I found this article fascinating, so I just had to include excerpts on my blog. You can find the original article link at the foot of this post. Here are the 10 most dangerous animals on the planet, counting down to first place.
10: Cape Buffalo
Found: Sub-Saharan Africa.
Risk of Death: Charging
Reportedly responsible for killing more hunters on the continent than any other creature, these animals weigh close to a ton and charge at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour. When threatened or wounded, they are known to continue charging regardless of injury and will not hesitate to attack moving vehicles.
9: Cone Snail
Risk of Death: Venom
Their marbled shells can be seen in shallow depths closer to shore but beware, their gastropods contain a complex venom known as a conotoxin which is capable of stopping nerve cells from communicating with one another causing paralysis within moments.
8: Golden Poison Dart Frog
Found: Colombia’s Pacific coast
Risk of Death: Poison
Its poison glands are located beneath the skin, so one touch of this frog will lead you into serious trouble. A single frog holds enough toxin to kill ten grown men. The name for the toxin is batrachotoxin which can also be found in certain species of beetles and birds too. It is among one of the most toxic substances known.
7: Box Jellyfish
Found: Indo-Pacific waters.
Risk of Death: Venom
These are considered the most venomous marine animal in the world. Their tentacles are lined with thousands of stinging cells containing toxins that simultaneously attack the heart, nervous system, and skin cells. There are hundreds of reported fatal encounters each year and victims have been known to go into shock and drown, or die of heart failure, before reaching shore.
6: The Pufferfish
Found: Japan, China and the Philippines.
Risk of Death: Neurotoxin
Their neurotoxin (called tetrodotoxin) is found in the fish’s skin, muscle tissue, liver, kidneys, and gonads. The tetrodotoxin is up to 1,200 times more poisonous than that of cyanide, and can cause deadening of the tongue and lips, dizziness, vomiting, arrhythmia, difficulty breathing, muscle paralysis, and, if left untreated, death.
5: Black Mamba
Found: The savannas and rocky areas of southern and eastern Africa
Risk of Death: Venom
The black mamba is especially deadly due to its slithering speeds of up to 12.5 miles per hour. They usually only strike when threatened but when they do, they’ll bite repeatedly, delivering enough venom (a blend of neurotoxins and cardiotoxins) in a single bite to kill ten people. Within 20 minutes, the bites are almost 100 percent fatal.
4: Saltwater Crocodile
Found: The Indo-Pacific region and northern Australia
Risk of Death: Bite
This crocodile is short-tempered, easily provoked and aggressive towards anything that crosses its path. These ferocious killers are excellent swimmers and can strike quickly with a bite that rivals that of the T. Rex. At 23 feet in length and weighing more than a ton, these are the largest and most dangerous crocodile in the world.
3: Tsetse Fly
Found: The Sudans, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Angola
Risk of Death: Pathogens
These flies are deadly because of the protozoan parasites they spread known as Trypanosomes. These microscopic pathogens are the causative agent of African Sleeping Sickness, a disease marked by neurological and meningoencephalitic symptoms including behavioral changes, poor coordination, as well as the disturbances in sleeping cycles. It can cause death if left untreated.
2: Mosquito
Found: Every region on the planet except Antarctica
Risk of Death: Pathogens
The common mosquito ranks as the second most dangerous on the list due to the sheer amount of deaths each year attributed to the various pathogens carried by several of the more than 3,000 species around the world. The irritating insects are the primary vectors of diseases such as malaria, Chikungunya, encephalitis, elephantiasis, yellow fever, dengue fever, West Nile virus, and the Zika virus, which collectively afflict an estimated 700 million and kill roughly 725,000 people each year. The World Health Organization notes that more than half of the human population is currently at risk from mosquito-borne diseases
1: Humans
Found: Worldwide
Risk of Death: Brutality
Humans top the list as the most dangerous animal in the world. We assault and kill each other and other animals with incredibly high rates of senseless brutality. We're destructive to the planet and often act irrationally. We have the capacity to annihilate our entire planet with a host of horrifying weapons like nuclear devices and GM superbugs. It’s no surprise we top the list as the most dangerous animal in the world.
Information source: https://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2016-06-21/the-10-most-dangerous-animals-in-the-world
Cover Image: Jos van Ouwerkerk