From jellyfish to snakes to spiders, lots of animals use poison or venom. It helps them catch prey and defend themselves. Even the platypus and one very spicy primate called the slow loris use venom.
I talked about your question with my friend Blair Perry. He’s a biologist at Washington State University. He’s also a snake expert.
Perry told me the difference between poison and venom. They’re both toxic mixes of mostly proteins. But they get into your body in different ways. Poison is eaten, breathed in or absorbed through the skin. Venom is injected through a bite or sting.
Animals protect themselves from their own venom in a few ways. First, they make and store it in special pouches. They’re called venom glands.
“When a venomous snake bites, muscles on the outside of the venom gland squeeze it. That injects venom into the prey through a channel in their fang,” Perry said. “The only opening is through the fang. So, you’re not going to release venom into the body where it could be harmful.”