Australia tends to top
the world's most deadly creature charts
for a good reason.
If you're about to venture down under,
you'll want to make sure you don't
dip your toe into the wrong place.
If you do,
you won't be on your flight back home.
Sure,
you've seen the videos
of boxing kangaroos,
and you think you can easily survive
in Australia.
But you haven't seen anything
like the animals on this list.
We'll show you the creepiest
and deadliest critters you can encounter
on the continent
and teach you how to
handle an encounter like a true Aussie.
This creepy crawler is called
the deadliest spider on earth
at only 1-5 cm (0.4-2 in),
this arachnid’s venomous bite
has neurotoxic proteins,
which would attack your nervous system.
Funnel-web spiders typically
bite our hands or feet in self-defense,
and it's going to hurt.
Make sure you wrap something
around your bitten limb
to slow the venom from moving around
your body,
and get to a hospital for antivenom.
Funnel-web spiders have crawled
into people's homes
and fallen into swimming pools,
and they can survive
underwater for hours.
So if you see a funnel-web spider
at the bottom of a pool,
don't touch it with your skin.
Also called the king brown snake,
this serpent lives
in most parts of Australia.
It's usually about 2 m (6.5 ft) long,
but can grow to 3.3 m (11 ft).
Mulgas are extremely aggressive
and won't hesitate to bite you
even if you're sleeping.
A mulga’s bite
is quite different from other snakes.
Once it gets a grip on you, it'll hang on
and chew on you,
causing excruciating pain.
This slithering beast has a potent venom
that can break down your blood cells
and degrade your muscles.
If a mulga snake bites you,
put a pressure bandage on the bite
and keep your limbs still.
You'll need to receive antivenom
as soon as possible.
In April 2021,
a teenager from Queensland, Australia
found what looked to be an empty
cone on a beach.
The 19-year-old picked it up
thinking it was harmless,
but it turned out to be a cone snail.
The teen almost died
from an extremely powerful venom.
Although they only grow up
to 22 cm (8.5 in) long,
these mollusks have a harpoon-like tooth
that's so strong
it can puncture your skin
even if you're wearing gloves or a wetsuit.
One type of cone snail’s venom contains
hundreds of toxins
and could be strong enough
to kill 700 people.
People have died from cone snail bites
and there's no antivenom.
Plunge the bitten area into hot water
to help reduce the pain,
and head for a hospital,
The doctors may need
to put you on a respirator.
In Australia,
you’ll likely want to dive into
the refreshing blue waters,
but beware of this tiny ocean dweller.
It’s body is only about the size
of a sugar cube,
but the Irukandji is the most venomous
box jellyfish in the world.
After the sting,
you may develop Irukandji syndrome.
It causes
agonizing muscle and back pain,
blood pressure issues
and you could die
from too much fluid in your lungs
lungs or heart complications.
If you suspect
this type of jellyfish has stung you,
get out of the water immediately.
Douse the bite with vinegar
and remove the tentacles using tweezers.
If you develop Irukandji syndrome,
get medical help right away.
These mighty creatures
with their pretty colors
are the deadliest birds on earth.
They can't fly,
but they can run up to 48 km/h (30 mph).
You don't want to mess with cassowaries.
These big birds
can grow up to 2 m (6.5 ft) tall,
and they can easily slice you open
with their 10 cm (4 in) claws.
If you near one of these gigantic birds,
be fully alert.
These are very territorial birds,
And if they feel threatened,
cassowaries will kick,
charge and jump at humans.
Cassowaries could attack
if you try to feed them.
Move away without turning
your back on the bird
and get behind a tree
if a cassowary confronts you.
You survived these dangerous beasts,
but you weren't leaving Australia
without a hug from one of these
cuddle buddies, are you?
That might be a bad idea,
even if you dodged those sharp claws.
Did you know their pee can give you
a sexually transmitted infection?
Find out more here.