Scientists have shown for the first time in detail how snakes inflict deadly bites

Until recently, this question could not be answered accurately - existing technologies simply did not allow to capture the lightning-fast movements of predators. But now, for the first time, Australian scientists have obtained ultra-detailed 3D video of how venomous snakes of different families use their fangs to hunt.

The study, conducted by Alastair Evans and Zilke Klören from Monash University (Australia), is published in the Journal of Experimental Biology. The scientists found: vipers, elapids and already-like snakes have very different biting styles.

To collect unique video footage Clauren went not to the Australian desert, but to the outskirts of Paris, in the French centre Venomworld, where some of the most dangerous snakes in the world are kept. There, together with herpetologist Remy Xas and a scientist from France's National Museum of Natural History, more than 100 attacks from 36 species of snakes were recorded. They were offered a "sacrifice" - a warm cylinder made of a gel mass that mimicked the animal's tissues.

The attacks were filmed on two high-speed cameras at a rate of 1000 frames per second. As a result, the scientists were able to recreate three-dimensional models of bites with unprecedented accuracy.

Vipers (e.g. blunt-nosed viper) strike and sink their fangs in as little as 22 milliseconds, achieving accelerations of up to 710 m/s² and speeds of more than 4.5 metres per second. If the fang enters at an unfortunate angle, the snake pulls it out and "steps" forwards, achieving the perfect position before injecting venom.

Elapids - such as the cape cobra and forest cobra - use a different tactic: they sneak closer and deliver a series of bites while simultaneously tensing their jaw muscles to squeeze out the venom.

Already-like snakes (e.g. Dispholidus typus) with fangs deep in the mouth make the longest throws. They grab their victim with their jaws and tear the tissue, moving their jaw from side to side to create a crescent-shaped wound and inject maximum venom.

One of the interesting findings is a case where a viper missed and broke a fang. Researchers suggest that this happens more often than is commonly thought: fang fragments are often found in snake faeces.