什麼是動物毒液

由動物體內有特殊功能分化的腺體產生的毒性分泌物，這些腺體常常和動物的骨刺、牙、尾刺和其它銳利器官相連線。這些毒液分泌腺可能主要是為了殺死或麻醉獵物，有些動物毒液還兼有消化液功能。動物毒液輕的只是引起局灶性面板炎症，重的可能使人立時斃命。包括神經系統症狀，如抽搐、嘔吐和燥動（以上是興奮型）；又如麻痺、呼吸或心跳暫停等（神經抑制）、外出血、破壞正常的凝血機制及過敏反應（包括蕁麻疹和炎症）。自然界的絕大多數動物門含有毒種屬，但真正對人類構成危害的並不多。常見的有︰某些蛇（如眼鏡蛇、曼巴、窄頭眼鏡蛇、蛇、頰窩毒蛇〔五步蛇、腹蛇〕、珊瑚蛇和響尾蛇等）；某些魚類（如刺魟、鱸、河豚、鯊、魚、銀鮫、鼠鯊、某些）；幾種蜥蜴（希拉毒蜥）；蠍；幾種蜘蛛（黑寡婦、隱居褐蛛）；某些社會昆蟲（如蜜蜂、黃蜂、某些種類的螞蟻）；有毒的海生無脊椎動物（海葵、火珊瑚、水母、錐形螺、球海膽等）。

venom

Poison secreted by an animal, produced by specialized glands often associated with spines, teeth, or stings. It may be primarily for paralyzing or killing prey or may be purely defensive. Some venoms also function as digestive fluids. Their effects can range from localized skin inflammation to almost immediate death; they include nervous-system excitation (cramps, vomiting, convulsions) or depression (paralysis, respiratory or cardiac depression or arrest), hemorrhage, red-blood-cell breakdown, circulatory collapse, and allergic reactions (including hives and inflammation). Many major groups of animals contain venomous species: snakes (cobras, mambas, vipers, pit vipers); fish (stingrays, spiny sharks, certain catfish, puffers); lizards (Gila monsters, beaded lizards); scorpions; spiders (black widow spiders, brown recluse spiders); social insects (bees, wasps, some ants); and marine invertebrates (sea anemones, fire corals, jellyfish, sea urchins). See also antidote.