A comparative study of venomous snake fangs: functional shape, venom connectivity and strike kinematics

Venomous snakes are among the world’s most effective predators. Their unique feeding style uses fangs to inject venom, immobilising, killing, and finally dissolving their prey. Venomous snakes show differences in body shape, feeding behaviour and fang anatomy. To investigate how this affects each snake’s ability to catch and kill prey, a combination of live behaviour experiments, microCT scanning and 3D computer engineering was used. The results enable us to predict the diet of lesser-known and extinct snakes, determine unexpected drivers of strike speed, and see how new fangs are connected to the venom duct.