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Sunday, March 30, 2014

Are There Any Venomous Mammals?

The platypus is the only venomous mammal – the males have poisonous spurs
on hind legs.

The male platypus is the only furred venomous mammal in the world. The
species is native to Australia and has a distinctive mix of features: a
furry body, a flat tail like a beaver, and webbed feet and a bill like a
duck. Male platypuses also have poisonous stingers on the backs of their
legs, which allows them to shoot venom when it feels threatened; however,
the venom usually results in significant pain but not death. They tend to
hunt underwater for bottom feeder prey, such as worms, insects, and
shellfish. Although the male platypus is the only furred venomous mammal,
the species does not actually have any natural predators so it is not known
why they have this defense mechanism.
Read More: http://www.wisegeek.com/are-there-any-venomous-mammals.htm?m

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