Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Crested Rat Coats Itself With A Poison That Would Kill An Elephant

Crested Rat Coats Itself With A Poison That Would Kill An Elephant

The crest along the flanks of the African crested rat is not just for ornament. It has been discovered that this ingenious rodent chews the bark of the local poison arrow tree - Acokanthera schimperi that produces a toxin called ouabain, traditionally used by hunters to kill elephants. It then slathers the toxic goop onto the special fur on its flanks. This fur acts as a wick, drawing up & storing the poison. When attacked, instead of fleeing, the rat stands its ground & exposes the crested fur on its flanks. Any predator foolish enough to bite gets a mouthful of deadly poison.

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