How is it possible for animals to produce things like venoms and poisons without being harmed?
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In the early years, the poison is only slightly toxic and the animal can survive it. Maybe it makes the animal taste bad to predators. The animal evolves a resistance to its own poison, so now it can increase the quantity. Increasing the quantity is inefficient, so it makes the poison stronger.
Some commentors mention immune system and antibodies, but I don’t think that that is usually the case. In some cases, the poison attacks a certain chemical that is missing in the animal that is immune. The poisonous animal may use an altered protein that doesn’t react the same way to the poison.
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