These snakes steal poison from their prey—here's how they know they have enough

image via New Scientist

March 30, 2026, 10:30 AM

• •Red-necked keelback snakes obtain toxins from poisonous toads.
• •Snakes store toxins in neck glands for defense.
• •Snakes may remember what they ate to determine if they are toxic, rather than monitoring toxin levels.
• •More research is needed to understand the snakes’ toxin regulation.

Red-necked keelback snakes get their toxins from eating poisonous toads and store them in neck glands, using them for defense. Researchers initially thought these snakes monitored their toxin levels to guide their defense responses, but experiments revealed they don't seem to have direct feedback about their toxin stores. Instead, the snakes may remember their most recent meals, relying on the type of prey they consumed to determine their toxic state, suggesting that they don't actively monitor their toxin reserves.

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