this post was submitted on 24 May 2025
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The loris and the solenodon have toxic saliva. The rat is controversial as it slathers chewed up poison dart tree on itself so hairs absorb it but it doesn't produce venom/poison itself. Not sure of any "venom missiles" from mammals.
Are the toxins in the saliva a product of bacteria (as it happens with komodo dragons) or do the mammals themselves produce the toxins?
Solenodons have a modified salivary gland and a sort of channel for the venom, related fossils show full on hollow teeth similar a snake.
The slow loris mixes their sweat with their saliva(both saliva and sweat are toxic).
However in both cases I'm not sure about the molecular details of toxin production. E.g. whether the loris or solenodon just carry certain bacteria that make the toxin or whether they produce from their own cells.
I think it was shown komodo dragons do produce their own venom as well as having bacteria ridden mouths