While many animals in the world are born poisonous (including mammals), some must resort to other techniques to deter predators.<\/p>\n
The lemur is one of these \u2013 and it\u2019s developed an unusual technique to make it unappealing to mosquitoes, which carry the fatal threat of\u00a0m<\/a>alaria.<\/p>\n Madagascar has a thriving population of millipedes, which secrete toxic chemical compounds such as cyanide as a defence.<\/p>\n The lemurs cautiously chew on the millipedes, with the toxins causing them to salivate. The primates then rub the saliva (and the millipedes) into their fur \u2013 not unlike the way\u00a0slow lorises\u00a0lick\u00a0poisonous\u00a0secretions onto their offspring\u2019s fur.<\/p>\n These toxins therefore act as an insecticide against the mosquitoes.<\/p>\n However, this produces an unexpected side effect \u2013 the chemicals appear to send them into a \u201ctrancelike state\u201d and a \u201ccondition of complete intoxication\u201d.<\/p>\n