{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,23]],"date-time":"2026-06-23T03:31:58Z","timestamp":1782185518272,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":14,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2009,12,28]],"date-time":"2009-12-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1261958400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["J. Exp. Zool."],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2010,2]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:p>Despite being large, heavy\u2010bodied snakes, puff adders (<jats:italic>Bitis arietans<\/jats:italic>) are capable of achieving strike velocities and accelerations similar to, or greater than, those of much smaller snakes (means of 2.6 and 72\u2009m\/sec<jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>, respectively). The mechanistic basis of the strike was examined using high\u2010speed digital videography, coupled with electromyographic (EMG) analysis, of the two main extensors of the vertebral column, the semispinalis and longissimus. Although the strike involves the rapid extension of preformed body curves, the extensor muscles were not electrically active during body extension. The vertebral extensor muscles exhibited bursts of electrical activity before the onset of movement\u2014and quantified features of these EMG signals were significantly related to kinematic aspects of the strike (e.g., acceleration)\u2014however, this electrical activity terminated shortly (\u223c50\u2009msec) before the onset of movement. It is hypothesized that the prestrike activity of the extensor muscles functions to place the (extensive) musculo\u2010tendon complex of the snake's epaxial muscles under tension, and that the displacement of the body during the strike is due to the elastic recoil of this musculo\u2010tendon complex. Incorporation of this type of elastic recoil would increase the power output of the vertebral extensors. Power amplification of the vertebral extensors may be an evolutionary necessity if a large, heavy\u2010bodied snake, like <jats:italic>B. arietans<\/jats:italic>, is going to achieve rapid acceleration during the strike. <jats:italic>J. Exp. Zool. 313A:114\u2013121, 2010<\/jats:italic>. \u00a9 2009 Wiley\u2010Liss, Inc.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1002\/jez.579","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2009,12,28]],"date-time":"2009-12-28T15:32:33Z","timestamp":1262014353000},"page":"114-121","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":37,"title":["How a heavy\u2010bodied snake strikes quickly: high\u2010power axial musculature in the puff adder (<i>Bitis arietans<\/i>)"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"313A","author":[{"given":"Bruce A.","family":"Young","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2010,2,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_1_2_1","volume-title":"FitzSimmon's snakes of Southern Africa","author":"Broadley DG","year":"1983"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_3_1","first-page":"149","volume-title":"Biology of the vipers","author":"Cundall D","year":"2002"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1086\/594380"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-012632590-4\/50010-1"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_6_1","first-page":"169","volume-title":"Biology of the boas and pythons","author":"Cundall D","year":"2007"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.02664"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/jmor.1051970204"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"837","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.201.6.837","article-title":"Rattlesnake strike behavior: kinematics","volume":"201","author":"Kardong K","year":"1998","journal-title":"J Exp Biol"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_10_1","first-page":"267","volume-title":"Biology of the vipers","author":"LaDuc T","year":"2002"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_11_1","first-page":"1","article-title":"OrdungderKlasseReptilia: serpentes","volume":"7","author":"Ludicke M","year":"1962","journal-title":"Handb Zool"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2669","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.201.19.2669","article-title":"Kinematics, muscular activity and propulsion in gopher snakes","volume":"201","author":"Moon B","year":"1998","journal-title":"J Exp Biol"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_13_1","article-title":"Sensory modulation of prey capture in frogs: alternative strategies, biomechanical trade\u2010offs, and sensory hierarchies","author":"Nishikawa K","year":"2009","journal-title":"J Exp Zool"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/jez.a.341"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_15_1","first-page":"316","article-title":"Kinematic modulation of the strike of the western diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalusatrox)","volume":"26","author":"Young B","year":"2001","journal-title":"Hamadryad"}],"container-title":["Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological Genetics and Physiology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/api.wiley.com\/onlinelibrary\/tdm\/v1\/articles\/10.1002%2Fjez.579","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1002\/jez.579","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,21]],"date-time":"2023-11-21T16:40:59Z","timestamp":1700584859000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/jez.579"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2010,2]]},"references-count":14,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2010,2]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1002\/jez.579"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/jez.579","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-5223","1932-5231"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-5223","type":"print"},{"value":"1932-5231","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2010,2]]}}}