Snakebite incidence at least partly depends on the biology of the snakes involved. However, studies of snake biology have been largely neglected in favour of anthropic factors, with the exception of taxonomy, which has been recognised for some decades to affect the design of antivenoms. Despite this, within-species venom variation and the unpredictability of the correlation with antivenom cross-reactivity has continued to be problematic. Meanwhile, other aspects of snake biology, including behaviour, spatial ecology and activity patterns, distribution, and population demography, which can contribute to snakebite mitigation and prevention, remain underfunded and understudied. Here, we review the literature relevant to these aspects of snakebite and illustrate how demographic, spatial, and behavioural studies can improve our understanding of why snakebites occur and provide evidence for prevention strategies. We identify the large gaps that remain to be filled and urge that, in the future, data and relevant metadata be shared openly via public data repositories so that studies can be properly replicated and data used in future meta-analyses.

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For gape‐limited predators like snakes that swallow their prey whole, large‐bodied species with wide gapes should theoretically be able to consume a more diverse range of prey than smaller species with narrow gapes and, therefore, may have broader diets. However, in cases where large‐bodied species exclude small prey, their diets may not necessarily be more taxonomically diverse compared to smaller species. Thus, while body size can potentially predict broad dietary preferences, it cannot always predict diet breadth. We explored the relationship between body size and diet within the Pythonidae—a morphologically diverse clade of dwarf and giant snakes. We gathered ecological data of pythons and tested if python body lengths correlated with diet breadth and diet preferences respectively within a phylogenetic framework. Next, we reconstructed ancestral diets (as proportional use of ectothermic prey in their diets) and body lengths across a phylogeny of 36 species of pythons to explore the evolutionary relationship between these traits. We demonstrate that among extant pythons, body size is not linearly associated with diet breadth but linearly correlates with proportional use of ectothermic (and inversely endothermic) prey. Small‐bodied pythons more often have specialized diets dominated by the use of ectotherm prey whereas large‐bodied pythons tend to have diets dominated by the use of endotherm prey. We further show that the most recent common ancestor of pythons was likely large‐bodied and fed on a diet comprised mostly of endothermic prey. Shifts in diet towards greater proportional use of endothermic prey coincided with increases in body size. Conversely, shifts in diet towards greater proportional use of ectothermic prey coincided with decreases in body size. Our findings contribute to the growing body of work investigating the ecomorphological determinants of snake diets and thus provide further insight into our understanding of these animals' ecology and evolution.

Objective: Compared to the adults there is paucity of literature regarding manifestation of COVID-19 in children. We decided to study the clinical manifestation of COVID-19 in children during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Gujarat, India. Method: A cross-sectional survey study was designed for children with COVID-19 infection. An online survey form was designed with demographic details, details of clinical manifestations, investigations, treatment and recovery time. The survey was lled by 573 parents of which 539 were included in the study. Results: Of the 539 patients, 72.5 % of the patients presented in April(p<0.000). The child was the index case in only 7.4% of cases. There was a higher incidence of cases in boys (53.2%) (p<0.000) and in 0-5 years age group (39.5%) (p<0.00). The common presenting symptoms were fever (91.9%), cough/cold (52.4%), headache (19.5%), body-ache (23.6%), and gastrointestinal symptoms (21.1%). There was an age-wise variability in symptoms. Majority of the patients (98.2%) recovered with home treatment; only 1.8% required hospitalization. Complete resolution of symptoms occurred within a week in 78% of the patients(p<0.000). There was no mortality in our study. Conclusion: Children affected with COVID-19 during the second wave in Gujarat had mild disease. The child was index case in only a few cases and contracted COVID-19 from adult household contact. Most children recovered with home treatment and the course of the disease was short.