Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum in Tring, Hertfordshire, will open a new exhibition on 24 July to educate visitors about some of the deadliest plants, minerals and animals on Earth.

The exhibition will explore how natural poisons, toxins and venoms are made and used by some of nature’s deadliest flora and fauna by examining preserved animal specimens, minerals, pressed plants and models.

The infamous Australian box jellyfish, one of the deadliest animals in the world, will feature in the exhibition as well as a model stonefish, which sits camouflaged on the seabed covered with defensive sharp, venomous spines.

The exhibition will also explore why animals produce poison. Poison dart frogs, for example, have so many predators that they produce very powerful and complicated toxins to affect a wide range of animals, including humans, while toads produce toxins formed in their skin from a large gland.

Plants, rocks and minerals will also be on show, including the deadly nightshade, Atropa belladonna, which can affect your heart and breathing if the leaves or berries are consumed. Several other lethal plant species, including ragwort and hemlock, will be on display.

Alice Dowswell, exhibition curator at the museum, said: “Powerful toxins are vital for the survival of many animals and plants in the wild, whether they are used to catch prey or for defence against predators.

“Finding out about nature’s poisons is not only fascinating, it helps us understand how to protect ourselves and use their toxins to treat human illnesses.”

The Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum is the Natural History Museum’s sister museum. It opened in the late 1800s to house the collections of Lionel Walter, second Baron Rothschild. The museum offers examples of nineteenth-century taxidermy and was bequeathed to the nation in 1938. Details: www.nhm.ac.uk/tring