The African Crested Rat’s Poisonous Hairs Studied by Attenuated Total Reflection Infrared Spectroscopy

Plant toxins are commonly used by many invertebrates, as an effective defense against predation. However, such behavior has recently been observed in a mammal. The African crested rat, Lophiomys imhausi, applies a potent toxin to the fur alongside its flanks. This application note describes the investigation of the African crested rat’s highly specialized hairs using Specac’s Golden Gate ATR Accessory as well as gravimetry.