Bothrops asper: Beauty and peril in the Neotropics

Abstract

Snakes have inspired fascination and fear to humans since ancient times, as reflected by the common presence of these reptiles in the mythology of many civilizations. Such sense of awe has been associated to the impact that snakebite envenomation has had worldwide, to the amazing life patterns and adaptations of these reptiles and, more recently, to the exciting discoveries that science has provided on their natural history and on the chemical composition and toxic effects of their venoms and isolated toxins. Moreover, progress in the knowledge of the structural and functional properties of venom components has paved the way for the use of these complex mixtures as sources of lead compounds for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic agents.