3rd floor, Environment Centre Wales, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK

Email: w.wuster@bangor.ac.uk

Telephone: +44 (0)1248 382301

Web: ResearchGate; GoogleScholar 

Personal webpage

• PhD: Systematics of Asian cobras
  University of Aberdeen, 1990

Programme Organiser:

• BSc and MZool in Zoology with Herpetology

Module Organiser:

• BSX-2031 - Arizona Fieldcourse
• BSX-2028 - Introduction to Herpetology
• BSX-3158 - Advances in Herpetology

Module Contributor

• BNS-1002 - Organismal Diversity
• DNS-1003 - Ecology & Evolution
• BSX-1028 - Tutorials Yr. 1
• BSX-2107 - Invertebrates
• BSX-2021 - BioScience Skills
• BSX-2022 - Vertebrate Biology
• BSX-3070 - Dissertation in Biological Sciences
• BSM-4000 - Masters Research Project

My research interests span a wide range of topics in evolution, systematics and ecology, using primarily snakes as a model system. Current and recent topics have included the evolution of venom composition and its selective drivers, the origin of snake venom systems, species delimitation in snake species complexes, the evolution of warning signals and mimicry systems, biogeography, phylogeography and ecology.

I am interested in supervising postgraduate students in a range of topics in herpetology and toxinology, in particular:

• Conservation genomics of European vipers
• Evolution and ecology of venoms
• Snake systematics, taxonomy and phylogeny
• Snake ecology

Please drop me a line if you are interested and want to explore possibilities. 

2022

• PublishedAnalytical strategies in venomics.
  Slaagboom, J., Kaal, C., Arrahman, A., Vonk, F. J., Somsen, G. W., Calvete, J. J., Wüster, W. & Kool, J., 1 Apr 2022, In: Microchemical Journal. 175, 22 p., 107187.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedBacterial Adaptation to Venom in Snakes and Arachnida
  Esmaeilishirazifard, E., Usher, L., Trim, C., Sangal, V., Tyson, G. F., Barlow, A., Redway, K. F., Taylor, J. D., Kremida-Vlachou, M., Davies, S., Loftus, T. D., Lock, M. M. G., Wright, K., Dalby, A., Snyder, L. A. S., Wüster, W., Trim, S. & Moschos, S. A., 29 Jun 2022, In: Microbiology Spectrum. 10, 3, 16 p., e0240821.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedBlack-necked spitting cobra Naja nigricollis Reinhardt, 1843 repels a large pack of banded mongooses (Mungos mungo).
  Madsen, T. & Wüster, W., 15 Sep 2022, In: African Herp News. 80, p. 75-78 4 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedConvergent evolution of toxin resistance in animals
  van Thiel, J., Khan, M. A., Wouters, R. M., Harris, R. J., Casewell, N. R., Fry, B. G., Kini, R. M., Mackessy, S. P., Vonk, F. J., Wüster, W. & Richardson, M. K., Oct 2022, In: Biological Reviews. 97, 5, p. 1823-1843 21 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedGenetic ancestry of introduced populations of sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) in Wales
  Owens, J. B., Wilkinson, J. W., Wüster, W., Barlow, A. & Papadopulos, A. S. T., 11 Oct 2022, Bangor: Natural Resources Wales. 32 p. (NRW Evidence Report; no. 596)
  Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report › peer-review
• PublishedHow do King Cobras move across a major highway? Unintentional wildlife crossing structures may facilitate movement
  Jones, M. D., Marshall, B. M., Smith, S. N., Crane, M., Silva, I., Artchawakom, T., Suwanwaree, P., Waengsothorn, S., Wüster, W., Goode, M. & Strine, C. T., 17 Mar 2022, In: Ecology and Evolution. 12, 3, 15 p., e8691.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedInterpopulational variation and ontogenetic shift in the venom composition of Lataste's viper (Vipera latastei, Boscá 1878) from northern Portugal
  Avella, I., Calvete, J. J., Sanz, L., Wüster, W., Licata, F., Quesada-Bernat, S., Rodriguez, Y. & Martínez-Freiría, F., 15 Jul 2022, In: Journal of Proteomics. 263, 104613.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedMohave rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) identification revisited
  Cardwell, M. D., Massey, D. J., Smelski, G. & Wüster, W., 1 Jun 2022, In: Wilderness and Environmental Medicine. 33, 2, p. 210-218
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2021

• PublishedAdvances in Venomous Snake Systematics, 2009–2019
  Wüster, W., 25 May 2021, Handbook of Venoms and Toxins of Reptiles, Second Edition. Mackessy, S. P. (ed.). Boca Raton: Taylor & Francis, p. 123-145 23 p.
  Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
• PublishedAn evaluation of the nomina for death adders (Acanthophis Daudin, 1803) proposed by Wells & Wellington (1985), and confirmation of A. cryptamydros Maddock et al., 2015 as the valid name for the Kimberley death adder
  Ellis, R. J., Kaiser, H., Maddock, S., Doughty, P. & Wüster, W., 29 Jun 2021, In: Zootaxa. 4995, 1, p. 161–172 12 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedCitizen science and online data: Opportunities and challenges for snake ecology and action against snakebite
  Durso, A. M., Ruiz de Castañeda, R., Montalcini, C., Mondardini, M. R., Fernandez-Marquez, J. L., Grey, F., Müller, M. M., Uetz, P., Marshall, B., Gray, R. J., Smith, C. E., Becker, D., Pingleton, M., Louies, J., Abegg, A. D., Akuboy, J., Alcoba, G., Daltry, J. C., Entiauspe-Neto, O. M., Freed, P., de Freitas, M. A., Glaudas, X., Huang, S., Huang, T., Kalki, Y., Kojima, Y., Laudisoit, A., Limbu, K. P., Martínez-Fonseca, J. G., Mebert, K., Rödel, M. O., Ruane, S., Ruedi, M., Schmitz, A., Tatum, S. A., Tillack, F., Visvanathan, A., Wüster, W. & Bolon, I., 1 Jul 2021, In: Toxicon: X. 9-10, 19 p., 100071.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedConfronting taxonomic vandalism in biology: conscientious community self-organization can preserve nomenclatural stability
  Wüster, W., Thomson, S. A., O'Shea, M. & Kaiser, H., Jul 2021, In: Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 133, 3, p. 645–670 26 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedConvergent evolution of pain-inducing defensive venom components in spitting cobras
  Kazandjian, T. D., Petras, D., Robinson, S. D., van Thiel, J., Greene, H. W., Arbuckle, K., Barlow, A., Carter, D. A., Wouters, R., Whiteley, G., Wagstaff, S. C., Arias, A. S., Albulescu, L. O., Plettenberg Laing, A., Hall, C., Heap, A., Penrhyn-Lowe, S., McCabe, C. V., Ainsworth, S., da Silva, R. R., Dorrestein, P. C., Richardson, M. K., Gutiérrez, J. M., Calvete, J. J., Harrison, R. A., Vetter, I., Undheim, E. A. B., Wüster, W. & Casewell, N. R., 22 Jan 2021, In: Science. 371, 6527, p. 386-390 5 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedCrowdsourcing snake identification with online communities of professional herpetologists and avocational snake enthusiasts
  Durso, A. M., Bolon, I., Kleinhesselink, A. R., Mondardini, M. R., Fernandez-Marquez, J. L., Gutsche-Jones, F., Gwilliams, C., Tanner, M., Smith, C. E., Wüster, W., Grey, F. & Ruiz de Castañeda, R., 13 Jan 2021, In: Royal Society Open Science. 8, 1, 21 p., 201273.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedGenome-wide data implicate terminal fusion automixis in king cobra facultative parthenogenesis.
  Card, D. C., Vonk, F. J., Smallbrugge, S., Casewell, N. R., Wüster, W., Castoe, T. A., Schuett, G. W. & Booth, W., 31 Mar 2021, In: Scientific Reports. 11, 1, 9 p., 7271.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedKing or royal family? Testing for species boundaries in the King Cobra, Ophiophagus hannah (Cantor, 1836), using morphology and multilocus DNA analyses
  Gowri Shankar, P., Swamy, P., Williams, R. C., Ganesh, S. R., Moss, M., Höglund, J., Das, I., Sahoo, G., Vijayakumar, S. P., Shanker, K., Wüster, W. & Dutta, S. K., Dec 2021, In: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 165, 107300, 63 p., 107300.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedPromoting co-existence between humans and venomous snakes through increasing the herpetological knowledge base
  Malhotra, A., Wüster, W., Owens, J. B., Hodges, C. W., Jesudasan, A., Ch, G., Kartik, A., Christopher, P., Louies, J., Naik, H., Santra, V., Kuttalam, S. R., Attre, S., Sasa, M., Bravo-Vega, C. & Murray, K. A., 1 Nov 2021, In: Toxicon: X. 12, November 2021, 18 p., 10081.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedTaxonomy and nomenclature of the Pantherophis obsoletus complex
  Hillis, D. M. & Wüster, W., 9 Mar 2021, In: Herpetological Review. 52, 1, p. 51-52 2 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedUnexpected lack of specialisation in the flow properties of spitting cobra venom
  Avella, I., Barajas-Ledesma, E., Casewell, N. R., Harrison, R. A., Rowley, P., Crittenden, E., Wüster, W., Castiglia, R., Holland, C. & van der Meijden, A., 7 Apr 2021, In: Journal of Experimental Biology. 224, 7, 11 p., jeb229229.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2020

• PublishedEnvisioning the future with 'compassionate conservation': An ominous projection for native wildlife and biodiversity
  Callen, A., Hayward, M. W., Klop-Toker, K., Allen, B. L., Ballard, G., Beranek, C. T., Broekhuis, F., Bugir, C. K., Clarke, R. H., Clulow, J., Clulow, S., Daltry, J. C., Davies-Mostert, H. T., Di Blanco, Y. E., Dixon, V., Fleming, P. J. S., Howell, L. G., Kerley, G. I. H., Legge, S. M., Lenga, D. J., Major, T., Montgomery, R. A., Moseby, K., Meyer, N., Parker, D. M., Periquet, S., Read, J., Scanlon, R. J., Shuttleworth, C., Tamessar, C. T., Taylor, W. A., Tuft, K., Upton, R. M. O., Valenzuela, M., Witt, R. R. & Wuster, W., Jan 2020, In: Biological Conservation. 241, 108365.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedEvaluating taxonomic inflation: towards evidence-based species delimitation in Eurasian vipers (Serpentes: Viperinae)
  Freitas, I., Ursenbacher, S., Mebert, K., Zinenko, O., Schweiger, S., Wüster, W., Brito, J. C., Crnobrnja-Isailović, J., Halpern, B., Fahd, S., Santos, X., Pleguezuelos, J. M., Joger, U., Orlov, N., Mizsei, E., Lourdais, O., Zuffi, M. A. L., Strugariu, A., Zamfirescu, Ş. R., Martínez-Solano, Í., Velo-Antón, G., Kaliontzopoulou, A. & Martínez-Freiría, F., 30 Jun 2020, In: Amphibia-Reptilia. 41, 3, p. 285-311 27 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedFangs for the Memories? A Survey of Pain in Snakebite Patients Does Not Support a Strong Role for Defense in the Evolution of Snake Venom Composition
  Ward-Smith, H., Naude, A., Arbuckle, K. & Wuster, W., 22 Mar 2020, In: Toxins. 12, 3, 19 p., 201.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedMarking the un-markable: visible implant elastomer in wild juvenile snakes
  Major, T., Alkins, D. R., Jeffrey, L. & Wüster, W., 1 Jul 2020, In: Herpetological Journal. 30, 3, p. 173-176 4 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedNatural History Notes. Scolecophis atrocinctus (Black-banded Snake). Reproduction / Combat Behaviour
  Chernov, E., Hoffmann, E. P. & Wüster, W., 1 Sep 2020, In: Herpetological Review. 51, 3, p. 628-629 2 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedResponse to comments on "Compassionate Conservation deserves a morally serious rather than dismissive response - reply to Callen et al., 2020"
  Callen, A., Hayward, M. W., Klop-Toker, K., Allen, B. L., Ballard, G., Beranek, C. T., Broekhuis, F., Bugir, C. K., Clarke, R. H., Clulow, J., Clulow, S., Daltry, J. C., Davies-Mostert, H. T., Di Blanco, Y. E., Dixon, V., Fleming, P. J. S., Howell, L. G., Kerley, G. I. H., Legge, S. M., Lenga, D. J., Major, T., Montgomery, R. A., Moseby, K., Meyer, N., Parker, D. M., Periquet, S., Read, J., Scanlon, R. J., Shuttleworth, C., Tamessar, C. T., Taylor, W. A., Tuft, K., Upton, R. M. O., Valenzuela, M., Witt, R. R. & Wuster, W., 30 Apr 2020, In: Biological Conservation. 244
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › peer-review

2019

• PublishedAncient habitat shifts and organismal diversification are decoupled in the African viper genus Bitis (Serpentes: Viperidae)
  Barlow, A., Wüster, W., Kelly, C. M. R., Branch, W., Phelps, T. & Tolley, K. A., 1 Jun 2019, In: Journal of Biogeography. 46, 6, p. 1234-1248 15 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedConfirmation of Naja oxiana in Himachal Pradesh, India
  Santra, V., Owens, J. B., Graham, S., Wüster, W., Kuttalam, S. R., Bharti, O., Selvan, M., Mukherjee, N. & Malhotra, A., 1 Dec 2019, In: Herpetological Bulletin. 150, p. 26-28
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedDeconstructing compassionate conservation
  Hayward, M. W., Callen, A., Allen, B. L., Ballard, G., Broekhuis, F., Bugir, C., Clarke, R. H., Clulow, J., Clulow, S., Daltry, J. C., Davies-Mostert, H. T., Fleming, P. J. S., Griffin, A. S., Howell, L. G., Kerley, G. I. H., Klop-Toker, K., Legge, S., Major, T., Meyer, N., Montgomery, R. A., Moseby, K., Parker, D. M., Périquet, S., Read, J., Scanlon, R., Seeto, R., Shuttleworth, C., Somers, M. J., Tamessar, C. T., Tuft, K., Upton, R., Valenzuela-Molina, M., Wayne, A., Witt, R. R. & Wuster, W., Aug 2019, In: Conservation Biology. 33, 4, p. 760-768
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedWhen one phenotype is not enough: divergent evolutionary trajectories govern venom variation in a widespread rattlesnake species
  Zancolli, G., Calvete, J. J., Cardwell, M. D., Greene, H. W., Hayes, W. K., Hegarty, M. J., Herrmann, H-W., Holycross, A. T., Lannutti, D. I., Mulley, J. F., Sanz, L., Travis, Z. D., Whorley, J. R., Wuster, C. E. & Wuster, W., 13 Mar 2019, In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 286, 1898, p. 20182735
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2018

• PublishedIntegration of nuclear and mitochondrial gene sequences and morphology reveals unexpected diversity in the forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca) species complex in Central and West Africa (Serpentes: Elapidae).
  Wuster, W., Chirio, L., Trape, J. F., Ineich, I., Jackson, K., Greenbaum, E., Barron, C., Kusamba, C., Nagy, Z. T., Storey, R., Hall, C., Wuster, C., Barlow, A. & Broadley, D. G., 1 Aug 2018, In: Zootaxa. 4455, 1, p. 68-98 21 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedThe medical threat of mamba envenoming in sub-Saharan Africa revealed by genus-wide analysis of venom composition, toxicity and antivenomics profiling of available antivenoms
  Ainsworth, S., Petras, D., Engmark, M., Süssmuth, R., Rowley, P., Wuster, W., Dorrestein, P. C., Arias, A. S., Gutiérrez, J. M., Harrison, R. A., Casewell, N. R. & Calvete, J. J., 10 Feb 2018, In: Journal of Proteomics. 172, p. 173-189
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedVenom complexity in a pitviper produced by facultative parthenogenesis
  Calvete, J. J., Casewell, N. R., Hernandez-Guzman, U., Quesada-Bernat, S., Sanz, L., Rokyta, D. R., Storey, D., Albulescu, L. O., Wuster, W., Smith, C. F., Schuett, G. W. & Booth, W., 1 Aug 2018, In: Scientific Reports. 8, 12 p., 11539 (2018).
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedWidespread vulnerability of Malagasy predators to the toxins of an introduced toad
  Marshall, B. M., Casewell, N. R., Vences, M., Glaw, F., Andreone, F., Rakotoarison, A., Zancolli, G., Woog, F. & Wuster, W., 4 Jun 2018, In: Current Biology. 28, 11, p. R654-R655 2 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2017

• PublishedDifferential procoagulant effects of saw-scaled viper (Serpentes: Viperidae: Echis) snake venoms on human plasma and the narrow taxonomic ranges of antivenom efficacies
  Aymeric, R., Soerensen, C., op den Brouw, B., Lister, C., Dashevsky, D., Arbuckle, K., Gloria, A., Zdenek, C., Casewell, N. R., Gutiérrez, J. M., Wuster, W., Ali, S. A., Masci, P., Rowley, P., Frank, N. & Fry, B. G., 5 Oct 2017, In: Toxicology Letters. 280, 159-170, p. 159-170
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedMulti-locus phylogeny and species delimitation of Australo-Papuan blacksnakes(Pseudechis Wagler, 1830: Elapidae: Serpentes)
  Maddock, S., Childerstone, A., Fry, B. G., Williams, D. J., Barlow, A. & Wüster, W., 1 Feb 2017, In: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 107, February, p. 48-55
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedNatural History Notes. Naja kaouthia (monocled cobra). Behavior / Spitting.
  Santra, V. & Wüster, W., 1 Jun 2017, In: Herpetological Review. 48, 2, p. 455-456 2 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedPhylogeography of the Central American lancehead Bothrops asper (SERPENTES: VIPERIDAE)
  Saldarriaga-Córdoba, M., Parkinson, C. L., Daza, J. M., Wuster, W. & Sasa, M., 27 Nov 2017, In: PLoS ONE. 12, 11, p. 1-20 20 p., e0187969.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedVenom-on-a-chip: a fast and efficient method for comparative venomics
  Zancolli, G., Sanz, L., Calvete, J. J. & Wuster, W., 28 May 2017, In: Toxins. 9, 179, p. 1-15 15 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2016

• PublishedIs Hybridization a Source of Adaptive Venom Variation in Rattlesnakes? A Test, Using a Crotalus scutulatus x viridis Hybrid Zone in Southwestern New Mexico
  Zancolli, G., Baker, TI. G., Barlow, A., Bradley, R. K., Calvete, J. J., Carter, K. C., de Jager, K., Owens, J. B., Price, J. F., Sanz, L., Scholes-Higham, A., Shier, L., Wood, L., Wuster, C. & Wüster, W., 16 Jun 2016, In: Toxins. 8, 188, p. 1-16 16 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedPhylogeny and diversification of mountain vipers (Montivipera, Nilson et al., 2001) triggered by multiple Plio–Pleistocene refugia and high-mountain topography in the Near and Middle East
  Stümpel, N., Rajabizadeh, M., Avci, A., Wüster, W. & Joger, U., Aug 2016, In: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 101, p. 336-351
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedRecent developments in rattlesnake phylogenetics, phylogeography and species delimitation
  Wüster, W., 2016, Rattlesnakes of Arizona. Schuett, G. W., Feldner, M. J., Smith, C. F. & Reiserer, R. S. (eds.). Rodeo, New Mexico: Eco Publishing, Vol. 2. p. 9 29 p.
  Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

2015

• PublishedA new species of death adder (Acanthophis: Serpentes: Elapidae) from north-western Australia
  Wuster, W., Maddock, S. T., Ellis, R. J., Doughty, P., Smith, L. A. & Wüster, W., 28 Aug 2015, In: Zootaxa. 4007, 3, p. 301-326
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedNatural History Notes: Crotalus scutulatus (Mohave rattlesnake). Maximum size.
  Mrinalini, N. V., Hicks, J. J. & Wüster, W., 1 Jun 2015, In: Herpetological Review. 46, 2, p. 271 1 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedThe origin and evolution of the Toxicofera reptile venom system.
  Fry, B. G., Sunagar, K., Casewell, N. R., Kochva, E., Roelants, K., Scheib, H., Wüster, W., Vidal, N., Young, B., Burbink, F., Pyron, R. A., Vonk, F. J. & Jackson, T. N. W., Dec 2015, Venomous Reptiles and Their Toxins: Evolution, Pathophysiology and Biodiscovery. Fry, B. G. (ed.). Oxford: Oxford: OUP, p. 1 31 p.
  Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
• PublishedWidespread convergence in toxin resistance by predictable molecular evolution
  Wuster, W., Ujvari, B., Casewell, N. R., Sunagar, K., Arbuckle, K., Wüster, W., Lo, N., O'Meally, D., Beckmann, C., King, G. F., Deplazes, E. & Madsen, T., 22 Sep 2015, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA. 112, 38, p. 11911-11916
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2014

• PublishedComments on Spracklandus Hoser, 2009 (Reptilia, Serpentes, ELAPIDAE): request for confirmation of the availability of the generic name and for the nomenclatural validation of the journal in which it was published [Case 3601]
  Wuster, W., Wüster, W., Broadley, D. G. & Wallach, V., 1 Mar 2014, In: Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature. 71, 1, p. 37-38
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedMedically important differences in snake venom composition are dictated by distinct postgenomic mechanisms
  Wuster, W., Casewell, N. R., Wagstaff, S. C., Wüster, W., Cook, D. A., Bolton, F. M., King, S. I., Plan, D., Sanz. L., N. V., Calvete, J. J. & Harrison, R. A., 9 Jun 2014, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 111, 25, p. 9205-9210
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2013

• PublishedBest practices: in the 21st Century, taxonomic decisions in herpetology are acceptable only when supported by a body of evidence and published via peer-review
  Wuster, W., Kaiser, H., Crother, B. I., Kelly, C. M., Luiselli, L., O’Shea, M., Ota, H., Passos, P., Schleip, W. D. & Wüster, W., 1 Jan 2013, In: Herpetological Review. 44, p. 8-23
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedComplex cocktails: the evolutionary novelty of venoms
  Wuster, W., Casewell, N. R., Wüster, W., Vonk, F. J., Harrison, R. A. & Fry, B. G., 1 Apr 2013, In: Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 28, 4, p. 291-229
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedPhylogeography of the widespread African puff adder (Bitis arietans) reveals multiple Pleistocene refugia in southern Africa
  Barlow, A., Baker, K., Hendry, C. R., Peppin, L., Phelps, T., Tolley, K. A., Wüster, C. E. & Wuster, W., 1 Feb 2013, In: Molecular Ecology. 22, 4, p. 1134-1157
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedThe king cobra genome reveals dynamic gene evolution and adaptation in the snake venom system
  Wuster, W., Vonk, F. J., Casewell, N. R., Henkel, C., Heimberg, A. M., Jansen, H. J., McCleary, R. J., Kerkkamp, H. M., Vos, R. A., Guerreiro, I., Calvete, J. J., Wüster, W., Woods, A. E., Logan, J. M., Harrison, R. A., Castoe, T. A., Jason de Koning, A. P., Pollock, D. D., Yandell, M., Calderon, D., Renjifo, C., Currier, R. B., Salgado, D., Pla, D., Sanz, L., Hyder, A. S., Ribeiro, J. M., Arntzen, J. W., van den Thillart, G. E., Boetzer, M., Pirovano, W., Dirks, R. P., Spaink, H. P., Duboule, D., McGlinn, E., Kini, R. M. & Richardson, M. K., 17 Dec 2013, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States. 110, 51, p. 20651-20656
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2012

• PublishedAnonymous nuclear markers for the African adders (Serpentes: Viperidae: Bitis)
  De Bruyn, M., Wuster, W., Barlow, A. & Grail, W., 1 Dec 2012, In: Conservation Genetics Resources. 4, 4, p. 967-969
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedDynamic evolution of venom proteins in squamate reptiles
  Wuster, W., Casewell, N. R. & Wüster, W., 18 Sep 2012, In: Nature Communications. 3, p. Article number: 1066
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedThe structural and functional diversification of the Toxicofera reptile venom system
  Wuster, W., Fry, B. G., Casewell, N. R., Wüster, W., Vidal, N., Young, B. & Jackson, T. N., 15 Sep 2012, In: Toxicon. 60, 4, p. 434-448
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedVenom lethality and diet: Differential responses of natural prey and model organisms to the venom of the saw-scaled vipers (Echis)
  Richards, D. P., Barlow, A. & Wüster, W., 1 Jan 2012, In: Toxicon. 59, p. 110-116 7 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2011

• PublishedDomain loss facilitates accelerated evolution and neofunctionalization of duplicate snake venom metalloproteinase toxin genes.
  Wuster, W., Casewell, N. R., Wagstaff, S. C., Harrison, R. A., Renjifo, C. & Wüster, W., 1 Sep 2011, In: Molecular Biology and Evolution. 28, 9, p. 2637-2649
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedEnding the drought: new strategies for improving the flow of affordable, effective antivenoms in Asia and Africa
  Williams, D. J., Gutiérrez, J. M., Calvete, J. J., Wüster, W., Ratanabanangkoon, K., Paiva, O., Brown, N. I., Casewell, N. R., Harrison, R. A., Rowley, P., O'Shea, M., Jensen, S. D. & Winkel, K. D., 24 Aug 2011, In: Journal of Proteomics. 74, 9, p. 1735–1767 33 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedGene tree parsimony of multilocus snake venom protein families reveals species tree conflict as a result of multiple parallel gene loss.
  Wuster, W., Casewell, N. R., Wagstaff, S. C., Harrison, R. A. & Wüster, W., 1 Mar 2011, In: Molecular Biology and Evolution. 28, 3, p. 1157-1172
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2010

• PublishedPre-clinical assays predict pan-african Echis viper efficacy for a species-specific antivenom.
  Wuster, W., Casewell, N. R., Cook, D. A., Wagstaff, S. C., Nasidi, A., Durfa, N., Wüster, W. & Harrison, R. A., 1 Oct 2010, In: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 4, 10, p. e851
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedWhat's your poison?
  Wuster, W. & Wüster, W., 1 Jun 2010, In: Heredity. 104, 6, p. 519
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2009

• PublishedCo-evolution of diet and prey-specific venom activity supports the role of selection in snake venom evolution.
  Wuster, W., Barlow, A., Pook, C. E., Harrison, R. A. & Wüster, W., 1 Jul 2009, In: Proceedings of The Royal Society B - Biological Sciences. 276, 1666, p. 2443-2449
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedCoevolution of diet and prey-specific venom activity supports the role of selection in snake venom evolution.
  Barlow, A., Pook, C. E., Harrison, R. A. & Wüster, W., 7 Jul 2009, In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedComparative venom gland transcriptome surveys of the saw-scaled vipers (Viperidae: Echis) reveal substantial intra-family gene diversity and novel venom transcripts.
  Wuster, W., Casewell, N. R., Harrison, R. A., Wüster, W. & Wagstaff, S. C., 30 Nov 2009, In: BMC Genomics. 10, p. 564
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedIn praise of subgenera: taxonomic status of cobras of the genus Naja Laurenti (Serpentes: Elapidae).
  Wuster, W., Wallach, V., Wüster, W. & Broadley, D. G., 21 Sep 2009, In: Zootaxa. 2236, p. 26-36
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedPhylogeography and systematic revision of the Egyptian cobra (Serpentes: Elapidae: Naja haje) species complex, with the description of a new species from West Africa.
  Wuster, W., Trape, J. F., Chirio, L. & Wüster, W., 21 Sep 2009, In: Zootaxa. 2236, p. 1-25
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedRecent advances in venomous snake systematics.
  Wuster, W., Quijada-Mascarenas, J. A., Wüster, W. & Mackessy, S. P. (ed.), 1 Jan 2009, Handbook of Venoms and Toxins of Reptiles. 2009 ed. CRC Press, p. 25-64
  Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
• PublishedWhen continents collide: Phylogeny, historical biogeography and systematics of the medically important viper genus Echis (Squamata: Serpentes: Viperidae).
  Wuster, W., Pook, C. E., Joger, U., Stumpel, N. & Wüster, W., 1 Dec 2009, In: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 53, 3, p. 792-807
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2008

• PublishedA nesting of vipers: Phylogeny and historical biogeography of the Viperidae (Squamata: Serpentes).
  Wuster, W., Wüster, W., Peppin, L., Pook, C. E. & Walker, D. E., 1 Nov 2008, In: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 49, 2, p. 445-459
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedOrigin of the eastern brownsnake, Pseudonaja textilis (Dumeril, Bibron and Dumeril) (Serpentes : Elapidae : Hydrophiinae) in New Guinea: evidence of multiple dispersals from Australia, and comments on the status of Pseudonaja textilis pughi Hoser 2003.
  Wuster, W., Williams, D. J., O'Shea, M., Daguerre, R. L., Pook, C. E., Wüster, W., Hayden, C. J., McVay, J. D., Paiva, O., Matainaho, T., Winkel, K. D. & Austin, C. C., 1 Jan 2008, In: Zootaxa. 1703, p. 47-61
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2007

• PublishedGet an eyeful of this: a new species of giant spitting cobra from eastern and north-eastern Africa (Squamata : Serpentes : Elapidae : Naja)
  Wuster, W., Wüster, W. & Broadley, D. G., 1 Jan 2007, In: Zootaxa. 1532, p. 51-68
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedPhylogeographic patterns of trans-Amazonian vicariants and Amazonian biogeography: the Neotropical rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus complex) as an example.
  Wuster, W., Quijada-Mascarenas, J. A., Ferguson, J. E., Pook, C. E., Da Graca Salomao, M., Thorpe, R. S. & Wüster, W., 1 Aug 2007, In: Journal of Biogeography. 34, 8, p. 1296-1312
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedThe phylogeny of cobras inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences: Evolution of venom spitting and the phylogeography of the African spitting cobras (Serpentes : Elapidae : Naja nigricollia complex)
  Wuster, W., Wüster, W., Crookes, S., Ineich, I., Mane, Y., Pook, C. E., Trape, J. F. & Broadley, D. G., 1 Nov 2007, In: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 45, 2, p. 437-453
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2006

• PublishedRoles of CITES in protecting new species.
  Wuster, W., Vonk, F. J. & Wüster, W., 18 Aug 2006, In: Science. 313, 5789, p. 915-916
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedThe good, the bad and the ugly: Australian snake taxonomists and a history of the taxanomy of Australia's venomous snakes.
  Wuster, W., Williams, D., Wüster, W. & Fry, B. G., 1 Dec 2006, In: Toxicon. 48, 7, p. 919-930
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2005

• PublishedMorphological correlates of incipient arboreality and ornithophagy in island pitvipers, and the phylogenetic position of Bothrops insularis.
  Wuster, W., Wüster, W., Duarte, M. R. & Da Graca Salomao, M., 1 May 2005, In: Journal of Zoology. 266, 1, p. 1-10
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedNo rattlesnakes in the rainforests: reply to Gosling and Bush
  Wuster, W., Wüster, W., Ferguson, J. E., Quijada-Mascarenas, J. A., Pook, C. E., Da Graca Salomao, M. & Thorpe, R. S., 1 Oct 2005, In: Molecular Ecology. 14, 11, p. 3619-3621
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedSnakes across the Strait: trans-Torresian phylogeographic relationships in three genera of Australasian snakes (Serpentes : Elapidae : Acanthophis, Oxyuranus, and Pseudechis).
  Wuster, W., Wüster, W., Dumbrell, A. J., Hay, C., Pook, C. E., Williams, D. J. & Fry, B. G., 1 Jan 2005, In: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 34, 1, p. 1-14
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedSnakes of Papua New Guinea.
  Wuster, W., Williams, D., Wüster, W., Jensen, S. (ed.), Nimorakiotakis, B. (ed.) & Winkel, K. D. (ed.), 1 Jan 2005, Venomous bites and stings in Papua New Guinea: A guide to treatment for health workers and doctors. 2005 ed. Parkville, Vic. : Australian Venom Research Unit, p. 33-64
  Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
• PublishedTracing an invasion: landbridges, refugia, and the phylogeography of the Neotropical rattlesnake (Serpentes : Viperidae : Crotalus durissus)
  Wuster, W., Ferguson, J. E., Quijada-Mascarenas, J. A., Pook, C. E., Salomao, M. D. & Thorpe, R., 25 Feb 2005, In: Molecular Ecology. 14, 4, p. 1095-1108
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2004

• PublishedA review of the southern African ‘non-spitting’ cobras (Serpentes: Elapidae: Naja).
  Wuster, W., Broadley, D. G. & Wüster, W., 1 Jan 2004, In: African Journal of Herpetology. 53, 2, p. 101-122
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedAssembling an arsenal: Origin and evolution of the snake venom proteome inferred from phylogenetic analysis of toxin sequences.
  Wuster, W., Fry, B. G. & Wüster, W., 1 May 2004, In: Molecular Biology and Evolution. 21, 5, p. 870-883
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedDo aposematism and Batesian mimicry require bright colours? A test, using European viper markings.
  Wuster, W., Wüster, W., Allum, C. S., Bjargardottir, I. B., Bailey, K. L., Dawson, K. J., Guenioui, J., Lewis, J., McGurk, J., Moore, A. G., Niskanen, M. & Pollard, C. P., 7 Dec 2004, In: Proceedings of The Royal Society B - Biological Sciences. 271, 1556, p. 2495-2499
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2003

• PublishedA new species of spitting cobra (Naja) from north-eastern Africa (Serpentes : Elapidae)
  Wuster, W., Wüster, W. & Broadley, D. G., 1 Jan 2003, In: Journal of Zoology. 259, 4, p. 345-359
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedAnalysis of Colubroidea snake venoms by liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry: evolutionary and toxinological implications.
  Wuster, W., Fry, B. G., Wüster, W., Ramjan, S. F., Jackson, T., Martelli, P. & Kini, R. M., 1 Aug 2003, In: Rapid communications in Mass Spectrometry. 17, 18, p. 2047-2062
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedEffectiveness of snake antivenom: Species and regional venom variation and its clinical impact.
  Wuster, W., Fry, B. G., Winkel, K. D., Wickramaratna, J. C., Hodgson, W. C. & Wüster, W., 1 Jun 2003, In: Journal of Toxicology - Toxin Reviews. 22, 1, p. 23-34
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedGeographic distribution: Bothriopsis taeniata or Bothrops taeniatus (Speckled forest-pitviper).
  Wuster, W., Freire, L. A., Garcia, F., Wüster, W. & Kuch, U., 1 Jan 2003, In: Herpetological Review. 34, p. 263
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedIsolation of a neurotoxin (alpha colubritoxin) from a nonvenomous colubrid: Evidence for early origin of venom in snakes
  Wuster, W., Fry, B. G., Lumsden, N. G., Wüster, W., Wickramaratna, J. C., Hodgson, W. C. & Kini, R. M., 1 Oct 2003, In: Journal of Molecular Evolution. 57, 4, p. 446-452
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedMolecular evolution and phylogeny of elapid snake venom three-finger toxins.
  Wuster, W., Fry, B. G., Wüster, W., Kini, R. M., Brusic, V., Khan, A., Venkataraman, D. & Rooney, A. P., 1 Jul 2003, In: Journal of Molecular Evolution. 57, 1, p. 110-129
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedThe conserved structure of snake venom toxins confers extensive immunological cross-reactivity to toxin-specific antibody.
  Wuster, W., Harrison, R. A., Wüster, W. & Theakston, R. D., 1 Mar 2003, In: Toxicon. 41, 4, p. 441-449
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2002

• PublishedA new species of wolf snake (Serpentes : Colubridae : Lycodon) from the Cardamom Mountains, southwestern Cambodia
  Wuster, W., Daltry, J. C. & Wüster, W., 1 Dec 2002, In: Herpetologica. 58, 4, p. 498-504
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedElectrospray liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry fingerprinting of Acanthophis (death adder) venoms: taxonomic and toxinological implications.
  Wuster, W., Fry, B. G., Wickramaratna, J. C., Hodgson, W. C., Alewood, P. F., Kini, R. M., Ho, H. & Wüster, W., 1 Feb 2002, In: Rapid communications in Mass Spectrometry. 16, 6, p. 600-608
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedOrigin and evolution of the South American pitviper fauna: evidence from mitochondrial DNA sequence analysis.
  Wuster, W., Wüster, W., Salomao, M. G., Quijada-Mascarenas, J. A., Thorpe, R. S., Campbell, J. A. (ed.), Brodie, E. D. (ed.), Schuett, G. W. (ed.), Hoggren, M. (ed.), Douglas, M. E. (ed.) & Greene, H. W. (ed.), 1 Jan 2002, Biology of the Vipers. 2002 ed. Eagle Mountain Publishing, p. 111-128
  Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
• PublishedOrigin and phylogenetic position of the Lesser Antillean species of Bothrops (Serpentes: Viperidae): biogeographical and medical implications.
  Wuster, W., Wüster, W., Thorpe, R. S., Salomao, M. G., Thomas, L., Puorto, G., Theakston, R. D. & Warrell, D. A., 1 Jan 2002, In: Bulletin of the Natural History Museum London (Zoology). 68, p. 101-106
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2001

• PublishedA new species of indigo snake from north-western Venezuela (Serpentes : Colubridae : Drymarchon)
  Wuster, W., Wüster, W., Yrausquin, J. L. & Mijares-Urrutia, A., 1 Oct 2001, In: Herpetological Journal. 11, 4, p. 157-165
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedCombining mitochondrial DNA sequences and morphological data to infer species boundaries: phylogeography of lanceheaded pitvipers in the Brazilian Atlantic forest, and the status of Bothrops pradoi (Squamata : Serpentes : Viperidae).
  Wuster, W., Puorto, G., Da Graca Salomao, M., Theakston, R. D., Thorpe, R. S., Warrell, D. A. & Wüster, W., 1 Jul 2001, In: Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 14, 4, p. 527-538
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2000

• PublishedA new cobra (Elapidae : Naja) from Myanmar (Burma)
  Wuster, W., Slowinski, J. B. & Wüster, W., 1 Jun 2000, In: Herpetologica. 56, 2, p. 257-270
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedHistorical biogeography of the western rattlesnake (Serpentes : Viperidae : Crotalus viridis), inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequence information
  Pook, C. E., Wuster, W. & Thorpe, R. S., 1 May 2000, In: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 15, 2, p. 269-282
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2022

• Why is snake venom composition so variable?

  Abstract

  Venomous snakebites kill over 100,000 people annually worldwide, and permanently disable many more. One of the key obstacles to the treatment of snakebites is the extreme variation in venom composition, even between loosely related species and within species. In this presentation, I will explore the evidence for different potential selection pressures acting on venom composition, primarily for the functions of foraging and defence. A considerable number of studies has provided evidence for the role of selection for diet as a major driver of venom evolution across a variety of groups. In contrast, evidence for selection for a defensive role is limited and patchy, with a few notable exceptions. Our ability to understand the selective pressures affecting venom composition is hindered by a remarkable paucity of data on the natural history of venom and venom use by snakes in the wild. Citizen science contributions, especially chance observations of interactions between snakes and their prey and predators, are key to expanding our understanding of the ecological context of venom evolution.

  15 Sep 2022

  Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)

2017

• Why is snake venom composition so variable

  7 Dec 2017

  Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
• Drivers and mechanisms of variation in snake venom composition

  Variation in venom composition is ubiquitous among snakes at all levels, from temporal variation within individuals to differences between major clades. Much recent research has tried to understand both the extrinsic drivers of this variation (e.g., natural selection, phylogeny) and the underlying genetic mechanisms.

  A growing body of research has identified natural selection for optimization of venom to diet as an important driver of venom evolution, resulting in patterns of variation incongruent with taxonomic or phylogenetic affinities. The evolution of venom resistance in some prey species leads to the possibility of predator-prey arms races between snakes and their prey. However, while pairwise relationships between snakes and particular prey have received much attention, this is not the case for the role of venoms in complex food webs involving both snake prey and snake predators. Selection for a defensive function of venom has been postulated in some cases, but surveys of snakebitten patients do not reveal the pattern of early severe pain predicted by this hypothesis, including in species with cytotoxic venom activity.

  At the genetic level, -omics technologies are providing unparalleled insights into the genetic mechanisms and processes underlying venom composition. Different genome-level and postgenomic processes control venom composition in different species: whereas genome-level presence or absence of toxin genes underlies most compositional variation in some rattlesnakes, post-genomic mechanisms play a much greater role in at least some Old World vipers, but generalisations are not yet justified by the available evidence.

  Despite much progress, many knowledge gaps remain. More “genome to fang tip” studies of the genetic mechanisms underlying venom composition are required to detect general patterns. However, while –omics technologies promise to reveal the mechanisms of snake venom evolution, we remain critically short of rigorous natural history data on snakes and their interactions with prey and predators alike; hindering our understanding the role of venom in snake biology.

  30 Nov 2017 – 3 Dec 2017

  Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
• Keynote Presentation: Natural History and Genetic Basis of Venom Evolution

  26 Jul 2017

  Links:

  • http://www.biologyofsnakes.com/accepted-abstracts
  Activity: Types of External academic engagement - Invited talk (Contributor)
• Keynote address: Patterns, drivers and genetics of venom variation in snakes

  Invited keynote address, expenses paid

  12 May 2017

  Activity: Types of External academic engagement - Invited talk (Member)
• Keynote presentation: From taxonomy and natural history to -omics and back again: Patterns, drivers and genetics of venom variation in snakes

  Invited keynote presentation, expenses paid

  26 Jan 2017

  Activity: Types of External academic engagement - Invited talk (Speaker)

• Understanding snake venom variation: integrating the role of diet and defence

  01/03/2021 – 31/03/2024 (Active)

• KESS II Phd with Welsh Mountain Zoo- BUK2140

  01/10/2017 – 01/11/2022 (Finished)

• Going with the flow? The genetic and genomic basis for snake venom evolution.

  29/04/2014 – 10/10/2017 (Finished)

• Has defence dictated the evolution of venom composition in spitting cobras?

  01/10/2012 – 31/12/2015 (Finished)

• Gene expression in the snake venom system

  01/09/2012 – 01/09/2020 (Finished)

• Cryptic reptile diversity in a floristic biodiversity hotspot

  01/07/2011 – 30/06/2014 (Finished)

• Lt-Genetic Diversity In Viper Genus Echs

  01/10/2004 – 31/07/2009 (Finished)