"Red on Yellow, Kills a Fellow" Quiz

Answer: Poisonous

The hooded pitohui, Pitohui dichrous, is known as the 'rubbish bird' by those tribes who share its New Guinea habitat, as no part of it can be eaten or otherwise used. These beautifully coloured birds contain a potent steroidal alkaloid neurotoxin in both their feathers and skin that researchers believe the birds obtain from a certain beetle that forms a part of its diet, a toxin similar to that found amongst some species of poison dart frogs. Mild poisoning consists of a tingling sensation at the site of contact but higher doses can lead to numbing, paralysis and even death. Further research is examining these toxic compounds with a view to possibly developing a range of new pharmaceuticals.

Answer: Venomous

These small fish conceal themselves just under the surface of the sand in shallow water and many bathers fall victim to weever sting injuries as a result of walking in the shallows wearing inappropriate footwear or no footwear at all. Commercial fisherman may also be injured by these small fish whilst emptying their nets and sorting their catch; the use of thick gauntlets for this task is highly recommended! The venom is injected through hollow spines which form part of the fish's dorsal fin. Although not dangerous to healthy adults, sensitive individuals or children may require a visit to hospital for treatment; if this is not possible then bathing the wound in water at 40 degrees centigrade, or higher if the victim can tolerate it, will neutralise the protein in the venom. During a holiday in Cornwall I received a weever sting and although not excruciatingly painful, it certainly impressed on me the need to wear suitable footwear in the water for the duration of my time there.

Answer: Poisonous

The cute and cuddly looking lorises of the genus Nycticebus are a rarity; they are one of very few poisonous mammals and uniquely in being a poisonous primate. Lorises anoint their fur with a poison produced from glands inside the elbows that becomes activated when mixed with the animal's saliva.

There is a school of thought that the loris' large circular eyes, facial markings and movements, when threatened, have evolved to mimic that most dangerous of reptiles, the cobra. Unfortunately or not, depending on your viewpoint, many cases of poisoning by the Slow loris occur amongst those individuals who purchase these endangered animals as pets... That's karma in my book.

Answer: Neither

The Ichneumonidae family of parasitic wasps can be found across the globe. Their name comes from the Greek word for 'tracker' or 'footprint' and there are many thousands of species of these insects. Ichneumon wasps are more slender than their stinging counterparts and possess a single obvious difference; in place of a sting, the females possess a long thread-like ovipositor or egg-laying tube, sometimes greater in length than the wasp's entire body.

Although harmless to humans their method of despatching their victims is horrendous... victims are often paralysed to keep their meat fresh and are then, over time, slowly consumed alive by the grub that hatches from the egg laid on or near its body by the adult.

Answer: Poisonous

Indigenous to southern Brazil, the Assassin caterpillar, the larvae of the Giant Silkworm moth, Lonomia obliqua, carries bristles that have the capacity to inject a lethal poison sometimes resulting in death. The toxin, an effective anti-coagulant, causes haemorrhaging within the victim's tissues. To be effective the toxin needs to be injected in large doses; estimates say that somewhere in the region of one hundred stings are required to deliver a fatal dose.

The mortality rate from Lonomia stings is in the region of 2.5% and since a case study which took place during the late 1960s there have been some five hundred fatalities from Lonomia poisoning.

Answer: Neither

Neither poisonous nor venomous, all sloth species possess a fearsome battery of claws, each up to four inches long, on their front limbs which they use for defence when threatened. The sloth, evolved for an almost totally arboreal life, is a capable and strong swimmer. Because of their distinctive calls they are also known as 'ais', pronounced as 'eyes'.

Answer: Venomous

Many believe that the Portuguese man o' war, Physalia physalis, is a species of jellyfish when it is, in fact, a colony of four organisms acting together for the benefit of all of them. The first of these organisms comprises the gas filled sac that is visible above the surface of the water.

The second organisms comprise the tentacles; these may vary in length up to around 165 feet although this is exceptional and most average at around 30 feet. The third are the gastrozooids, the organisms that digest its victims and finally there are the reproductive organisms.

Although a sting can be incredibly painful, they are rarely fatal for humans. However, caution should be exercised should a Portuguese man o' war be encountered washed up on a beach as these can still deliver an effective sting if handled.

Answer: Neither

The anteaters are a family of edentate (toothless) mammals that exist almost exclusively on a diet of ants and termites. The Giant anteater, Myrmecophaga tridactyla, although neither venomous nor poisonous, can be dangerous when cornered and is powerful enough to kill predators such as the jaguar, the largest of the South American big cats.

The Giant anteater's first lines of defence are the large claws usually used to breach termite mounds or to dig out subterranean ants nests. Records exist of these creatures inflicting serious injury on humans; indeed, there are records of at least two confirmed deaths as a result of the Giant anteater turning on its tormentors.

Answer: Venomous

Like many poisonous or venomous creatures the coral snake is very colourful. Coral snakes possess a venom second only in potency to that of the infamous Black mamba. Fortunately, bites from coral snakes are rare; they are secretive creatures and generally shun interaction with humans. Because of their relatively short fangs, coral snakes use a chewing motion to deliver their venom into the bodies of their victims.

The mnemonic 'red on black won't harm Jack, red on yellow kills a fellow' can prove useful in identifying the dangerous coral snake from its harmless mimics the scarlet and milk snakes but, with extensive colour variation existing in all coral snake species, it is always wise to err on the side of caution and give these reptiles a wide berth!

Answer: Venomous

Surprisingly, the hognose snake which is indigenous to the United States mimics the threat display of another far more dangerous reptile, the cobra. When these snakes feel threatened they expand their body immediately behind the head and raise themselves up in a similar manner to the cobra; if this fails to deter any threat the snake will often roll over and emit a foul-smelling liquid from the cloaca.

Although hognose snakes do possess venom, this is very mild and poses no threat to humans. Bites from these snakes rarely, if ever, result in more than a mild tingling or an itching at the site of the wound.