ABSTRACT
Biochemical ecology examines the complex and dynamic relationships between organisms and their environment from a molecular perspective. This requires a holistic integration of ecology, evolution and natural history with the fine-scale resolution of molecular biology and functional biochemistry. Venomous snakes have evolved a wide variety of extreme behavioral, physiological and biochemical adaptations for prey capture, making them an ideal model for the study of predator trait evolution and protein adaptation. However, venoms must be understood from an ecological perspective in order to comprehend the evolutionary forces that shape the diversity of toxin families present in venoms. Interactions between phylogenetic history, environment, diet and venom composition may be nuanced and require intimate knowledge of localized predator–prey relationships, prey availability, and toxin specificity towards native prey. This holistic picture has yet to be elucidated in depth in most venomous snake systems; however, recently, this has been identified as a major goal in the field of venom evolution. While understanding the breadth of venom variation, its evolutionary drivers and its functional consequences is integral to venomous snake biology, much has yet to be discovered regarding the interaction of these forces at a biochemical level. The current chapter is an integration of our current understanding of the relationships between environment, diet, behavior and phylogeny with venom variation, toxin abundance and mechanism of action, and prey specificity.
