Theory 23/Venom
Venom Composition Is a Handling Ratio
The claim
Snake venom composition is set by the ratio of prey handling time to prey size, so species that subdue large prey quickly invest in fast-acting toxins rather than in quantity.
01Mechanism
Venom must immobilise before prey escapes or injures the snake; the ratio determines whether speed or dose is the binding constraint.
02Predictions
- P1Composition should track the ratio.
- P2Venom yield alone should mispredict.
03Refutation
Composition tracking prey size would remove handling time.
04Why it resists the grid
A metabolic product that coevolves with prey behaviour, so the unit of selection spans two species.