10 Shocking Facts About Venom And Poison

There are a million ways to bite the dust on our beautiful blue planet, and being attacked by venom or poison has got to be one of the worst. Nature has armed many of its creations with these weapons to help them make their way in the food cycle and protect themselves during times of distress. The many forms of poison and venom make this defense mechanism quite deadly and we see animals and insects using them in different ways. There are many things you may not know about poison and venom, and this list includes 10 of the most shocking facts in this area.

Deceptive Cashew Nuts

Cashews are one of the most delicious dry fruits in the world, but you cannot buy them with their shells on. This is because cashew shells are poisonous and affect you in a similar way as poison ivy.

Poisonous Primate

This adorable looking creature is the only venomous primate on Earth. It is called the slow loris, and it actually sucks venom from a patch on its elbow before biting its prey.

Soviet C-2

At the height of their experimentation with various dangerous chemicals, the Soviet Union created a deadly poison which they called C-2. When people were given C-2, they began to physically shrink. They also became extremely weak and died all within the span of 15 minutes.

Venomous Octopuses

Not many people known that all octopuses are venomous. The hunt down their prey by drilling through the victim’s shell and injecting venom directly into the body using their beak.

Smoking Poison Ivy

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you smoked poison ivy by mistake? Experiments show that it can cause a massive rash inside your lung and cause respiratory failure. Best stick to other green leaves if you want to light up.

Dangerous Head

You might think that a decapitated snake is not as harmful as the one still crawling around, but it is quite the opposite in this situation. A decapitated snake head can still bite you for several hours after the snake is dead, and the fact that it can’t regulate its venom anymore makes it doubly dangerous.

Expensive Scorpion Milk

Scorpion venom can be quite deadly, but did you know that scorpion milk is extremely expensive? For whatever reason people need scorpion milk, it can cost nearly 40 million dollars for just one gallon.

Rough Skinned Newt

This unlikely looking critter is actually the most poisonous animal in the Americas. It is the rough skinned newt, and is contains poison that is 10,000 times more dangerous than cyanide.

Post 9/11

Almost all plane routes were shut down immediately after the 9/11 attacks. Only one plane was allowed to operate after the ghastly incident. This plane was carrying anti-venom from California to Florida for a man who was bit by a poisonous snake. This special flight was even accompanied by two fighter jets.

Antarctic Octopus

A rare octopus in Antarctica contains a special kind of venom that works in sub-zero temperatures. This venom actually works at a temperature that renders every other kind of venom useless.