Hooded Pitohui
One of the only poisonous birds in the animal kingdom, the Pitohui family of birds are, at times, lethal. The Hooded Pitohui typically gets the most press because it's not only seen more often, but its attacks have been reported more than other birds. Scientists call it "The Flying Venom." So, what poison does it use? You read about the Poison Dart Frog earlier, and it's really the same thing. The Hooded Pitohui has the exact same effect, as its skin and feathers are the poisonous part of it. The most horrible aspect is that the venom found on these birds is the most harmful venom known to mankind. Yeah, just when you thought it was fine to go outside, right? A study was done on a mouse by injecting some of the Hooded Pitohui’s poison into it. Normally it takes a few minutes for poison to enter the animal, and then death will occur within a few minutes, on average. When they tested the Hooded Pitohui venom, the mouse was dead within seconds, showing just how lethal it is. Normally, we won't be affected by this animal. Similar to the Poison Dart Frog, the poison has to hit the bloodstream. If it does not, though, a few side effects can still happen, such as numbness (usually where the poison was), tingling, or sneezing. Paralysis and death can occur if the bird delivers a good portion of poison. Usually, it's rare that it gives out that much, though. Either way, it's a good idea to be careful if you go to Papua, New Guinea, the native area of this bird.
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