Is a Dead Stingray's Sting Still Lethal?

­To find out if a dead stingray can still kill with its stinger, we first need to explore how a stingray us­es its tail to defend itself.

Aside from its large, flat, winglike body, its mouth, eyes and gill slits on its dorsal surface and its tail, a stingray is generally featureless. This serves the stingray well; it lies flat on the sandy bottom of its habitat and camouflages itself by blending in with the sea bottom. Since stingrays often dwell just offshore, humans frolicking on the beach can easily and inadvertently step on a hidden one.

When stingrays are stepped on, handled roughly, or spooked, their tails will whip forward toward their heads like a scorpion, or to the side. Toward the end of a stingray's tail (called its caudal appendage) lies its venom apparatus. Long spines -- measuring several inches long and typically thought of as what puts the "sting" in "stingray" -- lay within a grooved abscess in the tail known as the cuneiform area. These spines are essentially hidden from sight when the stingray is unthreatened. A stingray is always preparing for action, however; tiny barbs are housed within the spine. While these barbs are idling beneath the spine's surface inside the integumentary sheath, they're constantly being washed in the stingray's venom.

When threatened, the stingray begins its tail whip; the barbs on the spines tear through the thin tissue of the integumentary sheath, and the spines jut out at an angle that's nearly perpendicular to the tail. Once the stingray is in motion, its tail becomes a whiplike weapon with a poisonous nail sticking out of it. The stingray's spines are rigid -- and in some species, can actually pierce bone [source: Lovgren]. On the other hand, they're also brittle and can break off and lodge into any laceration they create. The venom, contained in the mucuslike coating over the barb, is introduced into the body through the wound (a process called envenomation).

It doesn't sound like a very pleasant experience, and it's not. It's usually not life-threatening, but it is painful. Still, it's possible to die from a wound inflicted by a live stingray, but what about a dead one?

­It's possible to die from a wound inflicted by a dead stingray, but it's also highly unlikely.­ The movement of the tail is what brings the barbed spine to an erect position and causes the venomous barbs to tear through the integumentary sheath. In other words, there is no muscle controlling the spine or barbs; they become a threat as the result of the tail's movement, somewhat like the motion of a folding knife springing from its cradle with a flick of the wrist.

This means that a dead stingray shouldn't be able to create the laceration needed to envenomate a person -- unless it died while in a defensive stance. If the spine was erect and ready for destruction, but hadn't met its mark when the stingray died, then it would still present a threat if someone handling the dead stingray punctured his or her skin with the spine.

HowStuffWorks couldn't find any case in which a person was killed by a dead stingray. There have been reports of fishermen dying from contact with dead, and even frozen, venomous fish, however. Even after a stingray's death, the venom it produced while alive would still be a threat to humans.

A person is far more likely to suffer a painful injury and possible complications from contact with a spooked stingray than death. So, what can you expect if you happen to step on a stingray? First, look forward to tremendous pain. The laceration created by the barbed spine penetrating flesh can be painful enough on its own. However, it's the venom that seems to be the real cause of the pain at the site of the wound.

Stingray venom is serious stuff. In large enough doses, it can affect the heart's electrical functioning and either dilates or constricts blood vessels [source: Williamson et al.]. The venom won't make it to the heart in most cases; it will usually hang around the wound site, causing tissue necrosis, or cellular death. There is some relief available for the pain: Soaking the wound in very hot water has been shown to soothe the ache created by stingray venom. Bacterial infections are also common, so you may need to take some antibiotics in the event of stingray sting. It's also highly recommended that anyone suffering a sting from a stingray seek medical attention. Stingray venom persists without medical intervention; the damage it causes to the soft tissue doesn't go away on its own.

Ultimately, it's best to respect the "pussycats of the sea." After all, even the gentlest of pussycats will defend themselves when threatened.