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

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9,079 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

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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.

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Rebecca D. Tarvin
  • Director Giulia Martinelli
  • 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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