VENOMOUS vs POISONOUS
The terms poison and venom are often used interchangeably, especially in Latin languages like Spanish, but they actually have very different meanings. The method in which the poison is delivered distinguishes one from the other. Poison is absorbed or ingested, thus a poisonous animal can only deliver toxic chemicals if another animal touches or eats it. In comparison, venom, is always injected.
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Poisonous animals have toxins in their flesh. Every venomous animal has a mechanism to inject toxins directly into another animal. Snakes deliver venom via fangs. rays have venomous spines on their tail, and lionfish inject venom via fin spines.
The most common poisonous animal in the sea is the pufferfish. Barracuda or other fish that are infected with the fish poison known as ciguatera can also be poisonous certain times of the year in some locations. Seafood that have not been properly refrigerated that makes you ill is also poisonous. |
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Poisonous
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Venomous
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