How to avoid toxic or poisonous (non-edible) fish

toxic or poisonous (non-edible) fish

There are no simple rules to tell edible fish from those with poisonous flesh and it’s a simple fact – toxic fish contain various types of poisonous substances or toxins in their flesh and are dangerous to eat. In general however, they have the following common characteristics.

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Mexican Beaded Lizard

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Mexican beaded lizard  Heloderma horridum Description: Less colorful than its cousin, the gila monster. It has black or pale yellow bands or is entirely black. Characteristics: Very strong legs let this lizard crawl over rocks and dig burrows. It is short-tempered. It will turn and open its mouth in a threatening manner when molested. Its…

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Gila Monster

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Gila monster Heloderma suspectum Description: Robust, with a large head and a heavy tail. Its body is covered with beadlike scales. It is capable of storing fat against lean times when food is scarce. Its color is striking in rich blacks laced with yellow or pinkish scales. Characteristics: Not an aggressive lizard, but ready to…

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Taipan Snake – how to identify, avoid their habitat, and treatment for their bite.

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TaipanOxyuranus scutellatus Description: Generally uniformly olive or dark brown, with a somewhat darker brown head. Characteristics: Considered one of the most deadly snakes. It has an aggressive disposition. When aroused, it can display a fearsome appearance by flattening its head, raising it off the ground, waving it back and forth, and suddenly striking with such…

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Australian Copperhead Snake – how to identify, avoid their habitat, and treatment for their bite.

Lowland copperhead in Mullawallah Wetland (formerly Winter Swamp) Ballarat, Victoria

Australian copperhead or Denisonia superba Austrelaps is a genus of venomous elapid snakes native to the relatively fertile, temperate, southern and eastern part of the Australian continent. Three species are currently recognized, with no subspecies. They are commonly called copperheads or Australian copperheads. They are not closely related to the American copperhead, Agkistrodon contortrix. Common…

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