V is for ......
When I was young, things were very simple. Men had hands. Animals had claws, especially if they were pointy and had sharp ends. Then more words entered my vocabulary. Crabs had pincers. Eagles had talons (Used for birds of prey).
If the animal was to be avoided because it had toxins, it was poisonous. Turn out to be more complex than that. If the animal uses poison to inject into its victims, it was venomous. An animal was considered poisonous if one died after eating it or touching it. The interesting part was that some venoms were pretty harmless if it was swallowed. If it got into your bloodstream directly, you were finished. But if it was in your digestive system, it could be rendered harmless by the digestive system.
If the animal was to be avoided because it had toxins, it was poisonous. Turn out to be more complex than that. If the animal uses poison to inject into its victims, it was venomous. An animal was considered poisonous if one died after eating it or touching it. The interesting part was that some venoms were pretty harmless if it was swallowed. If it got into your bloodstream directly, you were finished. But if it was in your digestive system, it could be rendered harmless by the digestive system.
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