May 16, 2006
Poisonous mammals
The platypus has the distinction of being the only mammal with a venomous stinger (two, actually, on the insides of their hind legs). But what is the exception now, might once upon a time have been the rule, as this article discusses.
Posted by David on May 16, 2006 11:53 AM
You might be interested in this article in 'Acta Palaeontologica Polonica' called 'Were mammals originally venomous' the answer seems to be probably yes.
Free full text pdf: http://app.pan.pl/acta51/app51-001.pdf
Posted by: Lukas on May 16, 2006 2:51 PM
Yes, indeed, retaining venomous spurs on the interior of legs when upright stance developed would have been a definite problem.
Interesting article.
Posted by: Sarah
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on May 16, 2006 3:18 PM
The slow loris is a primate-like mammal with poison glands on the insides of its elbows. It uses its teeth to inject the poison.
Posted by: Jon H on May 17, 2006 3:37 PM
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