Latest Venomous animals Stories
SAN FRANCISCO, July 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As Californians head outdoors to enjoy the summer sun they can be exposed to potential dangers as well. The California Poison Control System (CPCS) offers tips for staying safe and happy this season. CPCS (www.calpoison.org) is available at 1-800-222-1222, 24 hours a day, seven days a week for immediate expert help and information in case of exposure to summer hazards. "With school out and the sun shining Californians are heading outside,"...
SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Now that it is spring, pet owners will be taking their dogs outside more for walks, hiking, and camping. While fun is anticipated, pet owners should be cautious about their animals' safety, as snakes may pose a danger to dogs and humans. About 90 percent of snakebites occur between April and October throughout the U.S. During summer months, snakes show increased aggression and venom yield. The majority of snakebite deaths to humans and animals are...
In an attempt to cut down on the 100,000 annual deaths caused by snake venom, the World Health Organization launched a website Tuesday that contains a database of approved antivenoms to treat people who suffer venomous bites. The antivenoms -- antidotes developed from venom -- can prevent serious disability or even death, but WHO says many are inappropriate and have led to a loss of confidence among doctors and patients, especially in tropical countries. "The regions that are most in need are...
The King Cobra continues to weave its charm with researchers identifying a protein in its venom with the potential for new drug discovery and to advance understanding of disease mechanisms.The novel protein named haditoxin has been described in the prestigious Journal of Biological Chemistry (March 12, 2010).The editorial board of the journal has selected this work as the "Paper of the Week" recognizing it as being in the top one per cent of their published articles in terms of...
Abandon any notion that the duck-billed platypus is a soft and cuddly creature -- maybe like Perry the Platypus in the Phineas and Ferb cartoon. This platypus, renowned as one of the few mammals that lay eggs, also is one of only a few venomous mammals. The males can deliver a mega-sting that causes immediate, excruciating pain, like hundreds of hornet stings, leaving victims incapacitated for weeks. Now scientists are reporting an advance toward deciphering the chemical composition of the...
NEW YORK, Jan. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Animal adventurer and venom expert Donald Schultz has traveled worldwide to collect venom and DNA from rare animals for his television series WILD RECON (Tuesdays at 9 PM on Animal Planet). Each week, Donald gets his hands on some of the deadliest animals on the planet: black mambas in South Africa, sea snakes in Australia, and even rampaging elephants in Sri Lanka. But in January, he will face his toughest challenge yet: to spend 10 consecutive days with...
Name all the venomous animals you can think of and you probably come up with snakes, spiders, bees, wasps and perhaps poisonous frogs. But catfish?A new study by University of Michigan graduate student Jeremy Wright finds that at least 1,250 and possibly more than 1,600 species of catfish may be venomous"”far more than previously believed. The research is described in a paper published online Dec. 4 in the open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology.Lest anyone have concerns about attacks...
Research could help lead to antivenoms and treatmentsWith thousands of stinging cells that can emit deadly venom from tentacles that can reach ten feet in length, the 50 or so species of box jellyfish have long been of interest to scientists and to the public. Yet little has been known about the evolution of this early branch in the animal tree of life.In a paper published November 18 in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, NOAA researchers Allen Collins, Bastian Bentlage and Cheryl Lewis...
A South African man's world record attempt for living with the most venomous snakes ended when he was bitten on the foot by a puff adder. Johannes Swart, 34, was on his 37th day Monday living in a glass enclosure with 40 venomous snakes, including boomslangs, cobras and puff adders when one of the serpents bit him on the foot, leading paramedics to fear he could go into cardiac arrest and call off the stunt, The Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday. I saw him yesterday and he was in extreme...
While studying a way to more safely and effectively collect snake venom, University of Florida researchers have noticed the venom delivered by an isolated population of Florida cottonmouth snakes may be changing in response to their diet.Scientists used a portable nerve stimulator to extract venom from anesthetized cottonmouths, producing more consistent extraction results and greater amounts of venom, according to findings published in August in the journal Toxicon. The study of venoms is...
Latest Venomous animals Reference Libraries
The Lion's Mane jellyfish (Cyanea capillata) is native to the northern regions of the Arctic, Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans; there are very few Lion's Mane jellyfish that can be found farther south than 42 degrees north latitude. The Lion's Mane jellyfish is the largest and longest jellyfish known and one of the longest animals in general. In 1870, a Lion's Mane jellyfish was found washed up on the Massachusetts Bay. The bell (body) of the jellyfish had a diameter of 7 feet and 6 inches...
The Hispaniolan Solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus), also known as the Haitian Solenodon or Agouta, is a solenodon found only on the island of Hispaniola, part of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Currently, the solenodon may only be surviving in two places in the Dominican Republic: Jaragua and Del Este National Parks. Its presence in Los Haitises National Park is inferred but unconfirmed. It was discovered in 1833. The Hispaniolan Solenodon belongs to the order Soricomorpha and the family...
The Cuban Solenodon (Solenodon cubanus), known as the Almiqui in Cuba, is a soricomorph native to Cuba. It belongs to the family Solenodontidae along with a similar species, the Hispaniola Solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus). The solenodon is unusual among mammals in that its saliva is venomous. Appearance With small eyes, and dark brown to black hair, it is sometimes compared to a shrew. It most closely resembles members of the family Tenrecidae, of Madagascar. It is 16 to 22 inches (40...
The Beaded Lizard or Mexican Beaded Lizard, Heloderma horridum, is a venomous lizard found in Mexico and the southern United States. Adult Mexican Beaded Lizards range from 13 to 18 inches in length. Until recently, the beaded lizard and the Gila Monster were the only two lizards known to be venomous. Research showed that some iguanas and monitors are also venomous. The beaded lizards' venom is similar to that of some snakes (e.g. the western diamondback rattler).
The platypus is a semi-aquatic endemic to eastern Australia and Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. It is the sole living representative of its family and genus, though a number of related species have been found in the fossil record. The unique appearance of this egg-laying, duck-billed mammal baffled naturalists when it was first discovered, with some...
