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TED-Ed

Why don’t poisonous animals poison themselves? - Rebecca D. Tarvin

2,600,523 Views

9,322 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

Thousands of animal species use toxic chemicals to defend themselves from predators. Snakes have blood clotting compounds in their fangs, the bombardier beetle has corrosive liquid in its abdomen and jellyfish have venomous, harpoon-like structures in their tentacles. But how do these animals survive their own poisons? Rebecca D. Tarvin details the strategies that protect animals from themselves.

Watch the video and finish the Think section to complete the lesson.


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Meet The Creators

Educator
Rebecca D. Tarvin
Narrator
Pen-Pen Chen
Animator
Giulia Martinelli, Francesca Marinelli, Laura Piunti
Storyboard Artist
Giulia Martinelli
Illustrator
Giulia Martinelli
Character Designer
Giulia Martinelli
Composer
Alessandro Nepote Vesin
Sound Designer
Alessandro Nepote Vesin
Content Producer
Gerta Xhelo
Editorial Producer
Alex Rosenthal
Associate Producer
Bethany Cutmore-Scott, Elizabeth Cox
Script Editor
Eleanor Nelsen
Fact-Checker
Laura Shriver

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