*2.1. Experimental Design*

This experimental study was conducted at the Microbiology Laboratory of the University Hospital of Martinique. During eighteen months, all *B. lanceolatus* snakes captured by personnel of the National Office of Forests in Martinique were studied. Snakes were grouped according to their geographical origin, i.e., wet (forest and near water areas) versus dry regions (peri-urban areas). The snake's oral cavity was opened and sampled from the vicinity of the fangs using sterile cotton swabs. Samples were subjected to Gram staining and examined for bacterial growth. They were plated on non-selective blood agar and chocolate agar and cultured at 37 ◦C for 2–7 days and the color and shape of the colonies were observed. Species identification was performed with API-20E and API-20NE systems (BioMérieux, Marcy L'Etoile, France). Antimicrobial susceptibilities of all isolates to beta-lactams were determined by the disk diffusion methods based on the definitions of the Antibiogram Committee of the French Microbiology Society [10]. The inhibition zone diameters of each drug for each isolate were determined after overnight incubation at 35.8 ◦C in ambient air. The interpretive criteria of the inhibition zone and minimum inhibitory concentrations were in accordance with those of the Antibiogram Committee of the French Society of Microbiology.
