Four things, among many others, that I've harped on over the years are:
1.  Poisonous means toxic when consumed or absorbed.
2.  Venomous means toxic when injected via a sting or bite.
3.  It is rare that definitions can be given that are perfect and without exception.
4.  There are always exceptions to our understanding.

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe."  -John Muir

One thing we know about natural history is that we don't know everything and there are always new discoveries.

Nature Notes
by Bob Thomas

It is tempting to remove from your surroundings what you consider the noxious elements of nature. People clear poison ivy from their property to avoid exposure. The remove wasps and honey bee swarms because they fear getting stung and squirrels just because they can be aggravating.

Natural History Notes
by Bob Thomas

The most common water turtle in the Bayou Segnette area is the Red-earred Turtle, Trachemys scripta elegans. These are the little green turtles we used to buy at Walgreens, each with a red stripe behind the eye. As adults, they have shells that are about 10-12 inches long.

Nature Profiles
by Bob Thomas

Turtles breath air, right? No turtles have gills, right? These statements are correct, but you may be surprised to learn that some turtles can remain under water for several hours and others possibly indefinitely.

Delta Journal
by Bob Thomas

Louisiana waters are host to at least occasional visits by all species of sea turtles that inhabit the Gulf of Mexico. Though our shores are a bit north of normal egg laying sites, occasional records exist for various species.

Delta Journal
By Bob Thomas

During the spring and summer months, visitors to the Nature Center often ask "What are those little pink lizards on my screens at night?"

The answer: Mediterranean geckos (Hemidactylus turcicus), relatively recent immigrants from the Mediterranean Sea area that arrived here as stowaways on ships and in their cargo. First found in the United States in the Florida Keys in 1915, these lizards were abundant in Gentilly and the Vieux Carre by the late 1940's.

Nature Notes
by Bob Thomas

Each February, I take a field trip to the woods near Norco, Louisiana, that are on high ground in a cypress-tupelo swamp. The site has been producing oil for years. In spite of this, it is rich in all forms of local wildlife, especially a nice variety of reptiles and amphibians.

Nature Notes
by Bob Thomas

The mud snake, Farancia abacura, is a large (up to six feet) spectacularly colored snake. They are abundant in swamps and associated wetland habitats, but rarely seen due to their secretive mannerisms and their glossy, iridescent black backs blending into the dark water.

Nature Notes
by Bob Thomas

A most unusual denizen of Louisiana long ago brought Louisiana’s snake species total to 40. The species is the Brahminy blind snake, Ramphotyphlops braminus. When it was found, it represented not only a new species for the state, but also a new genus and family (Typhlopidae).