Analyzing the biological traits of snakes in Avicenna's Canon of medicine and making a comparison with contemporary serpentology

• Published in: Toxicon (Oxford) 2023-08, Vol.231, p.107198-107198, Article 107198
• Main Authors: Rezaei Orimi, Jamal, Eskandarzadeh, Naeimeh, Amrollahi-Sharifabadi, Mohammad, Miri, Vajihe, Aghabeiglooei, Zahra, Rezghi, Maedeh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Avicenna; Biology; Canon of medicine; Medicine; Snake; Toxinology
• ISSN: 0041-0101; 1879-3150
• DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2023.107198

Snakes are a group of reptiles in the order of squamata that have been the subject of scientific research for years. This study aimed to determine the biological characteristics of snakes that were mentioned in Avicenna's Canon of Medicine to compare with modern serpentology. Data were obtained from the Canon of Medicine using keywords concerning snakes and also appropriate literature in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Scientific Information Database (SID), and IranDoc. Our results revealed that Avicenna divided snakes into three classes including highly, moderately, and slightly venomous snakes that are comparable to modern serpontology. Moreover, Avicenna clarified physiological factors such as age, gender, size, psychological state, hunger state, physical features, the type of living climate, habitat, and the time of snakebite. Considering the snake features presented in the Canon of Medicine, even though is not feasible to make a full comparison between Avicenna's snake knowledge and modern serpentology but some characteristics can be still applicable. Conclusively, the present study suggested that the criteria used for the identification and classification of snakes have changed from the medieval ages to the nowadays. [Display omitted] •The features of the snakes presented by Avicenna in the Canon of Medicine elucidated.•The features are compared with modern serpentology.•Some features proposed by Avicenna in Canon of Medicine are useable to today's serpentologists and medical scholars.•The features used for the identification and classification of snakes have evolved from the Medieval Ages to the present.