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List of poisonous animals

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
2 min read
Source updated August 5, 2026
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The following is a list of poisonous animals, which are animals that passively deliver toxins (called poison) to their victims upon contact such as through inhalation, absorption through the skin, or after being ingested. They are often distinguished from venomous animals, which actively inject their toxins (called venom) into their victims through a venom apparatus such as fangs or a stinger. The only difference between poisonous animals and venomous animals is how they deliver the toxins. This list deals exclusively with poisonous animals.

01Poisonous animals

This list is a partial list of animals that are poisonous to humans and other animals in that their flesh is toxic if consumed, or in some cases if they are touched:

Frogs and toads

Frogs

Toads

Some of these toads are "milked" for their bufotoxins.

Mammals

  • Slow loris (usually thought of as venomous, but they also lick their fur, making it toxic)

Birds

Snakes

Salamanders

Fish

Cephalopods

Insects

Crustaceans

Cnidarians

Echinoderms

Annelids

  • The polychaete worm Hediste diversicolor
  • Halla parthenopeia

Nemerteans

  • Antarctonemertes valida is one of several nemerteans which make use of defensive toxic secretions

Flatworms

Sponges

Placozoans

  • Trichoplax use large specialized cells to release antipredatory toxins
The bright colors of poison dart frogs warn predators of their toxicity.
The bright colors of poison dart frogs warn predators of their toxicity.
Most birds dislike the taste of monarch butterflies; they contain toxins from poisonous milkweed, ingested as caterpillars.
Most birds dislike the taste of monarch butterflies; they contain toxins from poisonous milkweed, ingested as caterpillars.
Watch videos about List of poisonous animalsExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “List of poisonous animals”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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Related topics

Poisonous amphibian

Poisonous amphibians are amphibians that produce toxins to defend themselves from predators.

Toxic bird

Toxic birds are birds that use toxin to defend themselves from predators. Although no known bird actively injects or produces venom, toxic birds sequester poison from animals and plants they consume, especially poisonous insects.

List of venomous animals

Numerous animal species naturally produce chemical toxins which are used to kill or incapacitate prey or as a defense against predators. Venomous animals actively deliver their toxins into their target through a specially designed mechanism, such as a bite or sting, by using a venom apparatus, such as fangs or a stinger, in a processes called envenomation.