Poison vs. Venom

The terms are often used interchangeably, but ‘venom’ and ‘poison’ are not the same thing. True, they’re both a toxic substance that can potentially harm or kill you, but the main difference lies in the way they are delivered to the unfortunate victim.

Poison is a toxin that gets into the body via swallowing, inhaling or absorption through the skin. Poisonous animals tend to be more passive-aggressive—they often won’t actively attack their prey, but release their toxins as a result of being eaten, touched or disturbed. A cane toad, which secretes toxins from glands on each shoulder, is a poisonous animal. It has to be ingested or licked to cause harm. Poison ivy is an example of a poisonous plant—touching it can result in an itchy and sometimes painful rash.


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