Page 34 - World of Animals - Issue #39

Slow loris: cute but deadly

3. Teeth

Razor-sharp, multi-purpose spikes
Not only do the teeth help chew through
sticky gum and pulpy fruit, but they are a vital
part of the animal’s best defence mechanism.
Inside the mouth is a structure called the
tooth comb, which is a cluster of teeth that

extend around five millimetres (0.2 inches)
from the jaw. This dental comb helps pick
up the venom from the animal’s elbow ready
for an encounter with a predator. It can also
be used to transfer toxins to a defenceless
baby slow loris, and for simple grooming. The
incisors on the upper and lower jaw are spiky
and angled outwards. They have sharply

pointed tips, so they can pierce fruit and flesh
with relatively little force.
BELOW Slow lorises
groom themselves with
venom as a chemical
defence – it gives their
fur a nasty taste that

puts off predators

Other cute but deadly creatures

Poison dart frog Honey badger Blue-ringed octopus

Even a single drop of the deadly toxin produced Able to crunch through tortoise shells, the Though it would fit in the palm of your hand,
by the poison dart frog can kill in seconds. honey badger is one of the deadliest mammals this pint-sized octopus has claimed the lives
Their bright colours warn animals around them on the planet. It feasts on honey and dangerous of humans. The bite seems to be painless, but
to stay away as their skin is covered with fatal animals like venomous snakes and may even within ten minutes the entire body becomes

venom, which is probably crafted from toxic scare young lions away from their kills. It also numb. Surviving the first 24 hours is key, and
plant proteins the frog eats. lets out an awful odour to warn predators off. deaths 24 hours after a bite are rare.
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