Venomous mammals are animals of the
classIn biological classification, class is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, order, family, genus, and species, with class fitting between phylum and order...
Mammalia that produce
venomVenom is any of a variety of toxins used by certain types of animals. Generally, venom is injected by such means as a bite or a sting.-The distinction between venom and poison:...
, which they use to kill or disable prey, or to defend themselves from predators. In modern nature, venomous mammals are quite rare. Venom is much more common among other
vertebrateVertebrates are members of the subphylum Vertebrata, chordates with backbones or spinal columns. About 58,000 species of vertebrates have been described. Vertebrata is the largest subphylum of chordates, and contains many familiar groups of large land animals. Vertebrates comprise cyclostomes, bony...
s; there are many more
speciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
of venomous reptiles (e.g. snakes), and fish (e.g.
stonefishSynanceja verrucosa is a fish species, sometimes lethal to humans, which is known as the reef stonefish or simply stonefish. They are carnivorous ray-finned fish with venomous spines that lives on reef bottoms, camouflaged as a rock...
). There are no species of venomous bird; however some birds are poisonous to eat or touch, such as the
pitohuiPitohui is a genus of birds endemic to New Guinea, belonging to the family Pachycephalidae.Currently six species are classified in the genus, though current molecular genetics research suggests that significant reclassification of the Pachycephalidae may be needed.-Species:* Variable Pitohui,...
, the ifrita, and the Rufous or
Little Shrike-thrushThe Little Shrike-thrush is a species of bird in the Colluricinclidae family.It is found in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea....
.
Venomous mammals are animals of the
classIn biological classification, class is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, order, family, genus, and species, with class fitting between phylum and order...
Mammalia that produce
venomVenom is any of a variety of toxins used by certain types of animals. Generally, venom is injected by such means as a bite or a sting.-The distinction between venom and poison:...
, which they use to kill or disable prey, or to defend themselves from predators. In modern nature, venomous mammals are quite rare. Venom is much more common among other
vertebrateVertebrates are members of the subphylum Vertebrata, chordates with backbones or spinal columns. About 58,000 species of vertebrates have been described. Vertebrata is the largest subphylum of chordates, and contains many familiar groups of large land animals. Vertebrates comprise cyclostomes, bony...
s; there are many more
speciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
of venomous reptiles (e.g. snakes), and fish (e.g.
stonefishSynanceja verrucosa is a fish species, sometimes lethal to humans, which is known as the reef stonefish or simply stonefish. They are carnivorous ray-finned fish with venomous spines that lives on reef bottoms, camouflaged as a rock...
). There are no species of venomous bird; however some birds are poisonous to eat or touch, such as the
pitohuiPitohui is a genus of birds endemic to New Guinea, belonging to the family Pachycephalidae.Currently six species are classified in the genus, though current molecular genetics research suggests that significant reclassification of the Pachycephalidae may be needed.-Species:* Variable Pitohui,...
, the ifrita, and the Rufous or
Little Shrike-thrushThe Little Shrike-thrush is a species of bird in the Colluricinclidae family.It is found in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea....
. There are only a few species of venomous amphibians; certain salamandrid salamanders can extrude sharp venom-tipped ribs.
http://www.askabiologist.org.uk/punbb/viewtopic.php?id=1494http://www.jstor.org/pss/1443606
Venomous mammals may have been more common in the past. Canine teeth dated at 60 million years old from two extinct species, the shrew-like
Bisonalveus browniBisonalveus browni is an extinct mammal, once believed to be related to the modern pangolin.It was discovered in 1956 in Alberta, Canada. It is known primarily from fossil jaws dating back 60 million years ago, during the Palaeocene epoch...
and another unidentified mammal, show grooves that some palaeontologists have argued are indicative of a venomous bite. However, other scientists have questioned this conclusion given that many living nonvenomous mammals (e.g., many primates, coatis and fruit bats) also have deep grooves down the length of their canines, suggesting that this feature does not always reflect an adaptation to venom delivery.
To explain the rarity of venom delivery in Mammalia, Mark Dufton of the
University of StrathclydeThe University of Strathclyde , Glasgow, Scotland, is Glasgow's second university by age, founded in 1796, and receiving its Royal Charter in 1964 as the UK's first technological university. It takes its name from the historic Kingdom of Strathclyde...
has suggested that modern mammals do not need venom because they are smart and effective enough to kill quickly with tooth or claw; whereas venom, no matter how sophisticated, takes time to disable prey.
Listed below are mammals that are venomous or that use poisonous or noxious chemicals in some form.
Venomous
Cuban SolenodonThe Cuban Solenodon or Almiqui , is a species of soricomorph that is endemic to Cuba. It belongs to the family Solenodontidae along with a similar species, the Hispaniolan Solenodon...
(
Atopogale cubana) & Hispaniolan Solenodon (
Solenodon paradoxus):
SolenodonsSolenodons are venomous, nocturnal, burrowing, insectivorous mammals belonging to the family Solenodontidae. Only one genus, Solenodon, is known, although a few other genera were erected at one time and are now regarded as junior synonyms...
look similar to very large shrews. They both have venomous bites; the venom is delivered from modified salivary glands via grooves in their second lower incisors.
PlatypusThe Platypus is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young...
(
Ornithorhyncus anatinus): Males have a venomous spur on their hind legs. Echidnas, the other monotremes, have spurs but no functional venom glands.
Eurasian water shrewThe Eurasian Water Shrew , known in British English as the Water Shrew, is a relatively large shrew, up to 10 cm in length, with a tail up to three-quarters as long again. It has short dark fur, often with a few white tufts, and a few stiff hairs around the feet and tail which act as a keel in the...
(
Neomys fodiens): Capable of delivering a venomous bite.
Northern Short-tailed ShrewThe Northern Short-tailed Shrew is the largest shrew in the genus Blarina, and occurs in the northeastern region of North America. It is a semifossorial, highly active and voracious insectivore and is present in a variety of habitats. It is notable in that it is one of the few venomous mammals...
(
Blarina brevicauda): Capable of delivering a venomous bite.
Southern Short-tailed ShrewThe Southern Short-tailed Shrew is a small, gray, short-tailed mammal that inhabits the eastern United States. The overall appearance is somewhat like a rodent, but is a member of the order Soricomorpha and should not be confused with a member of the order Rodentia. This shrew has a long, pointed...
(
Blarina carolinensis) &
Elliot's Short-tailed ShrewElliot's Short-tailed Shrew is a small, slate grey, short-tailed species of shrew. The appearance of the Elliot's Short-tailed Shrew resembles than that of the Southern Short-tailed Shrew. The mammal appears much similar to a rodent, but like other shrews is a member of the Soricomorpha order....
(
Blarina hylophaga): Possibly have a venomous bite.
European MoleThe European Mole, Talpa europaea, is a mammal of the order Soricomorpha. It is also known as the Common Mole and the Northern Mole....
(
Talpa europaea): The European mole, and possibly other species of mole
http://a-z-animals.com/animals/mole/, has toxins in its saliva that can paralyze earthworms, allowing it to store them for later consumption
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7207958.stm.
Venomous/poisonous
Slow lorisThe slow loris is any one of three species of loris classified in the genus Nycticebus. These slow moving Strepsirhini primates range from Borneo and the southern Philippines in Southeast Asia, through Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, India , southern China , and Thailand...
es (
Nycticebus coucang,
Nycticebus bengalensis,
Nycticebus pygmaeus ): Brachial glands on the inside of the elbows of the slow loris secrete a brown exudate. This exudate is licked and becomes mixed with saliva. A protein in the secretion, which is similar to the allergen protein isolated from the domestic cat, may be introduced by the bites of slow lorises, resulting in anaphylaxis. Thus, it is questionable whether the slow loris should be considered truly venomous.
Chemical defense
Family Mephitidae: Skunks can eject a noxious fluid from glands near their
anusThe anus is an opening at the opposite end of an animal's digestive tract from the mouth. Its function is to expel feces, unwanted semi-solid matter produced during digestion, which, depending on the type of animal, may be one or more of: matter which the animal cannot digest, such as bones; food...
. It is not only foul smelling, but can cause skin irritation and, if it gets in the eyes, temporary blindness. Some members of the mustelid family, such as the striped polecat (
Ictonyx striatus), also have this capacity to an extent.
PangolinA pangolin , also scaly anteater or trenggiling, is a mammal of the order Pholidota. There is only one extant family and one genus of pangolins, comprising eight species. There are also a number of extinct taxa. Pangolins have large keratin scales covering their skin and are the only mammals with...
s can also emit a noxious smelling fluid from glands near the anus. The Great Long-nosed Armadillo can also release a disagreeable musky odor when threatened.
See also
- Venomous fish
Venomous fish are fish that produce venom. There are at least 1200 species of venomous fish, and they include the Stonefish, Lionfish, Scorpion Fish, Stargazer, and Toadfish .-External links:* - LiveScience.com...
- Toxicofera
Toxicofera , is a hypothetical clade which represents about 4600 species of extant squamates It encompasses all venomous reptile species, as well as numerous related non-venomous species....
- The cladeA clade is a term used in modern alpha taxonomy, the scientific classification of living and fossil organisms, to describe a monophyletic group, defined as a group consisting of a single common ancestor and all its descendants.[The term "monophyletic group" is used in this article...]
that contains all venomous species of reptile.
External links