Scientists are looking for a new way to make antivenom and a new study poked some holes in a diagnostic test by making volunteers drink their own blood.

How Fire Ants Took Over America



Fire ants are several species of ants in the genus Solenopsis, which includes over 200 species. Solenopsis are stinging ants, and most of their common names reflect this, for example, ginger...

There are a lot of ways to kill and be killed in the animal kingdom, but only a lucky few use the powers of venom. Not all are closely related, so how did they acquire the same defenses, where did venom come from, and how does it work?...

When faced with threats ranging from snake bites to COVID infections, some white blood cells retaliate with a peculiar tactic: spewing out their own DNA to form pathogen-trapping nets. But research suggests that sometimes this...

In this fascinating, hilarious and ever-so-slightly creepy talk, science writer Ed Yong tells the story of his favorite parasites -- animals and organisms that live on the bodies (and brains!) of other organisms, causing them to do their...

From mice that battle scorpions to microscopic moss piglets that can survive a solar storm, here are 6 of Earth’s most hardcore beings!

What is it about snakes that intrigues us so much? Is it their deadly venom, their spongey mouths, or their international travel?

Bitten by a venomous snake? There's hope! French scientist Albert Calmette developed the first snake antivenom in the late 1890s, and did such a good job that we use his technique to this day. Antivenom works by stimulating the...

Whether it’s building bridges across rivers or solving puzzles, spiders are way cooler than you might think. Many have smart or elaborate features that allow them to do some pretty extraordinary things!

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Can you actually drink that steaming mug of snake venom? The science comes down to the difference between poisons and venoms, and to the oral toxicity of the venom itself.

Cone snails are venomous marine snails who use their venom in creative ways to take down their prey. And scientists have realized that certain chemicals in these venoms could actually be pretty useful for medicine.

Hank explores a vexing question asked at picnics and beach parties everywhere: Why do bug bites itch? To help you understand the answer, he takes you into the blow by blow of a bug bite which, we warn you, is pretty horrifying.

In the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, we might be able to find new treatments by looking at some of the world’s most venomous snakes.

Venom comes in all different types, so here's everything you'll ever need to know.

How did venom get its poisonous meaning? Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel follow venom from something to desire to explicit reasons for avoiding a snake.

You're swimming in the ocean when something brushes your leg. When the tingling sets in, you realize you've been stung by a jellyfish. How do these beautiful gelatinous creatures pack such a painful punch? Neosha S Kashef details the...

Spider venom can stop your heart within minutes, cause unimaginable pain -- and potentially save your life, says zoologist Michel Dugon. As a tarantula crawls up and down his arm, Dugon explains the medical properties of this potent...

Unless you saw the spider bite you, that swollen, bite-looking lesion on your arm is probably something else, and blaming it on an innocent 8-legged critter might do more harm than good.

If you've spent any time on the internet, you know that Australia is host to all sorts of horrible spiders and snakes. But that doesn't even begin to cover the myriad of dangerous, sometimes deadly, plants and animals you...

While it’s true that most snakes aren’t considered poisonous, there definitely are poisonous snakes, with poison for their predators and venom for their prey.

Venom can kill ... or it can cure. In this fascinating talk, marine chemical biologist Mandë Holford shares her research into animal venom, from killer sea snails to platypuses and slow lorises -- and explores its potential to one day...

Venomous snakes produce some of the world’s deadliest substances, so they have to be pretty careful about how they use it. But what happens if they accidentally inject themselves with their own harmful cocktail?

Grasshopper mice take scorpion venom that could kill a human and use it to numb their pain. What makes these tiny mice so hardcore?

If you spook a spitting cobra, it might literally shoot venom at your eyes... And our ancestors might have caused them to do this, evolutionarily speaking.