Lets start off with the most lethal poison known to man – botulinum.It is produced by the clostridium botulinum bacteria.One gram of it is enough to kill a million people !! It is present all around us though it does not cause us any harm since it can’t thrive in the presence of oxygen.Botulinum in the form of botox is used in cosmetic surgery to tighten the skin on a persons face.Animals have a huge variety of compounds that they use for attack,defence or escape.Snake venom comes in many types and can have a range of deleterious effects such as uncontrolled bleeding,loss of blood pressure,and muscular paralysis which can lead to death by asphyxiation.Snake venom is composed of a cocktail of toxins that can interrupt neurotransmitter function,or even start digesting their prey alive.

Sea snakes tend to have the most potent venom since they have to immobilize their prey quickly.The spitting cobra can spit venom into a persons eyes which if left untreated will lead to blindness.Their venoms are being researched to identify protiens and enzymes that could be useful for human beings,such as in the treatment of cancer.

The vampire bat takes a different approach.It’s saliva contains anti-coagulants which don’t let the victims blood clot, as well as anesthetic agents so the victim cannot feel pain and the bat can continue to feed on its blood.Spiders first trap their prey in their webs after which they inject venom that kills their prey and begins digesting its insides. After this they weave a cocoon around the stuck insect and wait until they can slurp up the resulting concoction.The black widow spider can deliver a particularly nasty bite which contains neurotoxins that disrupt the functioning of the nervous system.The komodo dragon a very large monitor lizard like reptile bites its victims and then lets the venom do its work.Bee venom can cause allergic reaction in rare cases that may lead to death.

In the seas there are the stone fish,lion fish and scorpion fish all whom have sharp spines that secrete venom.The stonefish,true to its name is well camouflaged like a stone.If a person accidentaly steps on it the venom is released and the person experiences intense pain and breathing trouble which could lead to death if not treated. The puffer fish has an extremely dangerous venom called tetrodotoxin.Consuming even a miniscule amount of this can lead to death. Despite this,people in japan sometimes flirt with danger and have this fish.The fish has to be prepared extremely carefully so that the venomous parts such as the skin and the liver,don’t touch the edible parts at all.Only chefs with 3-4 years of experience are allowed to prepare it.Despite all this caution some people do end up dying every year as a result of eating this fish.Cone snails use their powerful conotoxins to immobilize and kill prey. All octopuses have venom. The blue ringed octopus has one of the most lethal venoms in the world.Sea anemones are animals related to corals.They have long,wavy tentacles which can inject venom if some creature touches them.Some fish however are able to live within the tentacles as they produce a coating from their skin that protects them from the stinging tentacles of the anemoneLlast but not least is the jellyfish.their stinging tentacles can leave extremely painful marks on the skin apart from being highly toxic.The box jellyfish is one of the most venomous animals on earth. Some animal derived toxins have been put to use to treat heart conditions,cancers as well as to produce antivenom.

Hope you enjoyed this article.That’s it for now !