Three Of The Weirdest Effects Venom Can Have
Some of the most terrifying and intimidating creatures on Earth are the ones that grow to giant proportions. Grizzly bears stand at nearly 10ft tall, saltwater crocodiles can grow to 17ft in length, and great white sharks can beat that with an astonishing potential of 20ft. These titans use their brute strength to earn their ferocious reputations. Even scarier are the smaller predators in the world who use venom in order to reach the same levels of fear.
When you think of venom, chances are high that you think of spiders, tarantulas, snakes, or even some lizards. There are many more venomous animals and insects out there though, ranging from platypuses to snails. What these creatures lack in size or physical weaponry, they make up for by naturally producing venom which they use to immobilize and biologically destroy their enemies. States of paralysation, vomiting, sweating, irregular or rapid heartbeat, and body aches are just a few of the common effects that a strain of venom can have on a victim if proper medical treatment is not administered. That being said, there are a few kinds of venom that have the possibility to give other, more abstract effects.
The most common alternative-effect of venom comes from the Phoneutria fera and the Phoneutria nigriventer, both known as the Brazillian Wandering Spider, or the Banana Spider. The Brazillian Wandering Spider earned its name through its nature of wandering around the jungle floor at night, rather than residing in a single web or hole. While not naturally aggressive, the wandering and nocturnal tendencies of these spiders commonly leaves them sleeping under fallen trees, rocks, and banana plants (hence the name) during the day. When disturbed, they are likely to feel threatened and bite the unlucky victim who disrupted their sleep.
Their venom contains the toxin PhTx3, which causes loss of muscle control, breathing problems, and incredible amounts of pain. Banana Spider bites are not commonly fatal though, as their insect-oriented mouths have not evolved to be capable of delivering deadly bites to humans. So long as no other medical issues exist and the victim quickly receives medical treatment, death is unlikely. Oh, and the venom has shown to cause painful, long lasting erections that could lead to impotence in male victims. The toxin Tx2-6, which is found in the venom, is what causes this condition and is currently being studied for its potential to be used as an erectile-dysfunction treatment.
Leaving the Brazilian Rainforest for the Pacific Ocean, namely Queensland, Australia, is the family of Irukandji Jellyfish. I use the term, ‘family’, as Irukandji is actually a title for a group of box jellyfish that can cause “Irukandji Syndrome” with their sting. The Malo Kingi is one of the most popular species of Irukandji due to how incredibly small it can be at a possible single cubic centimeter in size. This, paired with their translucency, makes them incredibly difficult to see in the ocean.
Their venom, though, is among some of the most potent venom in the world, causing every effect from the Banana Spider as well as burning sensations, muscle cramps, and even brain haemorrhaging. Categorized under the affliction, “Irukandji Syndrome”, these effects can begin as soon as five minutes after the sting and last as long as two weeks. The odd effect of the venom is the psychological impact it has on its victim; even in the early stages of the venom’s effects, victims will feel a sense of impending doom. It’s almost like that gut feeling that something is wrong, but even stronger. Similar to the Banana Spider, though, a sting from the Irukandji family is usually not fatal so long as a victim receives proper medical treatment.
Finally, we one of India’s “Big Four” in terms of venomous snakes in the country. The Russell’s Viper, also known as Daboia Russelli, contrasts the Banana Spider and the Irukandji family of jellyfish, as the nocturnal vipers are rather aggressive to humans. They frequently deliver “max-dosage” bites, or bites in which the snake delivers the maximum amount of venom it can in a bite. This is opposed to “dry bites”, or bites in which a snake does not deliver any venom as it is deemed unnecessary. It is known to be one of the most frequent causes of snake bites in India, and if bitten it is common for a victim to require up to 30 vials or more of antivenom in order to survive.
Full recovery is very rare as a Russell’s Viper’s venom does incredible amounts of damage to a victims kidneys regardless of medical attention given. The venom also notably causes bleeding from the gums and “broken neck disease”, where a victim’s neck muscles become paralyzed. The odd effect of this venom is the damage it does to the pituitary gland in a victim’s brain, causing it to bleed and reduce the hormonal levels that it maintains in the human body. This could potentially lead to a state of reverse puberty with victims reporting loss of armpit and pubic hair, erectile dysfunction in men, and disturbed or even absent menstrual cycles in women. A topic of debate in the medical community is if the venom of the Russell’s Viper could lead to hypopituitarism, which is a permanent reduction of hormones produced by the pituitary gland. What could be a temporary state reverse puberty could end up in a completely altered state of physical maturity.
Luckily the medical world is one step ahead of all three of these creatures, as the mortality rates of these bites are low so long as medical care is found quickly. In addition to that, anyone visiting or living in Brazil, Australia, or India should already be on the lookout for these, as well as other dangerous creatures lying about. Just do yourself a favour and do some research about what you should look out for before you go anywhere with venomous creatures. Here in Canada, you just need to watch out for the bears and the occasional determined racoon.
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