5 Venomous Animals That Will Shock You

Generally, animals exhibit big warning signs regarding the poisons they possess. It's a great natural deterrent; most creatures will steer clear of the brightly illuminated poison dart frog because they know instinctively those bright colors mean death.

Some critters aren't so obviously toxic, but that doesn't mean they are any less deadly. Here are five animals you'll be surprised to learn are poisonous!

1. Platypus

The platypus is one of only two mammals on earth that gives birth by laying eggs. Also, they look like someone cobbled them together from all the leftover bits of other animals. However, these goofy little beasts hide a venomous secret: The adult males have poison barbs on their hind legs, which they use to compete with other males during mating season.

Platypus venom is thankfully not deadly to humans, but it does cause agonizing, whole-body pain that lasts for weeks. Neither ordinary painkillers nor morphine can alleviate said agony. Who knew something so silly-looking could hurt so much?

2. Shrew

If you are thinking about taming a shrew, maybe think twice. Turns out a lot of shrew species are packing some venomous weapons in their small frames. Venomous shrews have glands that mix poison into their saliva, and a single shrew produces enough poison to kill 200 mice. Yikes!

Shrews use their poison for hunting. When a shrew bites an unfortunate victim, the poison leaves their prey paralyzed but very much alive so the shrew can chow down on them later. Although shrew bites on humans are very painful, thankfully they typically fade after a few days.

3. Slow Loris

These adorable, big-eyed primates are sometimes called "the shy ones" in their native Borneo because they tend to put their hands in front of their faces and shield their eyes when approached. In reality, that's not them being shy — that's them raising their arms like boxers. It's a fight response.

On their upper arms, slow lorises have glands that secrete a toxic oil. When they raise their arms, they lick the gland, filling grooves in their teeth with the toxin. Slow loris bites are no joke, even before they add poison! Their teeth are sharp enough to slice into bone.

Slow loris venom causes extreme pain and contains proteins that can trigger allergic reactions. Worse yet, their poisons can also cause necrosis, with bitten body parts becoming gangrenous, even leading to death. The world's only poisonous primate is no joke.

4. Regent Whistler

Nature doesn't discriminate when making poisonous animals; birds can get in on the action, too! The regent whistler is a tiny, colorful little songbird native to New Guinea. But those colors are just as big of a warning sign as a poison dart frogs', and their poison is just as deadly!

The feathers of the regent whistler produce a neurotoxin that causes convulsions and death via cardiac arrest. Even touching or being near these birds is painful! Seriously, keep your distance.

5. Blue-Ringed Octopus

The blue-ringed octopus is easily one of the most toxic creatures to roam the earth. Erm, seas.

Thanks to a symbiotic relationship with certain species of bacteria, the bite of the blue-ringed octopus delivers a poison called tetrodotoxin, which is about 1,000 times more toxic than cyanide. Victims experience weakness, dizziness, vomiting, and paralysis, ultimately succumbing to respiratory failure.

References: Wide world of venom - the platypus | Strange and Unbelievable Facts About Shrews | Slow Lorises Are Adorable but They Bite With Flesh-Rotting Venom | Look, don't touch: birds with dart frog poison in their feathers found in New Guinea | The blue-ringed octopus: small, vibrant and exceptionally deadly