Number 10 Grizzly Bear North American brown bears have a fearsome
reputation to go with their physical prowess and outstanding natural weaponry.
The common name “Grizzly” is often used in reference to brown bear species found in
the US.
These include the Ursus arctos horribilis, or the mainland grizzly, the peninsular grizzly
and Kodiak bears, only found in Alaska’s eponymous archipelago.
The latter rivals the polar bear as the largest land carnivore on Earth.
Kodiak bears have been known to weigh over 1,500 pounds, which is almost as heavy as
the average bull.
As evident from the prominent muscular hump on their shoulders, grizzlies are built for
power.
Moreover, they have massive canines, claws that grow up to 6 inches and jaws strong enough
to crush bowling balls.
As a grizzly stands up on its hind legs it will often use its superior strength to take
down a victim.
It will bite at the victim’s lower jaw, which is most likely a disarming technique.
Confrontations between humans and grizzly bears can occur as a result of hunting as
well as camping.
They have a phenomenal sense of smell and are often attracted to food that hasn’t
been stored properly.
There’ve been several reports of campers being dragged out of their tents by attacking
grizzlies.
Conditioning the bears to campsite food can accustom them to human presence, thus increasing
the likelihood of future attacks.
Number 9 Spiders Black widows and brown recluse spiders share
an entry on our list as the most dangerous spiders in the US.
Female black widows, distinguishable by the red hourglass mark on their abdomens, are
the most fearsome by reputation.
They’ll sometimes devour their partners after mating and own highly toxic venom.
The illness associated with black widow envenomation is called latrodectism.
It’s described by pain, vomiting and muscle rigidity.
Contrary to popular belief, the condition is rarely fatal for humans.
The brown recluse spider, although only slightly larger than a US penny, is quite dangerous
in its own right.
The hemotoxic properties of its venom can cause tissue necrosis.
Severe lesions can become infected and may even lead to amputation.
Yet, like the black widow’s, the bite of a brown recluse spider is seldom fatal.
Number 8 Cougar Cougars, also known as pumas or mountain lions,
have the widest distribution of any wild animal in the Americas.
In the US, populations are found across 16 states, mostly on the west coast.
Male cougars average about 150 pounds but, in rare cases, may surpass 200 pounds.
Even though that’s about the weight of the average American male, the difference in power
is considerable.
Relative to its size, the cougar has the largest paws and hind legs found within the feline
family.
This enables it to perform outstanding leaps and reach sprinting speeds of up to 50 miles
per hour, which is actually faster than a Greyhound.
It can also swim and is an apt climber.
A cougar’s muscular body is perfectly designed for grasping and holding large prey, an ability
enhanced by the retractable claws on its paws.
Attacks on humans are rare but have seen an increase in recent years, mainly due to expansion
into the cougar’s natural range.
The feline will attack if cornered or if a human triggers its chase instinct, typically
by turning their back and running away.
An attack usually involves a bite to the neck, in which the animal tries to sink its teeth
between the vertebrae and into the spinal cord.
Children are at greatest risk of getting ambushed by a cougar and the least likely to survive
an attack.
Number 7 Grey Wolf As the largest and strongest member of the
Canidae family, the grey wolf was a mandatory introduction to our list.
Its teeth are specialized for crushing bone and its slender, powerfully-built body favors
relentless attacks.
Although dangerous enough on its own, the wolf is notable for its pack behavior and
cooperative hunting.
A pack of 15 wolves, for example, is capable of taking down an adult moose.
Interestingly enough, the deer species can easily grow to be 15 times heavier than an
individual wolf.
While not as numerous as in Eurasia, North America has also seen a number of wolf attacks.
The most recent fatality occurred in 2010, in Alaska, when a young woman was killed while
jogging.
There’s an argument that most wolf attacks are the result of an individual animal suffering
from rabies.
Nevertheless, wolf management programs, from the United States Wildlife Service, describe
them as opportunistic hunters that will attack humans if given the chance.
Throughout the years, encounters with hunters, shepherds and ranchers, have caused wolves
to develop a fear of approaching humans.
Yet, wildlife experts warn against actions that may encourage wolves to be in the proximity
of people as it may lead to an increase in violent encounters.
Number 6 Arizona Bark Scorpion The Arizona bark scorpion, also known as Centruroides
sculpturatus, is North America’s most venomous scorpion.
These creatures prefer riparian areas, meaning that they’re found on land adjacent to rivers
or streams.
The popularity of irrigated lawns and other man-made water systems have led to an increase
of scorpion populations in residential areas.
The symptoms associated with the Arizona bark scorpion’s sting can last from 24 to 72
hours.
They include intense pain, numbness and convulsions or temporary dysfunction of the affected area.
The pain is so intense that victims reported experiencing sensations similar to electric
shocks.
While fatalities are rare, there are certain groups that are more at risk than others,
such as children, the elderly or people with compromised immune systems.
In Arizona, thousands of people are reportedly stung by the scorpion each year.
Number 5 Bull Shark With the Atlantic Ocean on its East Coast
and the Pacific Ocean in the West, the US faces more than a dozen shark attacks ever
year.
While the great white receives the brunt of the notoriety, there’s an equally, if not
more, dangerous shark.
Unlike their mainly oceanic relatives, bull sharks are able to thrive in freshwater systems
as well.
This makes them particularly dangerous when considering the US’ sprawling river ways.
Bull sharks have been found up the Mississippi River, hundreds of miles from the ocean.
They were also spotted in the Ohio River and in Maryland’s Potomac River.
These creatures have, pound-per-pound, the most powerful bite of all the shark species.
There’s a combination of factors that make them particularly dangerous towards humans.
It’s not only about bite force and size, even though females average roughly 300 pounds,
or about as much as the typical sumo wrestler.
Bull sharks are territorial, temperamental and have no tolerance for provocation.
These creatures might have even been responsible for the infamous Jersey Shore shark attacks
of 1916, which served as an inspiration for the novel “Jaws”.
Number 4 Rattlesnake By recent estimates, there are roughly 7,000
to 8,000 snake bites that occur in the United States every year.
Fortunately, the development of antivenom has led to significantly less fatalities than
in the past.
Snake attacks are disproportionate in the country, with a majority of them occurring
in warm weather states, such as Texas and Florida.
Among the various venomous serpents found across the land, there are about 16 rattlesnake
species.
These creatures are so dreaded that a timber rattlesnake was once put on a flag to motivate
infantry forces.
During the American Revolution, the Continental Marines had a motto flag of a timber rattlesnake
that was coiled and ready to strike.
Beneath it were the words “Don’t Tread On Me”.
These snakes are distinguishable by the rattle at the end of their tail.
It’s made of interlocked keratinous segments which vibrate against one another when the
snake contracts certain tail muscles.
This produces a distinctive rattling sound that acts as a deterrent to predators and
as a warning to humans.
The western diamondback and the eastern diamondback are the species responsible for most snakebite
fatalities.
The latter is known as the most venomous snake in North America and owns the longest fangs
of any rattlesnake species.
Number 3 Deer Deer may sound less terrifying than other
animals on our list but, statistically speaking, they’re the deadliest.
A number of species weigh several hundred pounds and certainly possess the mass to trample
people to death.
Males own majestic antlers, some of which are several feet across and definitely capable
of inflicting severe injuries.
However, fatal antler stabbings or brutal trampling isn’t what makes deer the deadliest
creatures in the country.
Most will simply choose to run away from humans rather than engage them.
That’s actually the crux of the matter.
As deer move across their range, they end up on roadways or highways and collide with
vehicles.
In the US, this type of collision causes about 200 human deaths and roughly $1 billion in
property damage every year.
It’s so widespread that the idea of being surprised and caught like a “deer in the
headlights” has become a saying.
While easier to avoid during the day, deer are particularly difficult to spot at dusk
or dawn.
Habitat fragmentation is a considerable factor in the rise of deer-vehicle collisions.
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Number 2 American Bison The American Bison is North America’s largest
land animal and nature’s equivalent of a gigantic battering ram.
Its charge, a devastating combination of mass and speed, is powerful enough to derail a
train.
Also known as the buffalo, the species’ bulls can weigh up to 2,800 pounds in the
wild and a staggering 3,800 pounds in captivity.
That’s about as heavy as the average car.
They own massive heads, pronounced muscular humps and giant forequarters.
Their short, curved horns are used as defensive weapons and to fight for status within the
herd.
Despite its mass and seemingly lethargic movements, a charging bison can get up to 40 miles per
hour.
To put that into perspective, Usain Bolt’s speed record topped out at 27.8 miles per
hour.
Historically, these creatures used to roam the continent in vast herds.
The spread of bovine diseases from domestic cattle and commercial hunting brought the
creatures to the brink of extinction.
They went from over 60 million in the late 18th century to only a few hundred towards
the end of the 19th century.
Recovery efforts spared its extinction and the American bison is now mainly restricted
to reserves and national parks.
That’s where a number of violent human encounters have occurred in the past decades.
From 1980 to 1999, at Yellowstone National Park alone, bison attacked three times more
people than bears.
During this period there were 3 reported fatalities in addition to numerous reports of puncture
wounds and broken bones.
Number 1 Moose Even though they’re part of the deer family
and even though they get in a fair share of vehicle collisions, moose most definitely
deserve their own entry on our list.
They’re creatures of many extremes, as the largest and heaviest of all deer species.
Exceptional bulls stand more than 6ft 9ins feet at the shoulder, meaning that they’re
taller than NBA superstar LeBron James.
Their massive antlers can span close to 6 feet, from tip to tip, so you could horizontally
fit the average American male between them.
The largest bulls weigh close to 2,000 pounds, almost twice as much as a Grand Piano.
Moose are not only monsters in terms of proportion but also temperament.
When it comes to raw data, they attack more people than wolves and bears combined.
They’re also perfectly capable of killing both predatory species.
They injure more humans than any other animal in the Americas and are second only to hippos
in worldwide attacks.
They can charge people and inflict devastating injuries with their antlers.
One common sign of an imminent charge is that the hairs on its neck and shoulders will stand
up.
Moose are surprisingly limber and, unlike other large hooved animals, they can kick
in all directions.
Not that you should ever do it but this means there’s no safe way to approach them.
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