King Cobra Venom: The Most Unlikely Healer

Chinese has it in their symbols: it’s called Ying and Yang. That for every good there is an equivalent bad and vice-versa, the pull of life and death. However, one of the most feared – and revered - snakes in the whole world seem to show a lot of promise to become the most helpful to man. In times of need.

There are only a few animals on Earth that pose direct danger to man – aside from man that is. None gave rise to so much fear as the dreaded King Cobra. Not only is its choice of diet, that of eating other snakes, sound sickening to humans, its venom can be induce death within 30 minutesto a full-grown healthy human – if envenomation is large enough. And for all its unique traits, no specie of snake have given rise to so much folklore and beliefs as the biggest of the most venomous snake of them all – the King of the Hunt, King Cobra.

A Most Dangerous Venom Turns Good

Central to the mystery that surrounds the King Cobra is its venom. And as snake venoms have been the focus of intense study of many herpetologists and biologists, the King Cobra’s venom may have become more mysterious than most. To boot, they are among the fastest-acting venoms in the venom world.  Stories abound on how death by King Cobra has left many unlucky men unable to respond in time, their nervous system crippled as their muscle receptors are bound by the toxins.

However, that is not the total picture of the King Cobra’s venom. Professor R. ManjunathaKini of the Department of Biological Sciences at the National University of Singapore has had some very wonderful findings on the reptile’s venom in his studies. From the toxin of the Ophiophagus Hannah or King Cobra, Kini’s group was able to identify a novel protein unique only to the serpent. They call it ohanin (Kini, 2005).

The Miracle Called Ohanin

Ohanin maybe but a small protein made up of 107 amino acids but its effects may surpass even that of the most powerful of painkillers, morphine including.

For starters, the unique protein has been found to be non-toxic up to 10 mg/kg, making it possible to be injected in lab rats. What struck the researchers most was that ohanin protein exhibited two very prominent effects, hyoplocomotion and hyperalgesia. Whereas hyoplocomotion is the inhibition of behavioral activity, an effect identified with sedatives, hyperalgesia increases a human’s sensitivity to pain. Though not really two desirable effects, these shows how drastic and powerful are the effects of ohanin, something that needed a little tweaking to be of great use.
After strenuous research, Professor Kini and his team was able to develop a painkiller from ohanin by putting particular parts of the protein in isolation.

As it turn out, they were able to produce a painkiller that is 20 times more potent than morphine. What is most surprising is it displays zero side effects at dosages even up to 2,000 times that of the effective dose. And though this new drug is still undergoing clinical trials, it may be available by 2016 or 2017.

In the even it goes to market, the ohanin-based painkiller may be the King Cobra’s way of giving back something good from something so devastating.

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Spiny Lizard

Spiny Lizard are diurnal, meaning they're active during the day. They eat a variety of invertebrates, though they seem to favor flying insects.

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4 of the Best Starter Pets for Kids

Any kid would want a pet. Giving them a pet helps them learn about responsibility and respecting life. Most parents are scared to hand an animal to their child because they fear that the child might end up hurting the creature or even themselves. However, with proper education and guidance, you kids can start taking care of a pet.

Fish

Fishes are known to be the best “starter” pet. You won’t have to worry about allergies, scratches and bites. They’re also very easy to take care of and they need little maintenance compared to dogs and cats. Goldfishes are the most common choices. However some fishes, like the Betta or Siamese fighting fish is a better choice since these are very low maintenance and they prefer to be alone. They also don’t require complicated, and sometimes expensive, tank accessories like heaters, filters and aerators. A bowl and stagnant water is all they need.

Reptiles

They may be cold-blooded, but it doesn’t mean that they make bad pets. Reptiles like turtles and tortoises make great pets since they can live as long as a person, and like fish, they’re low maintenance. Russian tortoises, for example, can live to about 50 years and they only need insects and green, leafy veggies. For a more exotic take, you can have iguanas and chameleons as pets, but it’s best when the child is a bit older so they can fully understand the responsibilities and does and don’t when it comes to taking care of these animals. Health wise, they’re also great for kids who have allergies with fur.

Birds

Although they’re more demanding than fishes and turtles, some birds make excellent pets. They’re very intelligent. In fact some species of parrots have the same learning ability as a 3 year old. Birds are also highly sociable and they get along with others very well. However, this does mean that you have to pay close attention to them. Birds like parakeets and canaries are good to start with. If you have some money to spare, more expensive breeds like cockatoos are an option.

Rodents

For those who want something small and fuzzy, rodents like gerbils, guinea pigs, and hamsters are relatively easy to care for. Most of these animals will be fine with small living spaces, and only requires rudimentary care. When buying them in pairs expect them to multiply very fast, so you might want to keep them separated or at least place a boundary between the both of them.  Regular and gentle handling helps make them friendlier towards humans. But be warned, these animals do bite when they feel threatened.

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248-Million-Year Old Fossil Shows Mother Reptile In Act Of Giving Live Birth

An ancient fossil specimen recovered in China shows a mother reptile in the middle of the giving live birth. The 248 million-year-old fossil is of a marine reptile called Chaohusaurus - a member of a bigger group of reptiles called Ichthyosaurs.

Scientists said the specimen is indicating that live-birth in air-breathing marine animals was not an aquatic adaptation.

Source: Here

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So Finally You’ve Decided to Get a Gecko!

So, finally, you’ve decided to get a gecko as a pet! After careful deliberation, you got one and that’s great! Having geckos in the house, according to tradition, create good omen. Well, whatever favor and luck it could give, sure makes this one a good-buy. Geckos can make excellent pets, exotic as they are, these reptiles are convenient to keep, inexpensive to maintain and easy to take care compared to other pets.

Now, that you have one or are still planning to buy one, geckos are easily sold at pet shops and do not require so much space. Before anything else, it is best to know a little something about these reptilian creatures.

Millions of years ago, along with dinosaurs, all but four of the reptiles were wiped-out from the earth’s existence. Among the four that remained, the largest of which are these cold-blooded animals called lizards. They thrive in the environment and are practically dependent of heat from its habitat. Today, lizards have about 3,000 species ranging from the smallest size of a Caribbean Dwarf Gecko at 35mm to the biggest size of a Komodo dragon at 3 meters. Although it would be daunting to have a Komodo dragon as a pet, the wisest choice there is to have a gecko!

You can tuck them in anywhere with a relative small space requirement in your home and they wouldn’t require constant bathing, no feathers or hair that continually shed and best of all, they do not need to be walked and trained given hectic schedules. Essentially, geckos live on the ground given the ability to climb, but with some limitations. Geckos that are smaller are soft and delicate, so it takes proper care and correct handling while those that are bigger are much easier to handle. Life span of most geckos is up to 20 years, so that sounds a through-thick-and-thin kind of care taking. They feed on meal worms, crickets and other locusts and by the way, geckos are nocturnal creatures and are most hyped-up when almost everyone has cooled down.

Although lizards in general tend to be intimidating and threatening because of their rough scales, mysterious bright eyes, fat tails, strong legs and reptilian stance, there are still a growing number of reptile enthusiasts that keep coming back for more reptiles to keep as pets, particularly geckos. There are five popular gecko varieties that are equally great choices for beginners and these are:

1.  Giant day gecko

2. White – lined gecko

3. Leopard gecko

4. Crested gecko

5. Fat-tailed gecko

6. House gecko

7. Tokay gecko

Pet 101 - Geckos

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Medusa Creeps Her Way through As Guiness World’s Longest Snake

Set to topple- off Fluffy’s long-standing record of 24 feet last year, Medusa creeps her way through as soon to be Guiness World’s longest snake breaking it at a length of 25 feet and 2 inches. Slated to be part of Guiness World Records 2013 edition, Guiness officials will be visiting her soon to verify this new and record-breaking title.

Medusa is a reticulated python that knows no bounds. Seven years ago, the 8-year old reptile used to be only 24 inches long and has grown tremendously through the years. What is interesting to note is that unlike Fluffy who has been held captive in Columbus Zoo and Aquarium until she died, Medusa on the other hand works as a major highlight for a haunted attraction, The Edge of Hell, produced by Full Moon Productions based in Kansas City. Business is ticking since Medusa spends most of her time helping build some good business by scaring people who are inside the attraction searching for some frightening adventure. Now that Halloween is fast- approaching, more and more people in Kansas will have a lot of fun in store!

Weighing 350 pounds, it would take 15 people or even more to carry this gigantic reptile. She happily coils up in a strategic place in the haunted attraction, making her life cozier compared to other reticulated pythons in the wild.

As for repercussions and fears of Reticulated Pythons being constrictors, meaning, they love to wrap themselves around humans and prey, Larry Edgar has this to say.

The Daily Mall notes that Medusa’s handler and Edge of Hell general manager, Larry Edgar states that:

““We try to keep Medusa well-fed and slightly out of reach as there have been instances with Reticulated Pythons where they’ve had to cut people out of them! We never underestimate that she does always have the upper-hand.”

Medusa is a star, an eye-catcher and crowd-drawer. She would always attract crowds – practically, befitting to earn this record-breaking Guiness title.

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Iguanas

Iguanas, as pets, have long been misunderstood, considered to be dangerous and deadly to have around.

The 1998 Hollywood remake of the blockbuster hit Godzilla, managed to add to the iguana’s already misunderstood standing, with the remake reimagining Godzilla as a mutated iguana, growing into a gigantic monster with the capacity to destroy New York.

But as countless iguana pet owners would confess, iguanas are far from being the monsters their outward appearance has led many to assume of them, let alone the monster illustrated in the 1998 remake of the Japanese classic.

Quite docile and quite cool tempered, iguanas are actually popular in exotic pet circles, described as the preferred scaled pet of choice given the relative ease involved in their care and upkeep.

Though certain specifics have to be considered with where an iguana’s enclosures or pens are being talked about, ample lighting – preferably with UV benefits – stand to be one of the must-have essentials required in keeping healthy pet iguanas.

In terms of feeding, iguanas are more inclined to diets of vegetative nature, with the occasional inclusion of insects and small bugs. Fruits and green leafy vegetables are popular among iguanas, though certain species have been found to not work well certain vegetables and flowers.

As with most domestic animals, an iguana bite is not unheard of, though their bites are not venomous. Still, an iguana bit hurts, and depending on where a person is bitten, significant medical attention and treatment should be immediately administered during such occasions.

Generally cool, calm and collected, iguanas may strike the average casual observer as a deadly creature, but beyond its monstrous form, they are actually humble creatures which prefer not to be bothered because of their looks.

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