Venomous or poisonous

Working with wildlife, I am often neurotic about certain things.  As the common person has no need to get as in depth as a professional zookeeper, it is no surprise there is quite a bit of confusion when it comes to venomous or poisonous.

Take the lionfish for example.  Lionfish are in the news all over the place.  In fact, I would imagine they are a trendy topic in the twitterverse.  Part of the reason a lot of people do not know lionfish can be eaten is because of the misrepresentation by saying they are poisonous.

For the sake of our purposes, and throughout zoology, poison is distinguished from venom.  Venoms are toxins that are injected by a bite or sting, while poisons are defined as substences which are absorbed through the gut or skin.

Since Lionfish sting…. and TRUST ME, they do, and it HURTS, they are considered venomous, much like a rattlesnake, or a scorpion.  Puffer fish are an example of a poisonous animal that can kill a human by digesting the fish when it isn’t prepared properly.

So this is my hopefully constructive way of letting a few of you know the difference between poison and venom.  Feel free to ask away below if you have more questions!

Related posts:

1. What is a Lionfish