Five Poisonous Animals, But They Don’t Look Like It

Some specimens became household pets because the truth is that their physical appearance did not appear to be a threat to human health. Among these are birds, mammals, molluscs and amphibians.

Poison is one of the main defenses of the animal kingdom and also one of the main attack strategies. While we are all used to associating poisonous animals with the  most vivid snakes, jellyfish and spiders, there are other species that are poisonous and may not look like it.

There are different types of poisons, and although  these animals  don’t have the most dangerous ones, it’s convenient to know them. Some of them have  already been adopted as pets, and most people are not aware of their dangers.

Poisonous animals: are there poisonous birds?

Interestingly, there are also poisonous animals among birds. Three genera of birds belonging to New Guinea ingest the same beetles as arrow frogs and use their toxins to defend against predators and parasites. The species that perform this curious behavior are ifrita, Colluricincla megarhyncha and pitohui.

This poison affects both the nervous system and the heart, causing cardiorespiratory arrest, although it is difficult for this to happen, as the poison must reach the blood. However, handling these birds for scientific purposes, or for other tasks, can cause burns.

slow lory

The slow lory is a species of  primate  that lives in Sumatra and other Asian countries. Unfortunately,  the possession of this monkey as a pet has become popular, despite being one of the few mammals that are poisonous animals.

The fact is that this animal has an   inflammatory toxin produced by a gland in the elbow. This animal takes this gland to its mouth and inoculates the toxin through its bite. In addition,  females anoint their young with poisoned saliva to defend them from possible danger.

Platypus

This member of the Australian fauna  is one of the only mammals that lay eggs, and also one of those poisonous animals that you don’t expect it to be.

In general, the  platypus  has very strange characteristics: it  is a mammal with a beak, which swims and has spurs with venom,  which is produced seasonally.

It is used especially to compete with other males, and in fact occurs during mating season to fight other platypus. The toxin is not a deadly poison, but it produces excruciating pain.

Some species of shrews, such as short-tailed ones, are venomous. Their teeth are not hollow, but they have a groove that serves as a channel for the venom, which acts as a paralyzing agent and even a preservative. It allows the shrew to keep its prey alive.

The shrew is an animal that consumes a lot of food, so thanks to this poison it can store long-lasting food during the winter months. Although they are poisonous animals, the toxin is not a threat to humans.

cone snail

These sea snails may look harmless and elegant at the same time, but they have a needle-shaped tooth that injects paralyzing venom. This tooth is thrown like an arrow, which is fixed on the victim and causes disorientation, paralysis and  shock.  In this case, the venom is dangerous for humans, which makes it a very dangerous mollusk for our species, although not common.