Back to Blog
Platypus dangerous5/20/2023 It is thought that the slow loris uses its venom as both a defence against predators, as well as to fight rival slow lorises, like the platypus (except these primates have venom all year around). This ‘venom’ is delivered by their special toothcomb at the front of their mouths, which is a remarkably effective system. On the inside of their arm is a gland where an oil is secreted, which when activated by their saliva creates a noxious compound. When a slow loris raises its arms, it’s because it wishes to employ its best defensive weapon – venom. However, a study by Oxford Brookes University found that in over 100 videos all of the animals were distressed, sick, or exposed to unnatural conditions. There are countless videos online of these endearing balls of fur being ‘played with’ and ‘tickled’. There are eight different species of slow loris, and they span across all of Southeast Asia. If you have ever received a cute video of a funny looking primate putting its’ arms in the air to be ‘tickled’, then you have seen a slow loris (Nycticebus spp.). Photo: Helena Snyder / CC BY-SA 3.0 While you laugh, the slow lorises suffer There is also rumbling in the research sphere of a peptide within the venom of the platypus which could help optimise the treatment of people suffering from diabetes.Ī Bengal slow loris (Nycticebus bengalensis) foraging for food in the trees. The fact that platypus venom causes such excruciating pain could lead us to the discovery of a brand-new painkiller which uses those specific targets to our advantage. Of course, we shouldn’t just want to keep these beautiful creatures around because they might be useful to us, but it’s worth mentioning that the venom of the platypus could hold untold wonders in its complex make-up. These issues have placed the platypuses in the conservation status called ‘near threatened’, which is one step closer to becoming an endangered species. Platypuses have been shown to have decreasing populations due to various human-caused factors, such as artificial dams, predation by dogs, drowning in fishing nets, etc. The platypus can help us discover new painkillers While there have been no reported human fatalities from the platypus, they have been known to kill dogs which have been unlucky enough to be stung by their sharp spur. Some patients have been recorded to suffer from nausea, cold sweats, and muscle wastage of the hand. The platypus causes swelling at the site of the sting and a long-lasting excruciating pain that cannot be relieved by conventional painkillers, including morphine! Photo: E.Lonnon / CC BY-SA 3.0 The venom of the platypus can kill your dogĮnvenomation of humans are not unheard of. The male platypus has a spur attached to the hind legs which it uses to fight other male platypuses during the breeding season. The males will wrestle and jab each other with these spurs repeatedly until one emerges the victor.įemales are also born with a spur, but it falls off before they reach adulthood. Spurred on by the competition for mates, the male platypus utilises a small spur attached to its hind limbs, connected to a gland which holds the potent venom. This has led to the belief that their venom is primarily for reproductive functions – where most venom is to facilitate catching prey or defending against predators. While most venomous animals have venom as a permanent fixture in their repertoire, the male platypus only produces his toxic cocktail during the breeding season (June to October). In 1799, he was sent the specimen and actually tried to find the ‘stitches’, he was convinced held this amalgamation together.īesides its peculiar appearance, the platypus is also a venomous mammal, but – curiously enough – only seasonally so. They look so peculiar that the first scientist to examine the bill and pelt of a platypus, George Shaw, thought it was a hoax. While most Australian creatures are weird and wonderful, these water dwellers really are something special. It contains physical traits from various other creatures: the bill of a duck, the body of an otter, and the tail of a beaver. Moreau) obsession with patching pieces of separate species together. To look upon the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is to understand Dr. The platypus is only venomous in the breeding season In this article, we will walk you through the fascinating science of the platypus, the slow loris and the vampire bats, who all are venomous mammals. Venom has found its way into the arsenal of several different animal groups, including mammals. However, the vast spectrum of venomous creatures does not stop at the scaly and scary. If someone says ‘venom’ it usually conjures images of snakes, scorpions, and spiders.
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |