The Solenodon Venom Effects

The solenodon is a mammal similar to a shrew that is native to Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. It normally feeds on insects, spiders, snails and worms. Due to its slow, zig-zag gait, its mode of seizing its food is effective in slowing down its prey. The solenodon excretes venom in its saliva that is capable of immobilizing prey in minutes and killing them in three to five hours. This shrewlike creature is one of few poisonous mammals.

Effects on Animal Prey

• Solenodon venom makes it an effective predator of animals larger than itself including frogs and rodents. Blarina toxin in solenodon venom enters the circulatory system of the animals it bites and produces a peptide called bradykinin. The poison causes limb paralysis, convulsions, irregular and rapid breathing, gasping, eyeball bulging, excessive urination and eventual death. These symptoms were observed during studies on mice at the Institute for Life Sciences in Tokyo, Japan. In addition to obvious symptoms, solenodon venom reduces blood pressure and dilates blood vessels.

Negative Effects on Humans

• Venom from the bite of the solenodon has been reported to cause burning pain, swelling and inflammation localized at the site of the bite of saliva exposure in human beings. It is believed that since human beings are much larger than the solenodon's normal prey that the poison from one bite is not potent enough to cause the same life threatening changes as those experienced by animals. Death is not a cause of worry after a solenodon bite.

Positive Effects on Humans

• It was discovered in 2004 that positive effects can also be gained from solenodon venom. These effects can be gained by isolating the compound in the venom that causes paralysis in animals. Inventors, John Stewart, Bradley Steeves and Karl Vernes, have found that the compound is a low molecular weight peptide that may be used as a neuromuscular blocker and a pain killer. The venom is, therefore, useful in the treatment of neuromuscular disease, wound healing, myofacial pain, muscle tremors, migraines, wrinkles and perfuse sweating.

Effects on the Solenodon

• Animal studies have shown that blarina toxin degrades rapidly so when ingested by the solenodon after prey is paralyzed, the venom has no negative effects on the solenodon. Studies at the Institute of Life Sciences show that solenodon venom toxicity degrades at pH levels greater than 7. When ingested, the acidic conditions of its stomach inactivates the poison. Blarina toxin was also shown to degrade gradually at room temperature, which may somehow contribute to its nonpoisonous effect on the solenodon itself.