Venomous Mammals

Venomous mammals are animals of the class Mammalia that produce venom, which they use to kill or disable prey, or to defend themselves from predators. In modern nature, venomous mammals are quite rare. Venom is much more common among other vertebrates; there are many more species of venomous reptiles (e.g. venomous snakes), and fish (e.g. stonefish). There is no known species of venomous bird. However, some birds are poisonous to eat or touch, and Sinornithosaurus, a dinosaur related to birds, may have had a venomous bite. There are only a few species of venomous amphibians; certain salamandrid salamanders can extrude sharp venom-tipped ribs.

Venomous mammals may have been more common in the past. Canine teeth dated at 60 million years old from two extinct species, the shrew-like Bisonalveus browni and another unidentified mammal, show grooves that some palaeontologists have argued are indicative of a venomous bite. However, other scientists have questioned this conclusion given that many living nonvenomous mammals (e.g., many primates, coatis and fruit bats) also have deep grooves down the length of their canines, suggesting that this feature does not always reflect an adaptation to venom delivery.

To explain the rarity of venom delivery in Mammalia, Mark Dufton of the University of Strathclyde has suggested that modern mammalian predators do not need venom because they are smart and effective enough to kill quickly with tooth or claw; whereas venom, no matter how sophisticated, takes time to disable prey.

Listed below are mammals that are venomous or that use poisonous or noxious chemicals in some form.