Below are charts showing the main animal toxin classes. Many of these toxins have other activities other than their main activity which is listed. Also, many toxins are found in other species besides those listed but often in much lesser amounts.
Figures/Diagrams will be added in the future to graphically illustrate how these toxins act so check back for updates/
| Cardiotoxins/cytotoxins | Act on membrane lipids/proteins of blood cells or heart cells | cobras, scorpions |
| Digoxin-like | Cardiotonic steroids that produce severe arrythmia of heartbeat | toads |
| Protease inhibitors | Blockage of serine proteases including plasmin, thrombin and kallikrein resulting in anticoagulant activity or hypotension | Snakes (elapids and true vipers) and certain scorpion species. Leeches contain the most powerful antithrombin toxin known |
| Factor X activator | Prematurely activates factor X of the blood coagulation resulting in net anticoagulation | Viper and elapid venoms |
| Protein C activators | Premature activation of protein C in the coagulation cascade resulting in net anticoagulation | Vipers and colubrids |
| Prothrombin activators | Premature activation of prothrombin in the coagulation cascade resulting in net anticoagulation | Elapid venoms |
| Disintegrins | Anticoagulants that bind to GPIIb/IIIa receptor on platelets | Wide spread in viper venoms and also found in leech toxins |
| Proteases | Myriad of actions including conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin and kallikrein like actions. | Pit-viper venoms, gila monster venoms |
| PLA2s | Hemorrhagic, | PLA2s with a myriad of activities are scattered widely throughout venoms |
| Myotoxins | Small proteins that facilitate the destruction of muscle cells | Pit-vipers |
| PLA2 | Destruction of muscle cells | PLA2s with a myriad of activities are scattered widely throughout venoms |
| T1 and T2, | Lethal mytoxins that produce muscular contractions | Chironex fleckeri (sea wasp) |
| alpha-neurotoxins | Postsynaptic neurotoxins that block the acetylcholine receptor (neuromuscular) | Elapid venoms only in snakes, also found in spiders and cone snails |
| alpha-toxin (scorpion) | Presynaptic neurotoxins that act upon sodium channels of mammals | Scorpions |
| beta-toxin (scorpion) | Presynaptic neurotoxins that act upon sodium channels of mammals | Scorpions |
| Conatokins | inhibitiors of N-methyl-D- aspartate (NMDA) receptors resulting in an inhibition of NMDA receptor-mediated calcium influx in central nervous system neurons | Cone snails |
| Fasiculins | Acetylcholinesterase | Dendroaspis (mamba) species |
| kappa-neurotoxins | Postsynaptic neurotoxins that block the acetylcholine receptors (neuronal) | Elapid venoms only |
| Long and short neurotoxins | Postsynaptic neurotoxins that block the acetylcholine receptors | Elapid venoms only in snakes |
| mu-toxins | Directly abolish muscle action potentials through the inhibition of muscle sodium channels | spider and cone snail |
| omega-neurotoxins | Prevent voltage-activated entry of calcium into the nerve terminal and release of acetylcholine | cone snails and spiders |
| PLA2s | Presynaptic destruction of nerve cell | PLA2s are widespread in venoms |
| P3 | High molecular weight toxins from Physalia physalis (portugese man o'war) that reversibly blocks glutamate receptors which are integral parts of the nerve conductance system | Portugues man o'war |
| Tetrodotoxin-like | acute respiratory failure through paralysis of the respiratory musculature with death as a result | Blue-ringed octopi, poison dart frogs, pufferfish |
| Sarafotoxins | Vasoconstrictors | Mole vipers (Atractaspidae) only |
| Natriuretic peptides | Hypotensive peptides | Platypus, elapid and pit viper venoms |
| CrTX -I, -II, -III | Induce platelet aggregation and act as vasoconstrictors in addition to damaging the uptake/storage of noradrenaline, yet leavingthe postsynaptic contractile systems unchanged, while causing contraction of smooth muscles through the Ca2+ independent release of prostaglandins | Carybdea rastoni ("jimble") |