The World's Deadliest Animals

Australia

Africia 1

Brazil

Africia 2

One of the deadliest animals in the world, the puffer fish can look relatively harmless at first because of its small size. But don't let its size fool you! If you're able to catch this little guy, then you'll be in for a long bout of agony as the dozens of small spines that run the length of its body poke and tear your flesh. Animals that eat the puffer fish are in for even more pain. If they don't choke to death on the spines, then the puffer fish's startlingly strong poison (it is the second-most poisonous vertebrate in the world) is sure to finish them off. It's so strong that it has even been known to kill humans who dare to eat it.

Some of its internal organs ( ovaries, liver and the intestines ) and its skin are toxic due to the presence of tetrodotoxin. Death by suffocation occurs when the diaphragm muscles are paralyzed. The tetrodotoxin contained in the puffer fish is extremely potent, luckily it can only kill you if you eat it. Fugu is an expensive delicacy is you are brave enough!

Close-up of a Puffer Fish, Bahamas

Puffer Fish PosterBUY NOW

Pufferfish PosterBUY NOW

Puffer Fish PosterBUY NOW

Puffer Fish (Blastoff! Readers: Oceans Alive)

Kids love to learn, and they are fascinated by all weird creatures. Puffer fish are unique and interesting, kids will be amazed. In this book, kids will learn some interesting facts about the the puffer fish: eating habits, how they fend off predators, in what part of the ocean they live. 24 pages with illustrations.

Another dangerous fish, the so-called stone fish's sting is so painful that many of its human victims cry out to have their affected limbs amputated. To make matters worse, it also employs a method of camouflage as a defense mechanism and can be almost invisible when hovering next to stones (hence its name). Unlike the puffer fish though, its poison is actually in the form of a venom which is released into predators (or unsuspecting feet) through a series of long spines on its back. If you're ever in Australia be careful, they live in both rivers and along the ocean shore. You definitely don't want to come home from a vacation with a story of a stone fish sting to tell!

Deadly Stone Fish, off Sharm El-Sheikh, Sinai, Red Sea, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Yet another creature on the world's deadliest animals, the terror of the deep blue sea. You don't even have to come face to face with the blue-ringed octopus to know that it's poisonous. The vivid blue rings which line its back (and for which it is named) just look poisonous. And the animal is. The blue-ringed octopus is right up there as one of the ocean's deadliest animals. Though it is a fairly docile creature and won't attack unless provoked, its venom is fatal to humans. To make matters worse, there is no known antivenom. If you ever see a blue-ringed octopus, then you better run (or swim) as fast as possible in the opposite direction.

Southern Blue Ring Octopus, South Australia

Poison dart frogs are widely considered to be one of the most dangerous animals in the world and for very good reason. Cute as these little guys might be, they pack a poisonous punch (they aren't called poison dart frogs for nothing) and some subspecies are lethal to humans. Native peoples in the South American forests where the dart frogs live have actually rubbed the poison on the tips of their spears (and darts) for hundreds of years. Luckily though, poison dart frogs are usually vivid in color (yellow, blue, green, and red) so they are easy enough to spot and detour around.

poison dart frog Poster

Also known as the sea wasp, the box jellyfish really does pack one heck of a sting! The sea wasp is found in tropical location such as Hawaii, the Philippines and Australia. Their venomous strings are painful and deadly. Each Sea Wasp tentacle has 500,000 venom filled needles. It can extend its tentacles up to 3 meters! Since the mid 1950's there was at least 5,500 deaths because of the Sea Wasp. Even the dead Sea Wasp, found on the beaches, can sting (the jellyfish's long tentacles house the poison and even severed tentacles washed up on beaches can cause quite a pain).
It's extremely potent venom is almost unbearably painful to humans and in many cases is lethal. Swimming areas where the jelly fish is often found have recently become equipped with nets (to ward the creature off) and antivenom (for emergency first aid).

Box Jellyfish or Sea Wasp, Poisonous, Australia

Snakes have always been considered dangerous and devilish animals in many circles and the inland taipan is no exception. This slithery creature is actually the deadliest snake in the world. Native to Australia, it primarily feeds on mice and other small rodents in the area. In fact, the inland taipan keeps to itself so much that the only recorded human bites have been on the scientists studying the snake. And lucky for them, the antivenom was always close at hand so there have been no recorded human deaths to date.

This inlan taipan photo is used under creative commons, courtesy of g_kat26

Even just this animal's name, the Brazilian wandering spider, sends shivers down your spine, doesn't it? To make matters worse, this highly venomous spider is also very defensive - if you bug it, then you're going to pay. Even though a lot of people consider almost every type of spider creepy and crawly, the wandering spider is one of only a few species lethal enough to kill a human.

Brazilian Wandering Spiders are found in South America. Their bites are responsible for more human deaths than the bites of any other spider species. They wander the forest floor and hide under rocks or wood pieces. They don't make webs of lairs. They are aggressive spiders and are known to attack on sight. Their venom cause muscle paralysis leading to asphyxiation.

This Brazilian Wandering Spider photo is used under creative commons, courtesy of Wikipedia

Snails probably aren't one of the first animals that you think of when you think "world's deadliest animals," but the marbled cone snail (an ocean-dwelling species) is surprisingly so. Marbled Cone Snails are found in warm saltwater environments. These small snails can be extremely dangerous. The little bugger actually uses a nifty method to deploy its venom. It has a needle-like tooth and a venom gland that actually act much like a miniature harpoon. But the pain from one of its "harpoon" stings definitely isn't miniature. It is very painful and can even result in death. One drop of venom can kill 20 adults! The toxin cause tingling, swelling, pain, and numbness, and eventually muscle paralysis, vision changes and breathing failure. The cone snail's harpoon has even been known to pierce wetsuits - it is just that strong. Although only 30 human deaths have been reported, it is still an impressive little bugger.

This Marbled Cone Snail photo is used under creative commons, courtesy of Wikipedia

Mosquitos are actually one of the most dangerous types of animals in the world because they are so small, so common, and there are so many different types. In fact, they have probably killed more humans than all of the other animals on this list combined. They aren't really that dangerous in themselves, at least individually, but the deadly diseases that they carry and transfer to humans through bites are. Malaria and dengue fever are two of the most common diseases transferred by mosquitos. Mosquitoes also carry many different variation of encephalitis, yellow fever and many more deadly diseases. Luckily for humans, in most populated places forms of mosquito control are in effect. Their numbers are both artificially and naturally reduced (through introduction of predators such as dragonflies), and a number of medicines and vaccines are available to protect people from their bites. Still, they kill 2 million people a year. In most countries, mosquitoes are just annoying, but in third world countries, they are deadly killers.

Protect Yourself Mosquito Proof Your Home Poster

• Amazing Octopus Videos
• Adelie Penguin Pictures
• Great White Shark Images
• Panda Bear Pictures
• Poison Dart Frog Pictures

Amazing Octopus Videos

Adelie Penguin Pictures

Great White Shark Images

Panda Bear Pictures

Poison Dart Frog Pictures

• Great White Shark Facts
• The Adelie Penguins and Global Warming
• Octopus Facts
• Frilled Shark Pictures
• Giant Panda Bear: Giant Panda Pictures and Facts

Great White Shark Facts

The Adelie Penguins and Global Warming

Octopus Facts

Frilled Shark Pictures

Giant Panda Bear

• Swimming with Adélie Penguins
• Swimming With Octopuses: Octopus Locomotion
• Adelie Penguins
• Giant Panda Bear
• World's Deadliest Animals

Swimming with Adélie Penguins/

Swimming With Octopuses: Octopus Locomotion

Adelie Penguins

Giant Panda Bear

World's Deadliest Animals

The Red Hourglass: Lives of the PredatorsBUY NOW

National Geographic Readers: Deadliest AnimalsBUY NOW

Deadly Kingdom: The Book of Dangerous AnimalsBUY NOW