Top 15 Deadly Animals

Intro

Lots of animals can be scary and dangerous, but which claims the most human lives? Find out, and read this article to learn more.

Number 15: The Bull Shark

Surprisingly, one of the scariest animals in the animal kingdom isn’t as bad as you think. The bull shark is considered the most dangerous shark in the world, even more deadly than the great white! Why, you may ask? The bull shark is not only able to survive in salt water, but it can survive in fresh water and even brackish water as well, meaning the water is basically half fresh water and half salt water. This means that bull sharks can end up in popular swimming spots, like the Potomac River, the Mississippi River and even the Amazon River itself! Add the fact that the bull shark is very aggressive, and you’ve got a pretty scary shark, but because of the fact that the bull shark doesn’t really kill humans, it ends up dead last.

Number 14: The Gray Wolf

You’ve probably heard of wolves in fairy tales, like the Big Bad Wolf from The Three Little Pigs or Little Red Riding Hood. But they’re not that dangerous in reality. The main problem? People are being schmoes!!! People who feed wolves in the wild are risking the lives of many other people since if a person feeds a wolf, that wolf will learn to associate people with free food. Then if they don’t get that food, they’re going to get aggressive!! So, it’s 14th place for the Gray Wolf.

Number 13: The African Elephant

Most herbivores may seem to be calm and graceful, but they can get dangerous if necessary. The African elephant is a very good example of this. They are known for trampling people who get too close to their young, especially during breeding season. On average, African elephants kill around 100 people annually. Although, this is only an instinct when a strange creature approaches its young. And that’s why the African Elephant is in 13th place.

Number 12: The Asian Giant Hornet

What’s so scary about a hornet, aren’t they just like a honey bee? Well actually, NO!!! The Asian giant hornet is a pretty scary insect, as its venom is super strong and can cause anaphylactic shock, which is when a victim goes into so much shock they die from it. However, people who live in the same country as these monstrosities developed clever ways to get rid of the pests, as they eat and kill honey bees. Because of this, the Asian giant hornet ends up in 12th place.

Number 11: The Komodo Dragon

Komodo Dragons are not a type of dragon at all, but the world’s largest lizard. They’re also pretty darn dangerous! Complete with a tough hide, powerful muscles, and razor sharp teeth coated in deadly bacteria, the Komodo dragon is a formidable creature! And yet, Komodo dragons have contributed to five deaths in the last 38 years, often in the wild. Which is why the Komodo dragon takes 11th place.

Number 10: The Freshwater Snail

Freshwater snails? Are they really  that deadly? The answer is in fact yes, and the reason is kind of surprising, it's parasites. Specifically schistosomes, a disease that can get transmitted via human consumption. As soon as that parasite gets into your body, it starts to wreak havoc and you end up with schistosomiasis, or also known as “snail sickness.” But because of the fact that the freshwater snail isn’t directly involved in these deaths, it ends up in 10th place.

Number 9: The Saltwater Crocodile

Ah, the saltwater crocodile, aka basically the everyday sight for Australians that live near a body of water. What makes these crocodiles deadly is that not only are they the biggest species of crocodiles, but they’re one of the sneakiest. There are stories of people camping out at night near a body of water and disappearing the next day. And saltwater crocodiles are usually the one to blame. However, attacks like these are very uncommon. So the saltwater crocodile goes into 9th place.

Number 8: The Stonefish

If you bother the stonefish, you may end up STONE DEAD. The stonefish is a type of fish that looks like your average piece of rock on the beach, they can even spend some time out of the water. However, the stonefish is an ambush hunter. It disguises itself as a piece of scenery, and patiently waits for prey to come to it. Then, the stonefish gets a meal. In fact, to protect itself, the stonefish has a set of spines in its back, which ensures its protection. If you even step on the stonefish, which is really common, it may be goodbye sweet world, hello afterlife. However, death is pretty uncommon, so the stonefish goes to 8th place. 

Number 7: The Hippopotamus

Hippos are one of the most dangerous animals in Africa, even deadlier than crocodiles! They have a bite force of 2,000 psi, which is strong enough to crush a whole watermelon. Include the fact that hippos are super aggressive and territorial, and the fact you can’t necessarily outrun them, and you’ve got a pretty dangerous animal from Africa. In reality, though, hippos are herbivores, and their aggression is usually because of territory. However, because they can cause a lot of damage, the hippo ends up in 7th place.

Number 6: The Brazilian Wandering Spider/The Sydney Funnel-Web Spider

Why are there two spiders for 6th place? I’ll tell you, it’s because there actually is a tie for the most dangerous species of spider! The Brazilian wandering spider is an intimidating species of spider located in Brazil, South America. Its venom causes numerous side effects, including swelling, severe pain, and nausea. Meanwhile, the Sydney funnel-web spider is an aggressive species of spider located in Sydney, Australia, whose bite is very dangerous. So altogether, these two end up in 6th place.

Number 5: The Box Jellyfish

The box jellyfish, so called because of its box-shaped bell, is also known as the sea wasp. That’s because its sting is very, very painful. It’s also deadly, as the box jellyfish kills around 20-100 people a year. The main reason why this happens is because its venom attacks the brain, nervous systems and skin cells, causing cardiac arrest. So the box jellyfish will end up in 5th place.

Number 4: The Tsetse Fly

Picture your average horse fly: bad enough, huh? Now imagine it ten times worse, you've got the tsetse fly. These things from a nightmare feast on only blood, and only from vertebrates, which is unfortunate, as this includes us. These guys bite very painfully via a straw-like proboscis that they inject into your skin, and then they drink. Now this wouldn’t be much of a problem if they don’t carry around a mischievous little demon inside them: sleeping sickness, which kills around 1,000 people per year. So with that, the tsetse fly goes into 4th place.

Number 3: The Inland Taipan

This dangerous snake is actually pretty shy, and prefers to hide in the Australian Outback. However, this snake holds a deadly secret- it has the deadliest venom out of any snake tested so far. The reason why this snake's venom is super dangerous is because of the fact it works super quickly. So quickly, a mouse would die from a bite before the snake even lets go after the bite! So in thus, the Inland Taipan goes to 3rd place.

Number 2: The Cape Buffalo

This buffalo isn’t nicknamed “The Black Death” for nothing, as they have caused even more human deaths than lions! The main reason why is that these animals are unpredictable and highly aggressive. Oh, and there’s usually more than one, from around a few dozen to at least 500 in a herd, to be exact. So, you definitely don’t want a whole herd of these to come after you: you’d be dead before you can make it a few feet only on your legs. So the cape buffalo is going to go in 2nd place. 

Number 1: The Anopheles Mosquito

And now, we reached the high and mighty, the most dangerous animal there is: the humble mosquito. That’s right, the world’s most dangerous animal in the world is roughly the size of your thumbnail! The main reason why is because of the diseases they carry from people to people. This includes malaria, West Nile virus, and yellow fever. Because of this, mosquitoes kill around 1,000,000 people a year. So in total, the mosquito will end up in 1st place.

Honorable Mentions

The Six-Eyed Sand Spider - Rarely seen, this spider buries itself in sand to ambush prey.

The Wels Catfish - This fish can grow so big it’s rumored to eat human beings.

The African Driver Ant - Great swarms of these ants can demolish anything that crosses their path.

The Saw-Scaled Viper - This snake is considered the most dangerous snake to humans.

The Cone Snail - This gastropod has a built-in harpoon that they can shoot at prey.

The Goliath Tiger Fish - This scary-looking fish can grow to 1.5 meters long.

The Irukandji - This jellyfish even has stinging cells in its bell.

The Northern Shrike - This horrid bird impales its prey on thorny bushes and even barbed wire.

The Webbed Burrfish- This pufferfish contains a deadly toxin inside itself made by bacteria.

Written By: Mason Oh

Edited By Rohini Velar