Patients should make their way back to the safety of shore by shuffling their feet (so they won't be stung again). There is a venom gland at the base of the spine and a membrane-like sheath that covers the entire sting mechanism. The sting is painful, but usually not very harmful.

Stingrays are a group of sea rays, which are cartilaginous fish related to sharks.

1. A stingray is a sea animal with a whip-like tail. Call 911. The mechanism is called a sting, up to 8 inches (20 cm) long in a bull ray, located near the base of the tail.

Stingrays sting to scare us away. Freshwater stingrays are carnivores, feeding mostly on fish and crustaceans in the wild.

Call 911.

Stingrays are the most common group of fish that sting humans. What Do Stingrays Eat? Stingray Facts and Information Introduction to Stingray. Stingray injuries are usually defensive actions, not attacks. The sting is painful, but usually not very harmful. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae (sixgill stingray), Plesiobatidae (deepwater stingray), Urolophidae (stingarees), Urotrygonidae (round rays), Dasyatidae (whiptail stingrays), Potamotrygonidae (river stingrays), Gymnuridae (butterfly rays), and Myliobatidae (eagle rays). Stingrays are a flat-bodied cartilaginous fish with one or more barbed stingers located midway on the tail. Stingray injuries are caused by the venomous tail spines, stingers or dermal denticles of rays in the order Myliobatiformes, most significantly those belonging to the families Dasyatidae, Urotrygonidae, Urolophidae, and Potamotrygonidae. 

Australian Venom Research Unit: "First Aid Information: Stingray." To do this, stingrays’ jaws are several layers thick with hollow struts supporting the its softer cartilage cores. 2. Stingray stings usually happen by accident when someone steps on a stingray, resulting in injury to the legs or feet.

The tail has sharp spines that contain venom. The hot water can help with pain and deactivating the venom. A stingray's venomous stinger (spine) at the base of their tails lashes out and can cause cuts or punctures. Stingrays generally aren’t dangerous — in fact, they have a reputation for being gentle. They normally live in coastal tropical and subtropical marine waters, making it possible for them to come in contact with humans. Many scientists believe that the eyes of the stingray do not play a significant role in hunting. Patients should make their way back to the safety of shore by shuffling their feet (so they won't be stung again). Journal of the Louisiana State Medical Society, July-August, 2007. This article describes the effects of a stingray sting. Check out our cool facts about them, below… Stingray facts. However, the fish’s nostrils, gill slits, and mouth are located on its underbelly. Stingrays come in all shapes and sizes and are one of the most beautiful creatures in the sea, but let’s face it, they are a little bizarre looking! They often burrow beneath the sand in the shallows and swim in the open water. Medical treatment may involve removing any foreign matter left in the wound, washing and disinfecting the wound, and submerging the wound in very hot water (as hot as the victim can stand).

Although not usually aggressive, the stingray will use its stinger in self-defense when accidentally stepped on, secreting a venom into the victim's wound. The sting contains a sharp spine with serrated edges, or barbs, that face the body of the fish.