Animal: Poisonous mammals
Taxonomy
Mammalia
Common names
Certain species of whales (Cetacea) and seals (Phocidae), as well as polar bears (Thalarctos maritimus) and walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) have been associated with poisoning.
Biology
Mammals that can cause poisoning contain toxins primarily in the liver, but also sometimes in other organs and in muscle tissue. These animals generally live in cold and polar zones. Large amounts of vitamin A have been detected in the liver of polar bears and the Bearded seal Erignathus barbatus, which, when consumed, can lead to hypervitaminosis A.
Risk
Poisoning is very rare.
Literature (biological)
Halstead 1988, 2001b