什么是动物毒液

由动物体内有特殊功能分化的腺体产生的毒性分泌物，这些腺体常常和动物的骨刺、牙、尾刺和其它锐利器官相连接。这些毒液分泌腺可能主要是为了杀死或麻醉猎物，有些动物毒液还兼有消化液功能。动物毒液轻的只是引起局灶性皮肤炎症，重的可能使人立时毙命。包括神经系统症状，如抽搐、呕吐和燥动（以上是兴奋型）；又如麻痹、呼吸或心跳暂停等（神经抑制）、外出血、破坏正常的凝血机制及过敏反应（包括荨麻疹和炎症）。自然界的绝大多数动物门含有毒种属，但真正对人类构成危害的并不多。常见的有︰某些蛇（如眼镜蛇、曼巴、窄头眼镜蛇、蛇、颊窝毒蛇〔五步蛇、腹蛇〕、珊瑚蛇和响尾蛇等）；某些鱼类（如刺魟、鲈、河豚、鲨、鱼、银鲛、鼠鲨、某些）；几种蜥蜴（希拉毒蜥）；蠍；几种蜘蛛（黑寡妇、隐居褐蛛）；某些社会昆虫（如蜜蜂、黄蜂、某些种类的蚂蚁）；有毒的海生无脊椎动物（海葵、火珊瑚、水母、锥形螺、球海胆等）。

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.