Acknowledgements

Transforming the hard-copy guide to the biology and clinical management of venomous and poisonous animals (“Notfallhandbuch Gifttiere”) into a free-access internet-based online version was a great challenge. A great team and several Foundations (see 'Sponsors') joined together in a marvellous collaboration to produce a wonderful result: the VAPAGuide - Guidance for the biological and clinical management of Venomous And Poisonous Animals. 

Very special thanks go to our colleagues of the Website Team for their excellent work and great enthusiasm and dedication.

Matthias Zepf and Dr. Markus Stoll of the software company Junidas converted the print version of the “Notfallhandbuch Gifttiere” into a smart and beautiful online version, the multi-layered framework of the former VAPAGuide. They were deeply engaged in transforming the former VAPAGuide into its new appearance. Without their immense input and hosting from the beginnings the VAPAGuide would not exist.

With Dipl.-Phys. Michael Burgstahler and Dipl.-Wirt.-Ing. Sibel Sener, of Two tribes Informationsgestaltung GmbH, we found very gifted web designer who perfectly understood to rearrange the complex contents of the former VAPAGuide. They gave the actual VAPAGuide the new appearance which enables the users a seamless access to the website and a responsive use on smartphones and tablets.

Very warm thanks go to Elizabeth Morgan for her elegant and meticulous translation of the German text into English, no simple task considering the 670 pages in the original book, densely filled with the diverse terminology of biology and medicine.

At this point we would like to mention the sad loss of our original translator, Dr. Markus Schwarzenbach, who passed away shortly after beginning work on the project.

Many thanks to Alban Mahrer for his patience and admirable accuracy in importing and adapting the extensive raw data from the “Notfallhandbuch Gifttiere” to the electronic version.

We are also indebted to Dr. Lukas Stammler, whose drawings convey the beauty and aesthetics of the features and essential characteristics of various venomous and poisonous animals.

We are very thankfull to Claudia Meyer for her tasteful and extensive expansion of the image material, covering drawings, maps and icons giving the new VAPAGuide a fresh and uptodate look.

The input of many specialists and non-specialists worldwide helped to establish the VAPAGuide (see acknowledgements and
Introduction by the authors (excerpt from the “Notfallhandbuch Gifttiere”, Junghanss and Bodio, 1996)).

Over the decades, we have had the privilege of engaging in numerous discussions on clinical and biological toxinological topics with Professor David A. Warrell, one of the world's leading clinical toxinologists. We are very grateful.