Studying the Venom Glands of the Picung Snake, Yasmin Nadhiva Becomes the Best Graduate of the IPB Master’s Program, Achieving a GPA of 4,00
Her interest in the anatomical details of animals led Yasmin Nadhiva Narindria to be named the Best Graduate of the IPB University Master’s Program at the December 2025 graduation ceremony.
Pursuing her master’s degree in the Animal Biomedical Sciences Program at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (SKHB) IPB University, Yasmin graduated with a cumulative GPA of 4,00.
This achievement was attained through her thesis research on the structure of the nuchal gland (venom gland) in the picung snake (Rhabdophis subminiatus), an endemic Indonesian snake species that still holds many gaps in scientific knowledge.
In her research, Yasmin studied the nuchal glands of the picung snake, which function to produce toxins. She explained that toxins and venom in snakes are two different substances.
“Toxins are generally used as a passive defense mechanism against predators, while venom is used to paralyze prey and is delivered through fangs or teeth,” she explained.
She added, “The picung snake is known to be venomous, but in addition to having venom glands, this species also has toxin glands that are still largely unknown.”
The picung snake is an endemic species of Indonesia found on the island of Java, parts of Sumatra, and Sulawesi. Yasmin’s research samples were taken from West Java, namely Bogor and Bandung, with natural habitats around rivers or damp areas near waterways. To date, the picung snake population is still abundant and classified as least concern or not threatened with extinction.
Yasmin added that research related to the venom of the picung snake is still wide open for development due to the lack of information, both among the general public and researchers.
“Hopefully, the results of this study can enrich our knowledge about the biology of the picung snake and open up opportunities for the use of venom as a biological material, such as the development of antitoxins or antiserums,” said Yasmin.
For her, the opportunity to pursue postgraduate studies at IPB University was a valuable academic experience. During her studies, she majored in Physiology and Medicinal Properties, with a minor in Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, based on her interest in veterinary anatomy since pursuing her undergraduate degree in Veterinary Medicine at IPB University.
“Anatomy teaches us that every structure in a living organism plays an important role in supporting life. There are still many animal anatomical structures that have not been explored, and that encourages me to continue researching,” she said.
Through her thesis entitled Research on the Structure of the Nuchal Glands of the Picung Snake, Yasmin successfully added new scientific information about the existence and characteristics of venom glands in this species, which complements previous knowledge about the venom glands that were already known. (dh) (IAAS/KQA)
