Venomous or Poisonous?

Every newspaper article talking about snake bites seems to refer to people being bitten by "poisonous" snakes...that doesn't sound right to my herper's ear. I've always thought of certain reptiles as venomous, not poisonous. The dictionary definitions of the terms list venom as a poisonouse substance and poison as a substance that causes injury or death to a living organism.

So which is it?

I always thought that poison had to be ingested...while venom was injected into the tissues......but I'm sure you're right about reptiles being venomous and not poisonous.

so its about delivery? Some frogs and toads give off a poisonous secretion to deter animals from eating them, or else they injest the poison. If that same frog or toad had a way to INJECT that same substance would they then be called venomous?

Wish I woulda been a bio major....

Yes reptiles are venomous. I thought it was about the way ih which it was dangerous too.. venom is not dangerous if you touch it, only if it is injected.. poison must be eaten.. but good point about dart frogs. Hm.

True, it's all about the delivery. One is passive the other is active. However, poisonous does seem to be used a lot with snakes even by so-called professionals. I was watching a show recently on Animal Planet in which a herpetologist/biologist and his son were searching an island for a new species of viper. They constantly referred to the venomous snakes as "poisonous" which struck me as odd. So I have no idea whether it's even a concern in the scientific community or it's just something that anal hobbyists get hung up on? :rolleye2:

I always thought that venom was poisonous. Like cianide is toxic (I think that's the right word).

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Originally Posted by xdeus

So I have no idea whether it's even a concern in the scientific community or it's just something that anal hobbyists get hung up on? :rolleye2:

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You callin' me an anal hobbyist??? :matrixfig

It always irks me when I hear 'poisonous snake' on TV or whatnot. I guess I am anal, but you know what.. get the terminology right, it's not hard!

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Originally Posted by elevatethis

You callin' me an anal hobbyist??? :matrixfig

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Hey, if the shoe fits... :sabduel:


Although I think I've yet to see a non-anal BP owner. :crazy:

Fortunately, I am a biologist. ;-) Venom is injected, while poison is absorbed through the skin; my impression is that while biologists make the distinction it tends to be emphasised more by medical personnel. Another difference is that venoms are necessarily biological in origin, whereas poisions may not be.