Nature isn’t only wondrous, it can be absolutely terrifying. Taking a look at the amount of wildlife documentaries, you can tell that humans are fascinated with the animal kingdom. Especially animals with abilities to attack, or defend.
Dangerous animals can come in all shapes and sizes. Regardless if it has a nasty bite, or deadly venom, nature has a way of adapting to become a master of its environment, and the animals on this list are perfect examples of that. If you’re a person who likes to snorkel, you might be attracted to the bright and colorful creature like the first one on the list. But, be careful, it may be beautiful, but it hides a secret that’s quite deadly.
The blue-ringed octopus looks like it stepped out of a psychedelic dream, but its true nature is a lot more dangerous. It uses a powerful neurotoxin that paralyzes the respiratory muscles of its prey. If someone gets stung, they would need to seek immediate medical attention or suffer from death by asphyxiation. It certainly is pretty to look at, but it’s best to just keep away. Sometimes keeping away won’t help at all, especially if contact isn’t needed in order to be harmed.
Like the cobra, this scorpion can eject its venom as far as one meter away. Even though it’s not usually deadly, its venom causes extreme pain and temporary blindness, that if left untreated will become permanent. This guy likes to hang out in the dry areas of many countries in Africa. If you’re a fan of sci-fi, then you’ll love the next animal on our list. It looks like it comes straight from an episode of Star Trek!
This fish is proof that size doesn’t matter. Even though it’s small, it’s fearless and aggressive to the point it’s earned the respect of fisherman from all over. They’re extremely territorial, so they’ll attack any animal that comes near their home. They have a huge mouth span that contains tons of sharp teeth that they use to wrestle other fish for territory. This next animal kills more people than any other snake, so keep that in mind if you find yourself in their stomping grounds.
This reptile’s name makes you think twice about going near it. When it feels threatened, it rubs parts of its body together to let out a ‘sizzling’ warning sound. The venom of this viper contains toxins that cause the body to develop bleeding disorders, which can lead to its victim dying from internal hemorrhaging. Our next animal can be seen as inspiration for old stories of mysterious serpents of the sea.
Frilled sharks may look like eels, but their fierceness and hunting ability makes them as dangerous as their shark cousins. This animal has dozens of trident-shaped teeth, that face backwards, which are used to hook its prey and keep it from escaping. They tend to live in very deep waters, which is great news because you wouldn’t want to encounter one of these. Imagine what it would be like to be floating along the current, having a relaxing day, when all of a sudden you look down and see a frilled shark? What do you do next?
Even though this creature looks like a jellyfish, it’s actually a siphonophore. What’s scary about this animal is its venom. It leaves enormous, red welts on the skin, which travel to the lymph nodes causing fever, shock, and other allergic reactions. It can take the title of having one of the most deadly venoms in the world. You might want to cuddle the next animal on our list, but take some advice, and don’t go near it at all.
Due to the fact that they have an inflatable bladder on their heads, adult male hooded seals are quite strange looking. These animals are pretty antisocial and territorial, which separates them from other types of seals. They’re also known to be aggressive towards humans. They live in the Arctic Sea around Canada, Greenland, and Iceland. The next animal should be proud to say it’s in the Guinness Book of World Records. Can you guess why?
This spider is been officially called the most venomous spider in the world. Just like its name suggests, this spider likes to wander, and can be found any place, at any time. Luckily, they can only be found in Central and South America, but that’s still quite a bit of land you’ll have to tread very carefully. This next animal has been the subject of nightmares for as long as anyone can remember. It’s even been the star of quite a few movies. Could you escape it jaws alive?
Even though the movie “Jaws” is fictional, the reality of this animal is not. This deadly creature has 300 serrated teeth, an amazing sense of smell, and has the ability to detect electromagnetic fields generated by prey. Even though they don’t prefer the taste of humans, they are responsible for at least half of all recorded annual shark attacks. Have you ever been near a river or swamp? Then you’ve probably come across the next killer on our list.
For millions of years crocodiles have looked pretty similar to their current form. Because they’ve evolved to become pretty incredible predators, they don’t really have the need to adapt further. They’re pretty fast swimmers, and have built-in camouflage, making it so they can ambush their prey. They’re known to have the strongest bite in the animal kingdom, and live in fresh, and saltwater. This next animal is much smaller than a crocodile, but just as deadly.
This small creature’s name is pretty fitting. People say the pain from this insect’s venom is so powerful, it feels like you’re being shot. The venom contains a toxin that targets the central nervous system, which causes paralysis that is strong enough to take down a full grown man. Bullet ants are used in some of the warrior initiation rituals of the tribes of the South American rainforest.
Even though this bright yellow amphibian looks cute and kid-friendly, it is certainly not. This dangerous frog is about the size of a paperclip, but holds enough poison to kill ten men. The Golden Poison Dart Frog is considered the most poisonous animal in existence. Luckily, they can only be found in the Pacific Coast of Columbia. This next animal sure makes a cute stuffed animal, but in real life, they wouldn’t hesitate to take a bite out of you.
Out of all of the bear species, polar bears are the most carnivorous, and they shouldn’t be messed with. Although the live in the Arctic, a very remote area, if someone were to run into one, they would be in a lot of trouble. They prefer the fatty flesh of seals, but are known to attack humans if they’re hungry enough. If you find yourself traveling to their Indonesian islands, you’ll be able to say you saw a dragon, just like the next one on our list.
The komodo dragon is the largest species of monitor lizard in the entire world. It’s bite can cause hemorrhaging, low blood pressure, hypothermia, and muscle paralysis. Whether it’s caused by bacteria or certain venomous proteins in the dragons saliva, scientists can’t be certain why it happens. Regardless of why, its bite leads to certain death for its prey either way.