Re: Why doesn't a Mongoose die from the poison when eating a poisonous snake?

     Mongooses are small carnivores of the family Viveridae. There are 
about 30 different species, almost all native to Africa. 

     Mongooses typically have a pointed head, a long tail, and thick hair 
except on the lower legs.
     They are commonly terrestrial, diurnal, and solitary. Mongooses feed 
on a wide variety of foods, including small mammals, reptiles, birds' eggs, 
and insects. The Indian gray mongoose, H. edwardsi, which may grow to 20 
inches long plus a 16 inch tail, and weigh about 5 pounds, is the one 
portrayed in Kipling's Jungle Book.

     Mongooses of this genus are famous for their snake-fighting ability 
and are often portrayed fighting a cobra. Research has shown that although 
the mongoose is tolerant of small dosages of cobra venom, it is not immune 
to it. Mongooses are almost always victorious because of their speed, 
agility, and timing and also because of their thick coat.

  The venom has to injected into the animal, therefore, merely eating
the snake does not cause a problem since the venom is digested by the 
acids in the animal's stomach.
  Venom is actually just modified saliva. It's primary function is to 
capture/kill the prey and then it also helps to digest the prey. 

 Some venoms are referred to as hematoxic which means that they primarily 
affect the blood. Almost all american pitvipers fall into this category. A 
hematoxic venom destroys tissue and is very painful. 

 Neurotoxic venoms attack the nervous system and brain. These may cause 
almost no pain, but shut down the respiratory systems and interfere with 
heart functions. Good examples of these types of snakes are the cobra and 
coral snakes. 

    Snake venom is made up of about 20 different enzymes. Species usually 
have 6-12 of theseenzymes. These enzymes determine the toxicity of the 
snake and whether it is hemotoxic or neurotoxic.