By utilizing the same plants , African tribes use poison on their arrows . Similarly,
the African crested rat anger that could paralyze and even kill
predators many times its size from the size of his body . "
This is the first mammal that is lethal in a way smearing his body with
toxins derived from specific plants without causing death to himself"
said researcher Jonathan Kingdon , of Oxford University in England .He had heard this animal poisonous , but it takes as long as 30 years to find out how and why this special animal kills and sucks for the predators . To find out the secret of these mice , Kingdon and his colleagues observed the rats in the wild and tested the toxic chemicals in the hairs along the skin called schimperi Acokanthera .
They found that to make its poison fur , the rat chewing bark of A. schimperi and licks itself to store toxic saliva to form a special hair . This behavior is hardwired into the animal's brain , similar to nitpicking behavior of birds or self - bathing of cats, the researchers suspect . AND when it feels threatened , the rat would arch his back and use special muscles to licinkan hair and remove toxins .
" Evolution has mimicked something that hunters do , " Kingdon said . Hair is structured to absorb the poison . The outer layer filled big holes , like a pasta strainer , and the inside is full of straight fibers as a way for liquids . " There is no other hair that is structured like these hairs , " Kingdon said .
Learning more about how this poison works could help humans . Being able to act in a way to induce a heart attack . A chemical called digitoxin , has been used for decades as a treatment for heart failure .
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