This list covers 30 poisons, running alphabetically from “Belladonna” to “Bittersweet (American).” They come from plants, animals, minerals, and man-made chemicals, and they range from garden vines to snake venom to industrial dust. Some show up in nature as a defense mechanism, others are used in pest control or manufacturing, and a few even have medical uses in carefully controlled doses.
Poisons are substances that harm or kill living things by disrupting normal body functions, often by attacking the nervous system, heart, or organs. Some act within minutes, like certain snake and jellyfish venoms, while others build up over months or years, like inhaled industrial dust. One interesting twist is that botulinum toxin, one of the deadliest substances known, is also the active ingredient in Botox.
Below you’ll find the table with Poison, Source, Effects, Antidote, and Description.
Poison: the common name of each toxic substance, so you can quickly find the one you’re looking for.
Source: where the poison comes from, whether it’s a plant, animal, mineral, or manufactured product.
Effects: the symptoms you might expect if exposure occurs, from mild irritation to life-threatening reactions.
Antidote: the treatment or countermeasure used to reverse or manage poisoning, when one exists.
Description: a short explanation of what makes the substance dangerous and any notable facts worth knowing.
Poisons
| Poison | Source | Effects | Antidote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belladonna | Deadly nightshade plant (Atropa belladonna) | Dilated pupils, hallucinations, rapid heartbeat, dry mouth | Physostigmine |
| Batrachotoxin | Skin secretions of poison dart frogs | Paralysis, cardiac arrhythmia, death | No known antidote |
| Botulinum Toxin | Clostridium botulinum bacteria | Muscle paralysis, respiratory failure | Botulinum antitoxin |
| Bufotoxin | Toad skin and glands (e.g., cane toads) | Vomiting, heart arrhythmia, seizures | Digoxin-specific antibody fragments |
| Barium | Soluble barium compounds (e.g., barium carbonate) | Muscle weakness, paralysis, cardiac arrhythmia | Potassium salts, hemodialysis |
| Beryllium | Industrial dust and fumes from beryllium metal | Chronic lung disease (berylliosis), skin lesions | No specific antidote |
| Bromine | Bromine gas or liquid | Severe respiratory and skin burns | Supportive care |
| Black Widow Venom | Black widow spider bite | Muscle pain, cramping, sweating | Antivenom |
| Box Jellyfish Venom | Box jellyfish sting | Excruciating pain, cardiac arrest | Box jellyfish antivenom |
| Blue-Ringed Octopus Venom | Bite of the blue-ringed octopus | Paralysis, respiratory failure | No antidote; supportive ventilation |
| Bittersweet Nightshade | Solanum dulcamara plant | Nausea, vomiting, drowsiness | Activated charcoal, supportive care |
| Baneberry | Actaea plant berries | Cardiac arrest, gastrointestinal burning | No specific antidote |
| Brucine | Strychnos plant seeds, related to strychnine | Muscle spasms, convulsions | Benzodiazepines, supportive care |
| Bracken Fern | Pteridium plant | Long-term cancer risk, vitamin B1 deficiency in animals | No specific antidote |
| Bitter Almonds | Prunus dulcis var. amara seeds | Cyanide poisoning, breathing difficulty | Hydroxocobalamin, amyl nitrite |
| Blister Beetle Toxin (Cantharidin) | Blister beetle secretions | Blistering, internal organ damage | Supportive care |
| Boomslang Venom | Boomslang snake bite | Internal bleeding, hemorrhage | Boomslang antivenom |
| Bromethalin | Rodenticide (rat poison) | Tremors, seizures, brain swelling | No antidote; supportive care |
| Boric Acid | Boron compound used in pesticides and cleaners | Vomiting, diarrhea, skin peeling | Supportive care |
| Black Henbane | Hyoscyamus niger plant | Hallucinations, rapid heartbeat, delirium | Physostigmine |
| Buckeye | Aesculus (horse chestnut) seeds and leaves | Vomiting, muscle weakness, paralysis | Supportive care |
| Bloodroot | Sanguinaria canadensis plant | Tissue destruction, nausea | Supportive care |
| Black Mamba Venom | Black mamba snake bite | Paralysis, respiratory failure | Polyvalent antivenom |
| Bushmaster Venom | Bushmaster snake bite | Severe bleeding, tissue damage, shock | Antivenom |
| Bee Venom (Apitoxin) | Honeybee sting | Pain, swelling, anaphylaxis in allergic individuals | Epinephrine (for allergic reactions) |
| Bird of Paradise Plant | Strelitzia reginae seeds and pods | Nausea, vomiting, drowsiness | Supportive care |
| Buttercup | Ranunculus plant | Blistering, oral irritation | Supportive care |
| Boxwood | Buxus shrub leaves | Vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions in severe cases | Supportive care |
| Brodifacoum | Rodenticide (rat poison) | Internal bleeding, bruising | Vitamin K1 |
| Bittersweet (American) | Celastrus scandens berries | Vomiting, diarrhea | Supportive care |
Descriptions
Belladonna
A highly toxic plant whose berries and leaves contain atropine-like alkaloids that can cause delirium and death if ingested.
Batrachotoxin
One of the most potent natural toxins known, it disrupts nerve and muscle function by locking sodium channels open.
Botulinum Toxin
Produced by bacteria found in improperly canned food, it’s the most acutely lethal toxin known but is also used medically as Botox.
Bufotoxin
A cocktail of toxins secreted by toads that can poison pets and humans through skin contact or ingestion.
Barium
A soft metal whose soluble salts are toxic, disrupting potassium channels and causing severe muscle and heart problems.
Beryllium
A lightweight metal used in aerospace and electronics whose dust can cause a serious, incurable lung disease when inhaled.
Bromine
A corrosive reddish-brown element that releases toxic fumes and causes chemical burns on contact with skin or lungs.
Black Widow Venom
A neurotoxic venom called latrotoxin that causes intense muscle pain and cramps, rarely fatal in healthy adults.
Box Jellyfish Venom
Considered among the most venomous marine creatures, its stings can cause cardiac arrest within minutes of contact.
Blue-Ringed Octopus Venom
This small octopus carries tetrodotoxin, a potent nerve poison that can paralyze and kill with a bite barely felt.
Bittersweet Nightshade
A climbing vine with red berries containing solanine, a toxin that causes gastrointestinal distress if eaten.
Baneberry
A woodland plant whose strikingly named “doll’s eyes” berries contain toxins that can stop the heart if enough is eaten.
Brucine
A bitter alkaloid found alongside strychnine in certain plant seeds, causing violent muscle contractions in high doses.
Bracken Fern
A common fern containing carcinogenic compounds that pose a long-term hazard, particularly to grazing livestock.
Bitter Almonds
Unlike sweet almonds, bitter almonds contain amygdalin, which releases cyanide when digested in large amounts.
Blister Beetle Toxin (Cantharidin)
Secreted by blister beetles as a defense, this toxin can cause severe blistering of skin and internal tissue damage if ingested.
Boomslang Venom
A hemotoxic venom from an African tree snake that prevents blood clotting, leading to dangerous internal bleeding.
Bromethalin
A neurotoxic pesticide used to kill rodents by causing brain swelling, also dangerous to pets that ingest it.
Boric Acid
A common household and pest-control chemical that is toxic in concentrated amounts, especially to children and pets.
Black Henbane
An ancient poisonous herb containing tropane alkaloids historically feared for its mind-altering, deadly effects.
Buckeye
The seeds and young growth of buckeye trees contain glycosides that can poison livestock and curious children.
Bloodroot
A native woodland plant whose red sap contains sanguinarine, a caustic compound that can destroy skin and tissue.
Black Mamba Venom
One of the fastest-acting snake venoms, delivering a neurotoxic cocktail that can kill an untreated victim within hours.
Bushmaster Venom
Delivered by the largest venomous snake in the Americas, this venom causes massive tissue destruction and blood loss.
Bee Venom (Apitoxin)
A mild venom for most people, but potentially fatal to those with severe allergies who go into anaphylactic shock.
Bird of Paradise Plant
A popular ornamental plant whose seeds and pods contain compounds that can cause stomach upset if eaten.
Buttercup
Common wildflowers containing protoanemonin, an irritant that causes blistering in the mouth and digestive tract when chewed.
Boxwood
A popular hedge shrub whose leaves contain alkaloids toxic enough to sicken pets and livestock that graze on it.
Brodifacoum
A powerful blood-thinning rat poison that can cause fatal internal bleeding in humans or pets exposed to it.
Bittersweet (American)
An ornamental vine whose bright berries are attractive but mildly toxic if consumed in quantity.