A reference guide of the 32 poisonous and venomous animals living in Virginia is available as a free, downloadable book.
The Cleopatra Project – Poisonous and Venomous Animals in Virginia contains full-color photographs and is written as an easily read, valuable reference for parents, educators, healthcare providers and the general public.
A collaboration between the Virginia Master Naturalists, the Blue Ridge Poison Center at UVA Health and the UVA School of Medicine’s Division of Medical Toxicology, work on the book began in 2021, according to a press release, in response to hundreds of exposures to poisonous and venomous animals reported annually in the Commonwealth.
Encounters between humans and venomous animals usually happen when an animal responds to an unexpected disturbance or perceived threat. Each entry in the book includes a description of the animal, its habitat and likely geographic area in which it lives in Virginia. The book also educates readers on the source of each animal’s poison or venom, potential physical symptoms and animals that look like the venomous or poisonous animal.
The Cleopatra Project joins “The Socrates Project – Poisonous Plants of Virginia,” which describes the 25 poisonous plants that grow in the wild in Virginia.
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Rebecca Barnabi
