And shrews are fearsome predators ... specially shaped receptors that fend off the toxins. Next up, the giant otter. On average, they’re about as long as a human man is tall.

With the demise of the wolverine (Gulo luscus Linnaeus) in the Adirondacks in the late 1700’s or early 1800’s, the river otter became the region’s largest member of the weasel family. Adults weigh 5.4 ...