Venomous Mammals
Venomous Mammals
The use of venom is common among insects, snakes, and other animal families. no birds are known to be venomous, and there are only a few species of venomous mammals.
Venomous bites are found in a few species of small mammals called shrews. they use their venomous saliva to paralyze or kill prey, such as mice, fish, frogs, and newts. they also will bite in self-defense, leaving their attacker with pain and swelling. Another mammal with venomous saliva for killing prey is the solenodon. This animal looks like a shrew. it lives only on the islands of cuba and hispaniola in the West indies.
The platypus of Australia is also venomous. this duckbilled, beaver-tailed mammal has no teeth, but the male platypus has venomous spurs on its hind legs. they are used for defense and for fighting with other males. The venom is said to be strong enough to kill a dog.
The slow loris, a chubby, big-eyed animal of southeast Asia, also uses venom to protect itself. A loris’s venom gland is in its arm. to use the venom, the loris licks its arm. then, when it bites, the mixture of saliva and venom seeps out from between its teeth into the wound. the smell of the venomous saliva repels predators, such as bears. this may be why a female loris spreads saliva on her young when she needs to leave them untended for a while.
The use of venom is common among insects, snakes, and other animal families. no birds are known to be venomous, and there are only a few species of venomous mammals.
Venomous bites are found in a few species of small mammals called shrews. they use their venomous saliva to paralyze or kill prey, such as mice, fish, frogs, and newts. they also will bite in self-defense, leaving their attacker with pain and swelling. Another mammal with venomous saliva for killing prey is the solenodon. This animal looks like a shrew. it lives only on the islands of cuba and hispaniola in the West indies.
The platypus of Australia is also venomous. this duckbilled, beaver-tailed mammal has no teeth, but the male platypus has venomous spurs on its hind legs. they are used for defense and for fighting with other males. The venom is said to be strong enough to kill a dog.
The slow loris, a chubby, big-eyed animal of southeast Asia, also uses venom to protect itself. A loris’s venom gland is in its arm. to use the venom, the loris licks its arm. then, when it bites, the mixture of saliva and venom seeps out from between its teeth into the wound. the smell of the venomous saliva repels predators, such as bears. this may be why a female loris spreads saliva on her young when she needs to leave them untended for a while.
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