What animals contain poison?

Question

What animals contain poison?

Answer 1

Monarchs are foul-tasting and poisonous due to the presence of cardenolide aglycones in their bodies, which the caterpillars ingest as they feed on milkweed. Both forms advertise their unpalatability with bright colors and areas of high contrast on the skin or wings. This phenomenon is known as aposematism.Monarchs share this defense with the even more unpleasant-tasting and similar-appearing viceroy butterfly, in an example of Müllerian mimicry. (Viceroys were at one time believed to be Batesian mimics of monarchs.)

The male Platypus has ankle spurs which produce a cocktail of venom,composed largely of defensin-like proteins (DLPs), which is unique to the Platypus. Although powerful enough to kill smaller animals, the venom is not lethal to humans, but is so excruciating that the victim may be incapacitated. Oedema rapidly develops around the wound and gradually spreads throughout the affected limb. Information obtained from case histories and anecdotal evidence indicates that the pain develops into a long-lasting hyperalgesia that persists for days or even months.Venom is produced in the crural glands of the male, which are kidney-shaped alveolar glands connected by a thin-walled duct to a calcaneus spur on each hind limb. The female Platypus, in common with echidnas, has rudimentary spur buds which do not develop (dropping off before the end of their first year) and lack functional crural glands.The venom appears to have a different function from those produced by non-mammalian species: its effects are not life-threatening but nevertheless powerful enough to seriously impair the victim. Since only males produce venom and production rises during the breeding season, it is theorised that it is used as an offensive weapon to assert dominance during this period.

Poison dart frogs excrete alkaloid toxins through their skin. Most species are not lethal to their predators, but rather taste foul enough that frogs are released immediately. Dart frogs also do not synthesize their poisons. The alkaloids are sequestered from prey items, such as ants and mites. Because of this, captive bred animals do not contain significant levels of toxin. However, wild caught animals can maintain toxicity for some time, so appropriate care should be taken when handling such animals.

The sting from the tentacles of a  Portuguese Man O' War is dangerous to humans. These stings usually cause excruciating pain, and have even been the cause of several deaths. Detached tentacles and specimens which wash up on shore can sting just as painfully as the intact creature in the water for weeks after their detachment. The venom can travel up to the lymph nodes and may cause, depending on the amount of venom, more intense pain. Medical attention is usually necessary, especially in extreme cases.Research suggests that the best treatment for a sting is to apply hot water (45°C/113°F) to the affected area, which eases the pain of a sting by denaturing the toxins.Ice is also effective at suppressing the pain through reducing the activity of the toxins and reducing the sensation and therefore pain of the area of skin around the ice. Additionally, ice constricts blood vessels, reducing the speed at which the venom travels to other parts of the body.The Portuguese Man O' War is often confused with a jellyfish, which is incorrect and may lead to improper treatment of stings, as the venom is different. A second sting may lead to an allergic reaction.

Although the black widow venom is extremely potent, (15 times more potent than that of the rattlesnakes; it is also reported to be much more potent than the venom of cobras and coral snakes), these spiders are not especially large. Compared to many other species of spiders, their chelicerae are not very large or powerful. In the case of a mature female, the hollow, needle shaped part of each chelicera, the part that penetrates the skin, is approximately 1.0 millimeters (about .04 in) long, long enough to inject the venom to a point where it can be harmful. The males, being much smaller, inject far less venom with smaller chelicerae. The actual amount injected, even by a mature female, is very small in physical volume. When this small amount of venom is diffused throughout the body of a healthy, mature human, it usually does not amount to a fatal dose (though it can produce the very unpleasant symptoms of latrodectism). Deaths in healthy adults from Latrodectus bites are relatively rare in terms of the number of bites per thousand people. Sixty-three deaths were reported in the United States between 1950 and 1990. On the other hand, the geographical range of the widow spiders is very great. As a result, far more people are exposed, world-wide, to widow bites than are exposed to bites of more dangerous spiders, so the highest number of deaths world-wide are caused by members of their genus. Widow spiders have more potent venom than most spiders, and prior to the development of antivenin, 5%of reported bites resulted in fatalities. The venom can cause a swelling up to 15 cm. Improvements in plumbing have greatly reduced the incidence of bites and fatalities in areas where outdoor privies have been replaced by flush toilets.There are a number of active components in the venom:Latrotoxins A number of smaller polypeptides - toxins interacting with cation channels which display spatial structure homology - which can affect the functioning of calcium, sodium, or potassium channels.

King Cobra's venom, which is composed mostly of proteins and polypeptides, is produced in specialized salivary glands (as is the case with all venomous reptiles) just behind the animal's eyes. When biting its prey, venom is forced through the snake's half-inch (8-10 mm) fangs and into the wound. Although the venom is less toxic than that of some other venomous snakes, including the Indian Cobra, a King Cobra is capable of injecting more venom than most other serpents due to its large size.A single bite from a King Cobra can deliver enough venom to kill a full-grown Asian Elephant within 3 hours if the larger animal is bitten in a vulnerable area such as the trunk. The Black mamba is almost as deadly as the Cobra, but the Cobra can kill people 5 times faster than the mamba.The King Cobra's venom is primarily neurotoxic and thus attacks the victim's central nervous system and quickly induces severe pain, blurred vision, vertigo, drowsiness, and paralysis. In the minutes following, cardiovascular collapse occurs, and the victim falls into a coma. Death soon follows due to respiratory failure. There are two types of antivenin made specifically to treat King Cobra envenomations. The Red Cross in Thailand manufactures one, and the Central Research Institute in India manufactures the other, however both are made in small quantities, and are not widely available.Despite the King Cobra's fearsome reputation and deadly bite, it is a shy and reclusive animal, avoiding confrontation with humans as often as possible. There are other venomous snakes within this species' range, in fact, that are responsible for more fatal snake bites than the King Cobra, such as the Monocled Cobra, Russell's Viper and Banded Krait.In Burma, King Cobras are often used by female snake charmers. The charmer is usually tattooed with three pictograms using an ink mixed with snake venom; superstition holds that it protects the charmer from the snake.The charmer kisses the snake on the top of its head at the end of the show.

Black mambas are among the most venomous snakes in the world. With a LD50 of 0.25-0.32 mg/kg, the black mamba is 3 times as venomous as the Cape Cobra, 5 times as venomous as the King cobra and about 40 times as venomous as the Gaboon viper.[4]

Black mamba venom contains powerful, fast-acting neurotoxins and cardiotoxins, including calciseptine.[5] Its bite delivers about 100-120 mg of venom on average, however it can deliver up to 400 mg of venom; 10 to 15 mg is deadly to a human adult. The initial symptom of the bite is local pain in the bite area, although not as severe as snakes with hemotoxins. The victim then experiences a tingling sensation in the mouth and extremities, ptosis, diplopia, dysphagia, tunnel vision, ophthalmoparesis, severe confusion, dysarthria, fever, diaphoresis (excessive perspiration), excessive salivation (including foaming of the mouth and nose), and pronounced ataxia (lack of muscle control). If the victim does not receive medical attention, symptoms rapidly progress to severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, lymphadenopathy, dyspnea (shortness of breath), epistaxis, pallor, shock, nephrotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, and paralysis. Eventually, the victim experiences convulsions, respiratory arrest, coma, and then death. Without treatment the mortality rate is nearly 100%, the highest among venomous snakes. Depending on the nature of a bite, death can, and has resulted in as little as 15-30 minutes or it may take up to 120-180 minutes. Factors associated with the nature of the bite include penetration of one or both fangs, amount of venom injected, location of the bite, and proximity to major blood vessels. The health of the snake and the interval since it last used its venom mechanism may also be a factor. The health, size, age, and psychological state of the individual bitten is also a determining factor.

The spitting cobras native to Africa. They can spit venom up to 2m through tiny apertures in the fangs.

The Box jellyfish known as Chironex fleckeri is best known for its incredibly powerful and sometimes fatal sting. The sting produces excruciating pain accompanied by an intense burning sensation, and the venom has multiple effects attacking the nervous system, heart and skin at the same time. While an appreciable amount of venom (contact from about ten feet or three metres of tentacle) needs to be delivered in order to have a fatal effect on an adult hu

Answer 2

Insects:

Wasps,

most bees,

Guard ants and termites

Arachnids:

Spiders,

Scorpions

Amphibians:

Some salamanders

Poison Arrow Frogs

Cane Toads

Reptiles:

Some snakes

2 species of lizard the beaded lizard, and Gila monster

Marine Life:

Most jelly fish

Portuguese man of war

Rock fish

Scorpion fish

Stone fish

Lion fish

Blue ringed octopus

Sea snakes

Mammals

Male Duck billed platypus

Answer 3

I know frogs and snakes do. I dont think there animals but they are amphibians I think. Some fishes are poisonous. I heard if you cook duck the wrong way its poisonous. Off the top of my head that all I can think of. Goodluck with your question.

Answer 4

All spiders (though many don't have large enough fangs to do damage), some snakes, jellyfish, scorpions, platypus (they have a poisonous spur), some octopi, some fish like the rockfish, scorpion fish, etc, all toads, some frogs, centipedes, Gila monster, shrews, some sea urchins, sea anenome, wasps, and bees.

Answer 5

I'm not sure what kind of animals you are talking about but many animals have defensive mechanisms that are harmful. Many sea animals have poison, quite alot of frogs have poison, a fair few snakes, quite a lot of insects have poisen, there are quite a few mammals that have poison as well. If you need a more direct answer let us know what kind of animal or kind of species so we can be more helpful.