Scientists discover the world's only toxic monkey but warn: while it might look cute, its bite could be deadly.
A monkey that comes out at night and has a bite so poisonous it could kill a human has been discovered by scientists. The new species, which is a type of slow loris, releases poison from glands at its elbows which it then takes into its mouth.
Their bite can prove deadly because it can cause anaphylactic shock in humans, killing them.
Researchers think the new species, Nycticebus kayan, went undiscovered for so long because it is nocturnal. It is the only primate with a toxic bite.
However, the new monkey, which is more closely related to bushbabies and lemurs than monkeys and apes, is already on the endangered list.
A monkey that comes out at night and has a bite so poisonous it could kill a human has been discovered by scientists. The new species, which is a type of slow loris, releases poison from glands at its elbows which it then takes into its mouth.
Their bite can prove deadly because it can cause anaphylactic shock in humans, killing them.
Researchers think the new species, Nycticebus kayan, went undiscovered for so long because it is nocturnal. It is the only primate with a toxic bite.
However, the new monkey, which is more closely related to bushbabies and lemurs than monkeys and apes, is already on the endangered list.
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