Friday, September 27, 2013

Venom vs. poison


Venom and poison are both toxic. The difference is in the delivery. Venom is injected using a special 'apparatus' (e.g., fangs, stingers); poison is ingested, usually by eating or drinking, but sometimes through skin contact.

Photos by Steven Kessel  9/10/2013

More on this topic from Steven Kessel:

The datura blossom (Sacred Datura Datura wrightii) is poisonous [Anne notes: to many mammals]. Eating it will give you hallucinations and will make you very sick. It can kill you if you ingest it. [Anne notes: especially the seeds.] By contrast, the Tarantula Hawk is venomous. By reputation, its sting is among the most potent of all insect stings.


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