Poisonous Animals

When you hear the word "Poison", what is the first animal that you picture? Probably you pictured a snake. In my case, I think of rattlesnakes. But reptiles aren't the only animals that can poison other living things. In this blog entry, I will talk briefly about some of the most curious poisonous animals in the world .

I think the most extraordinary poisonous animal is "The Hooded Pitohui". Until now, it is one of the very few poisonous birds discovered in the world. (Other poisonous birds are variants of the Pitohui species and the Blue Capped Ifrita ). The poison will only cause numbness and tingling, therefore it isn't a very dangerous animal.Curiously, the toxin used by the Pitohui is similar to that of the Poison Dart Frog, and higher doses of the poison are dangerously lethal. Touching a Hooded Pitohui will result in poisoning, since it's skin and feathers are covered in this toxin.  (Your Science Blog)

Unlike the Pitohui, which uses it's venom to protect itself, the Marbled Cone Snail uses it's venom as a weapon to capture prey. A drop of this snail's poison could kill more than 20 people. Some symptoms include intense pain, numbness, swelling and affect a person's hearing, vision and speech. This snail shoots a harpoon at it's prey from within it's shell, which instantly paralyzes it. Then, the snail reels it in and feeds on it. These species of snails are called "cigarette snails", because after being stung by one, it's victim only has time to smoke a cigarette before dying. (iloveindia.com)

Works Cited

iloveindia.com. Facts About Marbled Cone Snail. n.d. 9 September 2011 <http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/facts-about-marbled-cone-snail-7605.html>.

Your Science Blog. Science Blog. 5 February 2008. 9 September 2011 <http://yourscienceblog.blogspot.com/>.