# World's Only Venomous Mammal **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 20, 2004, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-only-venomous-mammal/240965 "2004-04-20T03:31:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-only-venomous-mammal/240965/1 "2004-04-20T03:31:48Z")
I’ve googled and discovered that there’re more than one type of “the world’s only venomous mammals.” What’s up? Are there differing definitions of venomous beingused or are these people just not talking to one another? ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-only-venomous-mammal/240965/2 "2004-04-20T03:34:43Z")
I’m guessing that you are talking about the **platypus and the echidna**. At one time the **shrew** was thought to be poisonous but isn’t. You mean there’s _more_ to this list ?? ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-only-venomous-mammal/240965/3 "2004-04-20T05:01:13Z")
Other venomous mammals: The Slow Loris ([_Nycticebus coucang_](http://www.calacademy.org/exhibits/venoms/html/diversity.html#slowloris)) The Solenodon ([_Solenodon paradoxus_](http://www.geocities.com/cuyaya/solenen.html)) The Short-tailed Shrew ([_Balrina brevicauda_](http://www.press.jhu.edu/books/walkers_mammals_of_the_world/insectivora/insectivora.soricidae.blarina.html)) The European Water-Shrew ([_Neomys fodiens_](http://212.187.155.84/pass_06june/Subdirectories_for_Search/SpeciesKingdoms/0Families_ACrM_Insectivora/Soricidae/Neomys/Neomys_fodiens/Neomys_fodiens.html)) ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-only-venomous-mammal/240965/4 "2004-04-20T05:07:11Z")
I suppose the surprising thing is that mammals generally _aren’t_ toxic. There’s obviously no huge, insurmountable barrier to creating a mammal with deadly glands, so I suppose the reason that very few mammals do pack a poison punch is a simple accident of evolution. (Of course, being big enough and smart enough to become an apex predator would put a damper on the evolution of exotic toxins.) ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-only-venomous-mammal/240965/5 "2004-04-20T05:14:58Z")
Mammals generally have things like bigger brains, sharp teeth, strength, claws and good old fashioned fastness to fight and/or run away from predators. Venom as a purely defensive measure is generally found in small things which can easily be snuck up upon. ---
**Author:** ![Lyllyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@Lyllyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lyllyan)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-only-venomous-mammal/240965/6 "2004-04-20T05:21:06Z")
Run for your lives! It’s a Slow Loris! Sorry, but that just cracked me up. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-only-venomous-mammal/240965/7 "2004-04-20T05:21:08Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Mammals generally have things like bigger brains, sharp teeth, strength, claws and good old fashioned fastness to fight and/or run away from predators. Venom as a purely defensive measure is generally found in small things which can easily be snuck up upon. I don’t think this is true. Snakes in general use their venom offensively. They use it to kill prey. ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-only-venomous-mammal/240965/8 "2004-04-20T05:22:29Z")
Not to mention that feline claws and human teeth might as well be venonous. The resulting infections from these bites will be slower but still pretty deadly. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Serpentine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3be4f8/32.png) [@Silver\_Serpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Serpentine)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-only-venomous-mammal/240965/9 "2004-04-20T10:07:23Z")
Also, snakes don’t alwys use cvenom as a defensive thing. Sometimes they’ll do a “dry” bite before a real one. Don’t bet your life on it, tho. Also, babies are actually more dangerous than adults, because they can’t regulate the amount of venom. Just thought I’d toss that out there. ---
**Author:** ![cabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@cabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cabdude)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-only-venomous-mammal/240965/10 "2004-04-20T10:25:59Z")
Although the male echidna has a spur on it’s ankle like the platypus, it is not poisonous. [http://www.calm.wa.gov.au/plants\_animals/odd\_echidna.html](http://www.calm.wa.gov.au/plants_animals/odd_echidna.html) Having handled them, I can tell you I have never had a ‘sting’ from one. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-only-venomous-mammal/240965/11 "2004-04-20T10:29:40Z")
> [@gazpacho](#): > > I don’t think this is true. Snakes in general use their venom offensively. They use it to kill prey. That’s why I said _venom as a purely defensive measure._ Obviously that category would not include snakes and spiders and jellyfish, oh my! ---
**Author:** ![notquitekarpov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@notquitekarpov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notquitekarpov)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-only-venomous-mammal/240965/12 "2004-04-20T10:39:14Z")
I would give the title to one of my ex-girlfriends frankly. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-only-venomous-mammal/240965/13 "2004-04-20T11:01:17Z")
> [@notquitekarpov](#): > > I would give the title to one of my ex-girlfriends frankly. 😃 You dated my mother in law? ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-only-venomous-mammal/240965/14 "2004-04-20T15:20:49Z")
I can’t wait until FOX shows “When the World’s Only Venomous Mammals Attack”! That will be so cool! ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-only-venomous-mammal/240965/15 "2004-04-20T15:34:31Z")
Them venomous mammals look dang weird. That Solenodon especially looks more like an R.O.U.S. than something Ma Nature would fling out there. Oh. Maybe Mammals ain’t generally venomumumous on account of they’re all warm-blooded & stuff. Wouldn’t \*that \*be enough of an advantage over the cold-blooded critters who can not always rely on solar power to save/feed them and energize proportionately behemoth masses of grey mater? Venom costs something to produce (and remain immune against). Not spending energy on the junk when you don’t need it just makes sence. Of course, that logic doesn’t explain why I have a … oh, never mind.