To further complicate the issue, some animals can modify toxins accumulated from their food source to make them even more toxic, and some animals accumulate toxins from bacteria living within them.
2 Likes
I’m not getting the difference between “biologically produced” toxins and “synthesized” toxicants. What’s the diff between produced and synthesized, here?
1 Like
In this context, ‘synthesized’ means ‘produced by human activity’, i.e. in a lab/kitchen/whatever, rather than through biological metabolism.
Not everyone uses ‘toxicant’ exclusively to mean synthetic substances- this is from a toxicology textbook:
A toxicant is any chemical, of natural or synthetic
origin, capable of causing a deleterious effect on a living organism. A toxin is
a toxicant that is produced by a living organism and is not used as a synonym for
toxicant—all toxins are toxicants, but not all toxicants are toxins.
2 Likes
It is freaky how chickens, snakes, and number of other animals can keep moving even when decapitated.
A friend has a vacation cabin in an area where large timber rattlesnakes are common. Country stores used to have very large snake skins tacked to the wall (probably illegal today) seemingly much larger than the species is supposed to get. Anyway, one of the contractors that works for my friend was struck at by a large timber rattler. It caught his pants and sprayed venom on his thigh. Within the hour he started developing some symptoms of snakebite.
2 Likes
What’s the difference between venomous and poisonous animals?
The honey badger could not be reached for comment.
3 Likes
The same can be said about governments.
The importance of presidents (and MPs and other biggest-big-cheeses) is massively overrated.
1 Like
… hitchhikers …
That reminds me of the Simpsons episode where Bart meets the prankster who broke Skinner. He gives Bart one of those springy snake peanut can gags, but had loaded ot with defanged vipers, which spring out and gum Milhouse’s arm. The prankster points out that since they’re defanged, they’re harmless, while they ooze their venom onto Milhouse’s arm. Milhouse says he doesn’t feel well. Next scene he’s lying on his side shivering, and tge ultimate prankster just says he’ll sleep it off.
3 Likes
The Simpsons? Quod erat demonstrandum!
1 Like
I said it reminds me. Not that it’s verification. Can’t a guy free associate once in awhile? Or all the time, because he has ADHD and can’t think in any other way than constant free association?
2 Likes
I haven’t actually read this discussion, but Falcor just flew off disgustedly in a flurry of mid-80s special effects, muttering something about ‘the most pedantic thread ever,’ so if you want to get away with anything unacceptable, this is your evening.
3 Likes
Wow. That must have cost him about $120 odd dollars worth of rubber, steels wires and animal birthing lubricant.
1 Like
This thread or a different one? I’d hate to miss good pedantry.
1 Like
Sucked the snake but did not swallow.
2 Likes
It’s at least as reliable as some of the stuff that’s been published in Nature.
And then there’s this - homeopathic snake venom in a roll-on applicator. One part of me says “Oh for fuck’s sake,” and the other part is kicking myself for not thinking of it first.
2 Likes
The sad thing is, there’s already a protocol to gain mild immunity to a specific snake venom,via long term immune system traing with nearly homeopathic dilutions of venom. It works on exactly the same principle as a vaccine, and is done at large scale with horses and cows to make antivenoms.
1 Like
Why go homeopathic, when you can have the real thing?
I found this sitting on the shelves of a local Walgreens pharmacy. I couldn’t help but ask a nearby shelf stocker if he was aware his place of business literally sells snakeoil.
1 Like
I’m not sure about nettles, because I have never heard the word “venomous” applied to a plant except triffids, but otherwise a good case could be made. Excellent question. Yes on the bees.
2 Likes
This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.
