland Act model to protect grasslands for future generations. I 133 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 1: reached out to a Viva Glass, or of the National 134 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:26,560 Speaker 1: Wildlife Federation. She told me they're working with a bipartisan 135 00:09:26,559 --> 00:09:29,280 Speaker 1: group of congress people and they hope to release the 136 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:32,760 Speaker 1: full text of the legislation within the next few months. 137 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 1: The bill will provide three and fifty million dollars annually 138 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:41,880 Speaker 1: to fund projects designed to protect and preserve grasslands. These 139 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:46,160 Speaker 1: projects will ideally restore native grasses to create habitat for 140 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:52,599 Speaker 1: grassland birds, or remove invasive species to improve sage brush health. Basically, 141 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 1: if you are a rancher or any sort of a 142 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:59,479 Speaker 1: stakeholder and you want to work to improve grassland habitat 143 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 1: on your range, you'll be able to apply for a 144 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:06,400 Speaker 1: grant under this bill to complete that work. Scientists and 145 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:09,320 Speaker 1: states across the country have been working for many years 146 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:12,680 Speaker 1: to determine the best ways to restore these grasslands, and 147 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:17,959 Speaker 1: some of these projects would benefit greatly from Grasslands Act money. 148 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:22,880 Speaker 1: In North Texas, for example, several universities and government agencies 149 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 1: have been working to restore part of the Texas Blackland 150 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 1: Prairie at ten sites on both public and private land. 151 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:33,840 Speaker 1: Researchers used prescribed fire to eliminate non native species and 152 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:38,600 Speaker 1: reseeded those areas with wildflowers and native grasses. The study 153 00:10:38,679 --> 00:10:41,800 Speaker 1: was designed to determine the best ways to restore prairies 154 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:47,319 Speaker 1: for pollinator conservation thank you know butterflies, wasps, and ground 155 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:51,720 Speaker 1: nesting bees. This work is ongoing, but so far they've 156 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:53,679 Speaker 1: been funded by a grant from the US Fish and 157 00:10:53,720 --> 00:10:57,440 Speaker 1: Wildlife Service. At the Grassland Act passes, they could have 158 00:10:57,520 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 1: more cash to pull if they're grant request is approved. 159 00:11:01,679 --> 00:11:05,160 Speaker 1: And for you elk hunters, the Grasslands Act could improve 160 00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 1: prospects for more than just the birds and the bees. 161 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:11,480 Speaker 1: Elk in many ranges need sage brush habitat to thrive, 162 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:15,400 Speaker 1: but Glasser told me that sage brush now occupies only 163 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:20,520 Speaker 1: of its historic landscape. What's more, one point two million 164 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:23,800 Speaker 1: acres of sage brush burn every year due to invasive 165 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:28,800 Speaker 1: annual grasses that fuel wildfires. Without these plants, elk might 166 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:31,360 Speaker 1: struggle making it through the winter. Elk can browse on 167 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:34,400 Speaker 1: the taller sage brush even when other plants are covered 168 00:11:34,400 --> 00:11:37,600 Speaker 1: in snow, and they're often seen digging around sage brush 169 00:11:37,679 --> 00:11:41,600 Speaker 1: to find plants hidden underneath. The good news is that 170 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:45,439 Speaker 1: folks have already been working to restore these sage brush landscapes. 171 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:48,760 Speaker 1: In Wyoming, a team of researchers have been working to 172 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:53,319 Speaker 1: replant sage brush within the Douglas Core area of eastern Wyoming. 173 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:58,520 Speaker 1: Perennial plant species recover quickly following a wildfire, but sage 174 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:01,760 Speaker 1: brush is much slower to established. To make sure these 175 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:07,199 Speaker 1: sage brush ecosystems return following wildfires, these researchers have planted 176 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 1: hundreds of thousands of sage brush seedlings within the study area. 177 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:14,720 Speaker 1: As you might imagine, this work costs a pretty penny. 178 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 1: The total investment so far has topped two million dollars, 179 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:24,200 Speaker 1: and researchers admit that seating entire landscapes is cost prohibitive. 180 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:27,640 Speaker 1: It needs more cash. They've been working on this project 181 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:30,120 Speaker 1: since two thousand twelve, and they have the support of 182 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 1: big organizations like the Bureau of Land Management in the 183 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:37,640 Speaker 1: Wyoming Game and Fish Department. But additional Grasslands Act funding 184 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:40,560 Speaker 1: would no doubt be useful and it would allow them 185 00:12:40,559 --> 00:12:43,320 Speaker 1: to plant even more of the sage brush habitat that 186 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:47,200 Speaker 1: elk love. So once again, that's the North American Grasslands 187 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:51,800 Speaker 1: Conservation Act. It doesn't punish farmers or halt crop expansion, 188 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:55,959 Speaker 1: and the total investment represents a drop in the federal budget. 189 00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:59,520 Speaker 1: This is something every elected official should be able to 190 00:12:59,559 --> 00:13:02,760 Speaker 1: get hind. If you want to help make sure one 191 00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:06,920 Speaker 1: of America's most iconic landscapes is conserved for future generations 192 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:10,000 Speaker 1: of hunters, get on the phone or send an email 193 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:14,200 Speaker 1: to your senator and representative. Congress has shown a willingness 194 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:17,080 Speaker 1: to act on conservation issues in the last few years, 195 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:20,120 Speaker 1: but it won't happen unless they know we have their support. 196 00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:28,680 Speaker 1: Moving on to the Snort Report, I am messing with 197 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:31,640 Speaker 1: the format of the show, so if you only tuned 198 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:34,719 Speaker 1: in for the snort Report, well here you go. The 199 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:38,319 Speaker 1: snort saga has a mind of its own. If you recall, 200 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:41,200 Speaker 1: my forty six pound, almost year and a half female 201 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:44,720 Speaker 1: yellow lab was bitten by an adult sized rattlesnake. It 202 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:47,240 Speaker 1: took me roughly nine hours to get her to a vet. 203 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 1: By that time, she had lost a lot of blood 204 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:53,200 Speaker 1: and was nearing shock. High heart rate, ventral neck and 205 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:58,720 Speaker 1: prescapular redeema lefty or swollen approximately double necrotic patches, bleeding 206 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:02,920 Speaker 1: and blackened around enom site, tip of ear appearing friable, 207 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:07,600 Speaker 1: that sort of situation. But this has gone on long enough, 208 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:11,720 Speaker 1: and you all know Snort is here kicking ass. Really, 209 00:14:12,360 --> 00:14:15,400 Speaker 1: her ear is honestly looking really good. The hair that 210 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:18,240 Speaker 1: she's lost doesn't look like it's in a hurry to return. 211 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:21,600 Speaker 1: Big scab on top of the bite area. And as 212 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:24,520 Speaker 1: long as I can keep that you're lubricated with antibiotic 213 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:27,400 Speaker 1: ointment or this new stuff I'm trying out called heal 214 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:31,600 Speaker 1: it ointment, she won't scratch it. So to celebrate, we're 215 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:35,000 Speaker 1: going to dive into venom or that is, you know, 216 00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 1: diving into the topic of venom. So what is venom 217 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 1: in the first place. It's a poison, of course, but 218 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:44,640 Speaker 1: it's not a poison the way bleach could be a poison. 219 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:47,880 Speaker 1: It's not a totally foreign substance to the body that 220 00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 1: throws a wrench into the biological works. Instead, it's a 221 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:54,200 Speaker 1: mixture of the same proteins that can be found in 222 00:14:54,320 --> 00:14:57,960 Speaker 1: the bodies of the animals that get bit, but just 223 00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:00,920 Speaker 1: way too much of those proteins and in all the 224 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:04,760 Speaker 1: wrong combinations. One way of thinking about it, your body 225 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:08,680 Speaker 1: uses proteins as precise keys, keys like on your key 226 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:12,480 Speaker 1: chain to carefully open up the walls of your cells 227 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 1: when it's time to let in nutrients or to release 228 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 1: the chemicals that cause your nerves to fire. But when 229 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:24,120 Speaker 1: venom molecules known as antigens enter the body, it's like 230 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:27,240 Speaker 1: a gang of lunatics with copies of those same keys 231 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:30,320 Speaker 1: running around opening all the locks they can get their 232 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:34,440 Speaker 1: hands on. Certain kinds of venom hijacked the nerves that 233 00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:39,280 Speaker 1: control muscle contraction and breathing, which leads to paralysis and suffocation. 234 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:43,640 Speaker 1: Other types of venom breakdown blood clotting agents, which causes 235 00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 1: uncontrollable bleeding. For example, with Snort, I should have been 236 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 1: able to effectively stop the bleeding in her ear, but 237 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:59,080 Speaker 1: it was extremely difficult. That's those antigens unlocking the locks 238 00:15:59,120 --> 00:16:04,040 Speaker 1: to co regulation. Another example, when we were giving Snort 239 00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:08,920 Speaker 1: fluids intravenous lee, her cells were not opening up to 240 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:14,680 Speaker 1: absorb that intravenous fluid. Instead, all that I V fluid 241 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:19,880 Speaker 1: turned into additional edema, swelling in her neck and chest 242 00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:24,200 Speaker 1: and face. Other types of venom dissolved the cell membranes 243 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:28,840 Speaker 1: of muscle tissue, causing necropsy like on Snort's ear, or 244 00:16:28,920 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 1: the death of that tissue and intense pain. Tissue death 245 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:35,640 Speaker 1: can then lead to kidney damage. When all those dead 246 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:38,000 Speaker 1: muscle cells need to be filtered out of the blood. 247 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:42,160 Speaker 1: With some kinds of venom, tissue breakdown releases huge amounts 248 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:47,000 Speaker 1: of potassium, and because potassium helps set off each heartbeat, 249 00:16:47,320 --> 00:17:02,880 Speaker 1: this can cause the heart to lose rhythm and stop. So, yeah, 250 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:06,240 Speaker 1: you probably didn't need more reasons to avoid venomous animals, 251 00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:09,760 Speaker 1: but you know if you did so, Now we've covered 252 00:17:09,840 --> 00:17:13,280 Speaker 1: what venom is. How about who, like who should you 253 00:17:13,760 --> 00:17:16,760 Speaker 1: watch out for? Which animals are venomous? Of course you 254 00:17:16,840 --> 00:17:20,280 Speaker 1: got your bees and jellyfish and rattlesnakes, and we'll talk 255 00:17:20,320 --> 00:17:23,280 Speaker 1: more about rattlesnakes in a minute, but also the platypus, 256 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:26,880 Speaker 1: which delivers venom by a spike on its heel, the 257 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:31,080 Speaker 1: Eurasian water shrew, which has grooved teeth to carry venomous 258 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:35,359 Speaker 1: sliva into its victims, and the slow loris, the nocturnal 259 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:39,320 Speaker 1: possum looking fella who is the world's only venomous primate 260 00:17:39,760 --> 00:17:45,320 Speaker 1: and unfortunately very cute, so it gets kidnapped for private zoos. 261 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:49,480 Speaker 1: For a long time, people thought that komodo dragons, those 262 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:53,080 Speaker 1: big lizards also known as monitors that live in Indonesia 263 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:56,640 Speaker 1: were not venomous, but instead killed their prey just through 264 00:17:56,680 --> 00:18:00,400 Speaker 1: the very toxic bacteria in their mouths that infected bite wounds. 265 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:04,680 Speaker 1: I remember learning this as a kid. You probably do too. 266 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:08,119 Speaker 1: But the theory of dirty mouth that dragons was based 267 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:12,440 Speaker 1: on the book, whose author had never tested monitor saliva 268 00:18:12,560 --> 00:18:16,440 Speaker 1: to see what it contained. When scientists revisited the species 269 00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:20,480 Speaker 1: to discover exactly how the bacteria poisoning was supposed to work, 270 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:24,919 Speaker 1: they discovered that, in fact, Commodo dragons delivered venom and 271 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:28,240 Speaker 1: that their mouths were no dirtier than any other species, 272 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:32,479 Speaker 1: which obviously gave a huge boost to komodo dragon morale. 273 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:36,200 Speaker 1: Officially not the bad breath kid on the block. So 274 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:38,760 Speaker 1: on behalf of this person who wrote this book, who 275 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:41,320 Speaker 1: was obviously like the high school bully in this scenario 276 00:18:41,600 --> 00:18:44,280 Speaker 1: who just started a rumor to be mean. You know, 277 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:52,679 Speaker 1: we apologize. Beyond o from venomous, nous has evolved in 278 00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:57,240 Speaker 1: distinct species independently more than one hundred times. It turns 279 00:18:57,280 --> 00:18:59,960 Speaker 1: out that carrying around poison that can make certain animal 280 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:03,920 Speaker 1: food and prevent you from becoming food for other animals 281 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:08,760 Speaker 1: is a pretty good adaptation. To have. The particular species 282 00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:12,080 Speaker 1: that Snort may have tangled with is known to scientists 283 00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:17,600 Speaker 1: as Crotalus veritas. Actually, I'm only guessing that's the species, 284 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:20,240 Speaker 1: as I was not eager in the moment to track 285 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:22,880 Speaker 1: down and catch the culprit. But based on the past 286 00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:25,680 Speaker 1: several years of data on human snake by it's in 287 00:19:25,920 --> 00:19:28,919 Speaker 1: oy He County where we were at at the time, 288 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:33,600 Speaker 1: Crotalus veritas was responsible for every one according to those reports, 289 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:36,639 Speaker 1: So that's what I'm going with. A friend of mine, 290 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:41,560 Speaker 1: Dr Bob Reid, however, was confident that this is firmly 291 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:46,480 Speaker 1: in Crotalis litosis zone, which is the Great Basin rattlesnake, 292 00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:51,200 Speaker 1: and a subspecies of Crotalus or aganus. And remember all 293 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:54,600 Speaker 1: of these were just lumped together under Western rattlesnake like 294 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 1: in the eighties. And you know, also please remember this 295 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:00,159 Speaker 1: is supposed to be like a twenty minute podcast in 296 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:03,080 Speaker 1: which I'm attempting to educate and entertain and not just 297 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:06,560 Speaker 1: bore the hell out of you. So anyway, the genus 298 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:10,920 Speaker 1: name Crotalus comes from the ancient Greek word for castanet. 299 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:15,120 Speaker 1: You know, that small percussion clapper you've maybe seen flamenco 300 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:20,760 Speaker 1: dancers use all The Crotalus snakes therefore have at the 301 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 1: end of their tails a series of hollow, interlocking segments 302 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:28,239 Speaker 1: made of keratin, the same substance that your fingernails are 303 00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:30,639 Speaker 1: made out of, or a rhino horn for that matter. 304 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:35,119 Speaker 1: When threats approach, they shake this tail, clicking those caraton 305 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:39,920 Speaker 1: segments together and creating that unmistakable and spine tinkling sound. 306 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:47,679 Speaker 1: We're talking, of course, about the rattlesnake. Different species of 307 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:50,720 Speaker 1: snake have different kinds of venom, and there's a ton 308 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:56,040 Speaker 1: of venom diversity even across the different Crotalis species. For example, 309 00:20:56,240 --> 00:21:01,480 Speaker 1: the Mojave rattlesnake or Crotalis scutality, native to northern Mexico 310 00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:05,399 Speaker 1: and Arizona, has about twenty five different compounds in its venom, 311 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:09,199 Speaker 1: but those compounds are very concentrated, making it one of 312 00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:13,040 Speaker 1: the deadliest snakes in the US, Whereas the venom of 313 00:21:13,119 --> 00:21:16,560 Speaker 1: Crotalus veritas, or the prairie rattle snake that could have 314 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:20,680 Speaker 1: bit snort it's a candidate at least, remember, has over 315 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:26,320 Speaker 1: one hundred different compounds, which sounds scary. More compounds has 316 00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:30,440 Speaker 1: to equal worse bite, right well, Thankfully, all of those 317 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 1: compounds are much less concentrated than those of the mojave 318 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:36,760 Speaker 1: rattler's venom. It turns out that if snort had to 319 00:21:36,760 --> 00:21:39,240 Speaker 1: get bit, this was not like the worst kind of 320 00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:42,399 Speaker 1: snake to get bit by. So why is there so 321 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:45,400 Speaker 1: much venom variation? Why can't we just lump all these 322 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:50,040 Speaker 1: snakes together. Many animals who share habitat with venomous snakes 323 00:21:50,080 --> 00:21:54,200 Speaker 1: have developed anti venom in their systems when the existing 324 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:58,600 Speaker 1: venom becomes less effective against these animals. Individual snakes who 325 00:21:58,640 --> 00:22:03,240 Speaker 1: develop a slightly front and venom have an evolutionary advantage, 326 00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:07,040 Speaker 1: and individual squirrels, let's say, who happen to have slightly 327 00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:11,480 Speaker 1: better anti venom variations, have a better advantage as the 328 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:15,840 Speaker 1: prey species. Over time, each species changes in response to 329 00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:18,560 Speaker 1: the innovations from the other side, in what's known as 330 00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:23,440 Speaker 1: an evolutionary arms race. As populations of snakes separate, over time, 331 00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:28,159 Speaker 1: those distinct populations evolve in different directions, And so today 332 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:32,680 Speaker 1: we have the prairie rattlesnake, the mojave variety, and as 333 00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:37,080 Speaker 1: many as forty five others, all with different venom. Cocktails. 334 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:41,760 Speaker 1: All right, how does anti venom work? Remember? All those 335 00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:44,520 Speaker 1: lunatics run around with keys that we talked about opening 336 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:47,919 Speaker 1: all the body's locks. Anti venom compounds are like a 337 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:51,440 Speaker 1: bunch of fake locks for those keys to fit into. 338 00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:55,560 Speaker 1: Their molecules bind to the outside of venom antigens before 339 00:22:55,640 --> 00:22:58,639 Speaker 1: those antigens can bind to other cells in the body 340 00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:01,919 Speaker 1: and do their damage. You and I would produce some 341 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:04,639 Speaker 1: anti venom if we were bitten by a snake, and 342 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:10,200 Speaker 1: certain humans have strengthened that response systematically to become extremely 343 00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:16,080 Speaker 1: resistant to snake bites. For example, in Snake showman and 344 00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:21,359 Speaker 1: venom scientist Bill Host began injecting himself with doses of 345 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:25,960 Speaker 1: diluted cobra venom on a regular basis. Soon he had 346 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:29,560 Speaker 1: developed such a strong resistance to multiple kinds of venom 347 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:33,199 Speaker 1: that nineteen fifty four, he survived a bite from a 348 00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:38,240 Speaker 1: blue crate that's spelled k R A I T possibly 349 00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:42,359 Speaker 1: the most poisonous snake in the world. His system contains 350 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:46,800 Speaker 1: so many anti venom compounds that transfusions of his blood 351 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 1: were used to save the lives of at least twenty 352 00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:53,880 Speaker 1: snake bite victims from all over the world. Thankfully, for them, 353 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:57,240 Speaker 1: cobra venom was the only thing Bill was shooting into himself. 354 00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:00,520 Speaker 1: As it turns out, not many people are willing to 355 00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:03,720 Speaker 1: sign up for cobra venom shots. So all the commercially 356 00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:08,200 Speaker 1: available anti venom is produced by injecting animals sheep, most 357 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:13,880 Speaker 1: commonly with weakened venom, then harvesting the antigen binding compounds 358 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:18,240 Speaker 1: they produce, processing those compounds, and packaging them in a vial. 359 00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:22,320 Speaker 1: Scientists can't design better anti venom than the stuff that 360 00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:26,080 Speaker 1: occurs naturally in animals, But these anti venoms aren't one 361 00:24:26,119 --> 00:24:30,560 Speaker 1: size fits all. Just as certain animals developed defenses specific 362 00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:33,160 Speaker 1: to the venom of the snakes in their habitat, the 363 00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:36,919 Speaker 1: commercial anti venom has to be designed around snakes in 364 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:40,920 Speaker 1: your habitat. If it was developed by injecting coral snakes 365 00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:44,720 Speaker 1: and you got bit by a Western rattlesnake, let's say 366 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:48,359 Speaker 1: that wouldn't do you much good. The most common anti 367 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:51,960 Speaker 1: venom in the US is called crow FAB CROW for 368 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:56,920 Speaker 1: crow talus or rattlesnake and FAB for fragment antigen binding, 369 00:24:57,240 --> 00:24:59,800 Speaker 1: or the lock and key mechanism that we've been talking about, 370 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:02,879 Speaker 1: and it's made by injecting the venom of the foremost 371 00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:06,960 Speaker 1: common vipers in the US into sheep. Although snorts Crotalus 372 00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:11,360 Speaker 1: veritas or Crotalus leutosis isn't one of those four snakes, 373 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:15,200 Speaker 1: the spectrum of all of those different venom compounds overlaps 374 00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:19,080 Speaker 1: with the prairie rattler well enough or Crotalus leutosis the 375 00:25:19,119 --> 00:25:23,640 Speaker 1: Great Basin rattle snake to work or you know, subjectively, 376 00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:27,399 Speaker 1: in our case, it really seemed to we were in 377 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:30,280 Speaker 1: a situation where Snort was not doing well. We were 378 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:33,040 Speaker 1: almost twenty four hours away from the time of the bite. 379 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:37,280 Speaker 1: She was not reproducing red blood cells, her protein levels 380 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:40,600 Speaker 1: were dropping, she still had a relatively high heart rate. 381 00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:43,600 Speaker 1: The I V fluids that we were trying to give 382 00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:47,040 Speaker 1: her we're not being taken into the body again, they 383 00:25:47,040 --> 00:25:51,240 Speaker 1: were actually causing more edema and swelling. She was not 384 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:55,280 Speaker 1: doing any out says they would say, not urinating or defecating, 385 00:25:55,480 --> 00:25:59,600 Speaker 1: She was not wanting to eat or drink, all signs 386 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:03,760 Speaker 1: that ings just weren't really happening. And at that point 387 00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:06,639 Speaker 1: Dr Hettie woke said we got to try this, and 388 00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:10,399 Speaker 1: I said, nah, let's do it. And man, in our case, 389 00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:14,600 Speaker 1: the reaction was pretty instantaneous. So the dogs started eating 390 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:18,760 Speaker 1: and eventually after that first and only bag of anti venom. 391 00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:21,080 Speaker 1: She got up and took her outside and speed and 392 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:24,600 Speaker 1: it was like a monument. S P long P, good P. 393 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:28,680 Speaker 1: And she didn't have to get a catheter to drain 394 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:31,800 Speaker 1: that yearine out of her, which is extremely painful. So 395 00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:37,640 Speaker 1: that and I've enom situation there like is a little controversial, right, 396 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:41,040 Speaker 1: It's expensive stuff. It's very late in the game, but 397 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:45,119 Speaker 1: the dog responded to it anyway. I thought I'd hit 398 00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:47,240 Speaker 1: you with a couple of quick hitters on our outro here. 399 00:26:48,119 --> 00:26:52,720 Speaker 1: Cats pound for pound are more likely to survive a 400 00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:57,040 Speaker 1: snake bite than dogs. The most venom resistant animals in 401 00:26:57,080 --> 00:27:01,399 Speaker 1: the world are actually predators, not prey, suggesting that venom 402 00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:06,840 Speaker 1: was developed for defense rather than offense. And finally, snake 403 00:27:06,920 --> 00:27:10,399 Speaker 1: venom is used in all kinds of medical treatments. And 404 00:27:10,440 --> 00:27:13,600 Speaker 1: in two thousand six, our friend Bill Host told the 405 00:27:13,640 --> 00:27:17,439 Speaker 1: Miami Herald quote, I could become a poster boy for 406 00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:20,240 Speaker 1: the health benefits of venom if I live to be 407 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:23,919 Speaker 1: one hundred. I'll really make that point when you know it. 408 00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:27,880 Speaker 1: Bill Hoss died in two thousand eleven at age one. 409 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:31,520 Speaker 1: That's all I've got for you this week. Thank you 410 00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:36,440 Speaker 1: so much. For listening. Remember it's the fall, Limbs are dropping, 411 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:39,280 Speaker 1: leaves are dropping. You want to be outside. Don't let 412 00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:42,120 Speaker 1: a tree branch across the road slow you down. Pick 413 00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:47,880 Speaker 1: up a beautiful, powerful, clean, quiet, lightweight, handy dandy steel 414 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:52,359 Speaker 1: electric power chainsaw to keep you running all weekend long. 415 00:27:53,119 --> 00:27:57,520 Speaker 1: Visit www dot Steel Dealers dot com. Find a steel 416 00:27:57,600 --> 00:28:00,520 Speaker 1: dealer near you. They will set you up there. Great people, 417 00:28:00,520 --> 00:28:04,600 Speaker 1: they love what they're doing. And most importantly, don't forget 418 00:28:04,640 --> 00:28:06,000 Speaker 1: to tell me what's going on in your neck of 419 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:08,359 Speaker 1: the woods by writing in to a s K C 420 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:11,040 Speaker 1: A L. That's an asked cal at the Meat Eater 421 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:14,400 Speaker 1: dot com. Thanks again and I'll talk to you next week.