Am I Venomous or Poisonous?

24.06.2024 - 21:29 / hgic.clemson.edu

“Is this snake poisonous?” I get asked this question a lot, and my answer is no. The snake isn’t poisonous, but it could be venomous.

One of my biggest pet peeves is when a TV commercial or movie refers to snakes as poisonous. I know I am probably in the minority, but I hope you eventually feel the same way!

So, what is the difference between poisonous and venomous? Both poison and venom are toxins and can cause harm to humans. However, the difference between poison and venom is how they enter our bodies. Poison must be ingested, inhaled, eaten, or even touched, like eating a poisonous mushroom or touching poison ivy. Venom is injected and delivered by bites or stings—for example, fangs from a rattlesnake or getting stung by a stingray or a bee. The venomous animals must puncture the skin to be effective!

Avoiding Stings, Bites, and other poisonous or venomous things:

Now that you know the differences between poison and venom, you have my permission to correct the next person who tells you a snake is poisonous! I also hope you develop a new pet peeve when you hear a movie talk about ‘poisonous’ snakes!