Monday, July 27, 2009

A Numbing Stingray

Stingrays hunt with electrical sensors called ampullae of Lorenzini, just like sharks. These organs, located around the mouth, can detect the natural electrical charges of surrounding prey. Stingrays usually feeds on clams, oysters and mussels, but their spine or barb can produce enough venom that can be deadly, or at least numbing, to humans. In fact, in Ancient Greece, dentists used the stingray’s venom as an anesthetic.

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