One step closer to understanding why some lizards are immune to black widow spider venom

A team of researchers from the University of Nevada has taken a step towards understanding how some lizards are able to resist a black widow spider bite with little to no ill effects. In her article published in the journal Open Science of the Royal Societythe group describes how they injected several species of lizards with black widow venom and then watched closely to see how they reacted.

Previous research has shown that the black widow is one of the most venomous spiders in North America. Fortunately, black widow spiders are not hostile and therefore do not attack humans, and they also produce very little venom. Because of this, very few people have ever died from a bite.

Previous research and anecdotal evidence has also shown that not only are some lizards not bothered by black widows, but they actively seek out the spiders as a food source. In this new effort, researchers sought to learn more about such lizards to see if their ability to withstand black widow bites might provide some clues for better treatment of people who have been bitten.

The researchers’ work began by going out into the field and collecting multiple specimens of three species of lizards: alligator, western fence, and side-blotched. The first two are known to be immune to Black Widow spider bites, while the third is very vulnerable – they die if bitten.

The researchers then injected several of the three species of lizards with black widow venom and then placed them on a small racetrack and encouraged them to run. Both the alligator and western fence were capable of this, while the side patches could not.

The researchers then dissected several of each of the lizards after injecting them with the venom. They noted that previous research has shown that creatures affected by black widow spider bites suffer from tissue and muscle damage. They found such damage to both the side-stained and western fences, but not the alligator. Upon closer inspection, the researchers found that there was no sign that the alligator lizards had been injected with the venom.

The researchers note that the alligator lizards’ lack of response to the venom indicates that they have a very strong protective mechanism. They note that some other animal species have evolved known mechanisms to protect themselves from venom—king snakes, for example, are immune to rattlesnake venom.

They have something in their blood that binds to the venom and neutralizes it. The researchers suggest that the alligator lizards likely have something similar. However, you won’t know what it is until the lizard’s genome is sequenced.

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