Venom: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Oct. 26, 2026

News •

Not all rattlesnakes are alike: Research suggests personality influences how rattlesnakes use their venom • Oct. 21, 2026, 5:40 PM ET (Phys.org)

Facts

Also Known As	parenteral poison

Photos and Videos

platypus: venomous spur

Blue-spotted octopus (Octopus maculosus).

Brown recluse spider (Loxosceles reclusa).

Marbled cone snail (Conus marmoreus).

Illustration comparing the venom apparatus of three scorpaeniform fishes: a lionfish (Pterois) with a shallow channel and venom gland, a stonefish (Synanceja) with a venom duct and gland, and a scorpion fish (Scorpaena) with a shallow channel and venom gland, each labeled with anatomical features.

Sea snake (Pelamis platurus).

Stinging ant (Dinoponera grandis).

This medical illustration explains a systemic anaphylactic response to bee venom in someone with type I hypersensitivity. It shows a bee sting injecting venom into the skin, which then enters the bloodstream and spreads throughout the body. The diagram highlights how the immune system reacts, including mast cell activation and the release of substances that cause symptoms such as swelling, low blood pressure, breathing difficulty, digestive issues, and skin reactions. The human figure is annotat

The Difference Between “Poisonous” and “Venomous”

The video thumbnail image shows a spitting cobra shooting venom from its teeth.

What Researchers Can Learn from Platypus Venom

See the University of Melbourne's Medical Museum and learn about venomous animals, particularly snakes and jellyfish, and the development of antivenins

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