King Ratsnake eats deadly cobras and vipers; genome mapping reveals how it survives venom

Scientists have mapped the genome of the nonvenomous king ratsnake, a species known for hunting and eating deadly venomous snakes such as cobras and vipers. The new chromosome-level genome will help researchers investigate how the snake naturally resists venom. They say the findings could improve understanding of snake evolution, venom resistance and support future research into better antivenom therapies.