Blowgun is a tube through which pellets or thin darts are blown by a quick puff of air from the lungs. Blowguns are more accurately called blowpipes. They range in length from about 4 feet to 9 feet (1.2 to 2.7 meters) and are generally made of reeds of grass, bamboo, wood, or metal. They are silent and thus well-suited for hunting birds and other small game in forests.
Blowpipes have been used for hunting in most parts of the world, but they were used in warfare only in Borneo and other islands in Indonesia. Warriors there found blowpipes useful against enemy tribesmen. Darts from these weapons, however, often failed to penetrate the thick clothing worn by European colonists. As a result, the blowpipe was used less and less in war. Today, some veterinarians use blowguns to shoot darts containing drugs to vaccinate animals or to calm them before an examination.
