ABSTRACT
Haemostatically active components are widely distributed among terrestrial venomous snakes, both Elapidae and Crotalidae. The responsible venom components are mainly proteolytic enzymes and proteinase inhibitors, which can affect blood vessels directly, influence platelet function, or interact directly with the coagulation, fibrinolysis and/or complement cascades. Thrombin-like enzymes are commonly found in crotaline snakes but have not been recorded in Australian elapid snake venoms. While their importance as defibrinating agents in treating thrombosis has yet been firmly established, they remain of great theoretical interest. Antigenically, these two activators show near identity using both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, and are more closely related to one another than to O. microlepidotus, contrary to other taxonomic data.
