Siberian Serpentarium or Siberian Herpetological Centre is a serpentine farm producing

snake venom Snake venom is a highly toxic saliva containing zootoxins that facilitates in the immobilization and digestion of prey. This also provides defense against threats. Snake venom is injected by unique fangs during a bite, whereas some species are a ...

and snake venom medications. It was founded in 1989 in

Novosibirsk Novosibirsk (, also ; rus, Новосиби́рск, p=nəvəsʲɪˈbʲirsk, a=ru-Новосибирск.ogg) is the largest city and administrative centre of Novosibirsk Oblast and Siberian Federal District in Russia. As of the Russian Census ...

USSR The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

. It is the only serpentarium in Russia, and it is the world's largest producer of snake venom.

Activities

The activities conducted by the serpentarium are: * biological research * breeding of vipers * extraction of snake venom The serpentarium initially used common adder found locally in the

Vasyugan Swamp The Vasyugan Swamp () is the largest swamp in the northern hemisphere as well as the largest peatland in the world. It is located in Russia, in southwestern Siberia. The swamp is a major reservoir of fresh water for the region, and the Vasyugan ...

. Due to demand for other venoms, it also mass rears and breeds snakes from the Altai, Far East and Central Asian regions, including Halys viper, the short-tailed viper, the Brown

mamushi ''Gloydius blomhoffii'', commonly known as the mamushi,Mehrtens JM (1987). ''Living Snakes of the World in Color''. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. . Japanese moccasin, Japanese pit viper, Qichun snake, Salmusa or Japanese mamushi,Gumprech ...

, '' Vipera libetina turanika'' and '' Vipera raddei''. Snakes captured from the wild may be kept in the serpentarium for up to ten years, their survival averaging over three and a half years.

Production

The centre produces about 2,000 grams of snake venom in crystal and lyophilic forms each year. It also produces snake venom medications (anti-inflammatory ointment).

References

Bibliography

External links

Snake venom research. Science Photo Library.

Snake venom research. Science Photo Library.

* * Manufacturing companies based in Novosibirsk Herpetology organizations Companies established in 1989 1989 establishments in the Soviet Union Companies of the Soviet Union {{snake-stub