"Red-necked keelback snakes possess a potent toxin derived from the toads they consume, which can cause severe harm to predators like mongooses. The snakes store these toxins in specialized nuchal glands."
"After consuming non-toxic prey, red-necked keelbacks often retreat quickly, indicating a change in their defensive behavior based on their recent diet."
"Research conducted by Tomonori Kodama revealed that red-necked keelbacks do not seem to gauge their toxin levels when threatened, unlike other venomous snakes."
Red-necked keelback snakes are highly toxic due to bufadienolide molecules they acquire from consuming true toads. These toxins are stored in nuchal glands, allowing the snakes to display fearlessness towards predators. However, if they consume non-toxic prey, they tend to flee. Research indicates that these snakes do not gauge their toxin levels like other venomous snakes. Experiments showed that after consuming both toxic and non-toxic prey, the snakes did not exhibit awareness of their toxin reserves when threatened.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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