Kevin Budden

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Kevin Clifford Budden (September 27, 1930

herpetologist and snake hunter. Budden was the first person to capture a live taipan for research and died from a snakebite in the process of doing so. His work was instrumental in developing a taipan antivenom.[3]

Early life

After leaving school, Budden worked as a retail assistant in Randwick, New South Wales.[4] At that time he joined the Australian Reptile Club and began hunting snakes as a hobby. He built a snake pit and spent weekends in the bush collecting snakes.[5] In 1948, he caught 59 snakes and was bitten five times.[4]

Taipan capture and death

Close-up of a preserved snake's face, scales reddish brown and eyes replaced with beads.
Preserved snake, pale brown, coiled inside a glass with preserving spirits on an empty background.
The specimen captured by Budden in 1950, from whose venom the first taipan antivenom was made. Currently preserved in spirits and stored in the collections of Museums Victoria.

In March 1950, Budden travelled to

Coastal Taipan also died on September 12, 1950. [3][8][9]

Legacy

At the time of Budden's death, there were various rumours about the taipan, but it was not until Budden had captured this specimen that serious consideration was given to the potency of its venom.[10] Two prior taipan specimens had been obtained in 1923, but those snakes were dead, and venom samples were contaminated.

Budden's captured snake was sent alive to the

Commonwealth Research Laboratories in Melbourne,[8][9] where its venom was successfully milked by zoologist David Fleay,[11] who was at that time the director of Healesville Sanctuary.[9] Venom from the captured taipan was instrumental in researching and developing an antivenom, which became available in 1955,[12] and saved the life of an 11-year-old Cairns boy before the year was over. The story of Budden and his sacrifice spurred efforts to capture other snakes and produce more antivenoms, including Brown snake in 1956, death adder in 1958, Papuan black snake in 1961, Sea snake in 1962, and polyvalent snake antivenom in 1962.[13]

In a 2014 article published in the Journal of Proteomics, University of Queensland venomologist Bryan Fry reported finding specimens of the venom harvested from the taipan that killed Budden. His study found that the venom had retained its toxicity after almost sixty years in dry storage.[3][14]

References

  1. ^ "Catalogue listing (Kevin Budden papers, 1948-1950)". Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  2. ^ Mirtschin, P. (2006); "The pioneers of venom production for Australian antivenoms", in: Toxicon, Vol. 48, p. 899-918. Retrieved online, 17 June 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d Atfield, Cameron (16 January 2014). "Snake venom keeps its bite 80 years on". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  4. ^ a b "Catches snakes as a hobby". News. Adelaide, South Australia. 19 January 1949. p. 13. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  5. ^ "Taipan Victim's Many Snakebites". Barrier Miner. Broken Hill, New South Wales. 14 August 1950. p. 8. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  6. ^ "Leaving on snake hunt". Barrier Miner. Broken Hill, New South Wales. 30 March 1949. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  7. ^ "Snake Scalpers". Worker. Brisbane, Queensland. 11 April 1949. p. 4. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  8. ^ a b "Taipan "belonga devil"". News. Adelaide, South Australia. 1 August 1950. p. 11. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  9. ^
    ISBN 978-174223-232-4
    .
  10. ^ Orrell, John (26 October 1950). "The Taipan - Deadly Snake on View in Renmark". Murray Pioneer. Renmark, South Australia. p. 11. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  11. ^ "Budden's Parents to Visit Grave". Townsville Daily Bulletin. 12 August 1950. p. 7. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  12. ^ Williams, David (January 2004). "The Death of Kevin Budden". Archived from the original on 6 May 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  13. ^ "Student and Post Graduate Projects". venomsupplies.com.
  14. ^ Yong, Ed (January 2014). "80-Year-Old Vintage Snake Venom Can Still Kill". National Geographic. Archived from the original on 17 January 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.

Further reading

External links

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