Snakes are misunderstood. They’re not slimy. They’re not ___1___ by music. And the poisonous ones don’t all ___2___ venom into their prey through hollow needlelike fangs. In fact, the fangs of most toxic serpents have external grooves that direct the flow of poison. And the venom’s viscosity is key to getting it where it needs to go. So says a study in the journal Physical Review Letters. [Citation to come.]

Ok, some snakes do use the ‘hollow fang trick’ to take care of their prey. Rattlesnakes, for example. But most snakes have solid fangs, which they use to punch holes in their victims’ skin before they let the venom fly—or slide. Those fangs tend to have grooves that help ___3___. But scientists got to wondering how that approach could be effective. Couldn’t struggling prey simply ___4___ the poison as it trickles?

Turns out that the venom’s viscosity keeps it ___5___ in the groove. And when a fang penetrates the victim’s tissue, the groove makes a canal that generates suction. That suction pulls the venom into the wound. But it also makes the venom less viscous, allowing it to move even faster into the prey. Because getting bitten by a snake sucks.
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