Why are there so many poisonous animals in Australia? Here's the reason

Mengapa di Australia Banyak Hewan Beracun? Ini Alasannya

"Why are there so many poisonous animals in Australia? Here's the reason."

Australia is home to a variety of venomous creatures such as spiders, snakes, jellyfish, octopuses, ants, bees, and even platypuses. However, why do so many animals in Australia use these biological weapons? Many of these small creatures have been in Australia since the formation of the continent. However, unlike venomous snakes, which arrived after the continent was formed.

As information, 100 million years ago, Australia became a separate continent when it separated from the southern supercontinent Gondwana, revealed Kevin Arbuckle, a professor at Swansea University, England. This caused the lineage of 'venomous' insects to be 2-3 times older than that separation.

Why are there so many poisonous animals in Australia? Here's the reason

Some species that are already 'venomous' are only confined to Australia when the continent became isolated.

Arthropoda in there include trap-jaw ants (genus Odontomachus), which can deliver painful bites.

Similarly, the Australian bulldog ant (genus Myrmecia), which can sting and bite simultaneously, is considered one of the most deadly ants in the world and is reported to have killed three people since 1936, according to the Guinness World Records. This venomous ant lineage existed in Gondwana during the separation and remained there after Australia became a separate continent.

Funnel-web Spider

Funnel-web spiders (genus Hadronyche and Atrax) are the only type of spider that exclusively originates from Australia and can kill humans with their venomous bite, says Arbuckle. This animal is suspected to have killed 13 people, although there have been no recorded human deaths since the introduction of antivenom serum in 1981, according to the Australian Museum.

A type of widow spider from Australia, called the redback (Latrodectus hasselti), is also capable of killing with its venomous bite.

The translation of the given text from 'Bahasa' to 'English' while preserving any HTML tags is: "Their ancestors already existed before Australia became a separate continent."

"Sudah Ada Sebelum Benua Australia Berdiri Sendiri" translates to "It Already Existed Before the Continent of Australia Stood Alone" in English.

"Likewise, venomous cephalopods, including squid, octopus, and cuttlefish, have existed for 300 million years. They have been living in the surrounding waters long before Australia became a separate continent."

The shifting of continents pushed Australia across the cold South Pole, causing the extinction of most reptiles there. As the continent slowly moved north, the temperature became warmer and attracted reptiles back. After 40 years passed, the first snakes to inhabit this continent came from the Elapidae family with venomous fangs at the front, including cobras, mambas, coral snakes, and taipans. They became the ancestors of snakes, which later evolved into more venomous snakes.

Jellyfish 'Poisonous'

Regarding jellyfish, each species has venom. They also have a history of over 500 million years and have been floating in the oceans since before Australia existed. Although deadly box jellyfish (such as Carukia barnesi) and Portuguese man o' war (Physalia physalis) are found in Australian waters, Arbuckle emphasizes that these creatures inhabit tropical and subtropical waters, not just in the Australian region.

The Australian coastline creates a suitable ecosystem for these creatures. Counting how many venomous creatures inhabit Australia is quite difficult.

"The short answer is many, and perhaps more than we think."

"Dieter Hochuli, a professor of ecology at the University of Sydney."

Although so, Arbuckle argues that venomous fauna in Australia is actually within the typical range, except for snakes. "Contrary to popular belief, Australia is not overly rich or diverse in venomous invertebrates," "Australia has a very enduring and prominent image as a home to highly venomous animals, but most of this is exaggerated."

He wonders if part of this belief stems from the "scientific capital" of the continent and the "excellent infrastructure" for public health and medical care.

Source: Live Science

"The diversity of animal species is not at all unusual for a region that is mostly tropical."
word Arbuckle.

Source: Live Science

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