Appendix II – Some Poison producing animals and micro-organisms

Common Name

Genus and Species

Type of Poison Produced

Snakes: - Elapids

 

 

Black Mamba

Dendroaspis polylepis

neurotoxins

Inland Taipan or Fierce snake

Oxyuranus scululatus

neurotoxins

Snakes: - Vipers

 

 

Pit viper

Agkistrodon rhodostomo

vasculotoxins

Snakes: - Marine

 

 

Sea snakes

Hydrophiidae sp

myotoxins

Insects:

 

 

Bees

Apis mellifera

melittin, apamin

Spiders:

 

 

American black widow spider

Latrodectus mactans

latrotoxin

Australian funnel-web spider

Atrax robustus

atraxatoxin

Brown recluse spider

Lactrodectus reclusa

atraxatoxin

Amphibia:

 

 

Frogs

Phyllobates terribilis

batrachotoxin

Frogs

Phyllobates aurotaenia

batrachotoxin

Frogs

Epipedobates tricolor

epibatidine

Californian newt

Taricha torosa

tetrodotoxin

Marine creatures:

 

 

Box jellyfish (sea-wasp)

Chironex fleckeri

cardiotoxins

Marine snails

Conus geographus

conotoxins

Puffer fish (globe fish)

Fugu rubripes

tetrodotoxin

Porcupine fish

Diodon

tetrodotoxin

Marine micro-organism

Palythoa seaweeds

palytoxin

Marine micro-organism

Dinoflagellate plankton

brevetoxin, cigua-toxin, and maitotoxin

Bacteria:

 

 

Anthrax

Bacillus anthracis

spores

Botulism

Clostridium botulinum

exotoxin

Cholera

Vibrio cholerae

exotoxin

Food poisoning

Bacillus cereus

exotoxin

Food poisoning

Salmonella enteriditis

exotoxin

Food poisoning

Escherischia coli (E. coli)

exotoxin

Food poisoning

Staphylococcus aureus

exotoxin

Gangrene

Clostridium perfringens

exotoxin

Typhoid

Salmonella typhi

exotoxin