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Venom dripping out of a prairie rattlesnake

Venomous

Venomous organisms inflict poisonous wounds by actively biting, stinging or scratching their victims and injecting toxins into them. This distinguishes them from poisonous species which usually contain or secrete toxins and need to touched or eaten to contaminate their victims. Envenomation can be a predatory tactic or a defence mechanism. It can be costly to produce and to inject toxins, so often organisms will use as little venom as possible in an attack.

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Plants with this adaptation

About

Venom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite, sting or other sharp body feature. Unlike poison, which is ingested or inhaled, administration of venom is usually directed into the lymphatic system itself for faster action.

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Behaviours

Other Predation strategy behaviours

BBC News about Venomous

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