From the grinding, grooved bite of an American monster to the flashing blue lights of an
underwater assassin, today we look at Creatures With The Most Powerful Venom.
Number 10.
Cone Snail Making their homes in ornate shells shaped
similar to their namesake, the various types of cone snails that roam the ocean are incredibly
venomous.
With a harpoon-like, chitinous tooth that shoots out from its underside, the cone snail
can deliver neurotoxins guaranteed to immobilize prey.
But while humans may be too large for the snail to hunt, these attractive sea critters
are just as dangerous to us.
Symptoms associated with the cone snails sting include pain, swelling, vomiting and even
muscle paralysis, blurred vision, and lethal respiratory failure.
Number 9.
Solenodon Resembling a large, long-nosed shrew, the
endangered Solenodon is one of few existing venomous mammals.
Variations of this critter exist in the caribbean among island nations like Cuba, Haiti, and
the Dominican Republic.
A nocturnal animal, the solenodon is rarely seen by people, but should you come across
one, be sure to keep your distance.
The submaxillary gland in this animal's jaw provides a toxic secretion that they may inject
by way of their lower incisors.
While only proving fatal to mice in testing, the venom crafted by solenodons is said to
resemble the neurotoxic properties of some snakes and has even resulted in symptoms like
convulsions, difficulty breathing, and paralysis.
Despite this handy defense mechanism, though, solenodons are close to extinction and have
already been mistakenly thought as such multiple times throughout history.
Number 8.
Gila Monster Traipsing along the southwestern desert regions
of North America is a unique lizard known as the Gila Monster.
Speckled with vivid shades of pink, orange and yellow against their black bodies, these
bead-scaled stalkers utilize these hues through a biological feature called aposematic coloration
to warn other creatures of their extreme toxicity.
The first agony-inducing portion of this lizard's bite comes from its means of injection.
The Gila monster first latches on with its grinding, grooved teeth and gnaws viciously
at its target until venom is released from its salivary glands located in its lower jaw.
This bite is incredibly painful and tough to break, sometimes requiring complete submersion
in water to get the lizard to release its grasp or risk deep lacerations.
The venom itself is equally as excruciating, with some victims describing the agony of
the experience to feel like "hot lava is coursing through your veins."
Envenomized victims will suffer from symptoms like edema , a drop in blood pressure, and
overall weakness in addition to the venom's unbearable sting.
In terms of pure toxicity, the Gila monster's venom is on par with that of a coral snake,
which has fatally bitten many human victims.
Lucky for us, the Gila monster doesn't produce enough venom to keep humans down.
So even though this lizard is a royal pain to run into, you're still likely to survive
a run in with this wasteland wandering beast.
Number 7.
Stonefish Nestled near the coasts of Northern Australia
is a subtle danger hidden under the guise of a jagged rock.
The stonefish is a genus of fish known scientifically as Synanceia and has earned its nickname through
its mineral-esque skin and jagged shape.
The grey, rough texture of the stonefish masks a collection of thirteen needle-sharp spines
which serve as a medium for injecting its neurotoxins into any thing that gets too close
for comfort.
Unfortunately for humans, this includes feet.
Seeing as the creature lives near coastlines and camouflages itself to appear as nothing
but an ordinary rock, stonefish tend to sting beach-goers often, with stonefish-specific
antivenom being the second-most commonly used in Australia.
Exacerbating the situation for people, this fish is also capable of surviving outside
of water for up to 24 hours, meaning you may not even need to enter the water to feel its
sting!
The venomous puncture of the stonefish is extremely painful, can cause heart failure
and even be lethal if not treated immediately.
But if you're worried about this odd rocky sea creature threatening you, there's some
good news.
Stonefish don't use their venom on prey, relying instead on incredibly quick reflexes to snatch
other fish that assume the stonefish is part of a coral reef.
Their venomous spines are purely for defensive purposes, so just try not to offend them.
Number 6.
Slow Loris When considering venomous creatures across
the world, creepy critters like spiders and snakes are quick to come to mind.
But what about monkeys?
Well, maybe not monkeys, but one closely-related venomous primate is the Slow Loris . Characterized
by its lemur-esque head and tarsier-like eyes, this furry animal makes its home in the rainforests
of Southeast Asia.
Here the tree-climbing creature survives on a diet of bugs, birds, reptiles, eggs, tree
sap and nectar.
With the majority of its food being smaller and rather defenseless, the slow loris doesn't
require venom for its prey, but rather to help dodge would-be predators and competing
primates.
Along with being the only extant primate to be venomous, this mammal is also special in
that it produces not one but two separate venoms!
Excreted from a gland on its forearm and through its saliva respectively, these two different
venoms are combined while the slow loris grooms itself.
Once both venoms are present on its outwardly jutting lower teeth, called a tooth comb,
this animal is then equipped to deliver a painful bite and spread the toxic concoction
to any enemy that might get too close.
Number 5.
Blue-Ringed Octopus Scrounging along the seafloor of the Indian
and Pacific oceans near Australia and Japan, the crustacean-eating creature known as the
blue-ringed octopus is as dazzling as it is dangerous.
Adorned in more than fifty distinct brightly iridescent, blue-hued rings, this octopus
shifts the rest of its skin to mimic its environment, similar to other octopuses.
What sets its vivid coat apart, though, is the way this animal reacts when threatened.
Immediately turning a shade of bright yellow, the blue-ringed octopus will flash its brilliant
azure orbs towards approaching enemies in a display of aposematic coloration, warning
other animals of the danger it conceals.
Considered one of the most venomous sea creatures in the world, a single specimen of this cephalopod
carries enough venom to take out two football teams, their coaches plus the referee!
The blue-ringed octopus unleashes tiny, negligible bites when cornered, but this just makes the
effects of its venom more difficult to detect until the symptoms begin setting in.
Its venom contains a plethora of harmful chemicals and those affected are sure to experience
nausea, respiratory arrest, heart failure, and even effects like paralysis and blindness.
With no antivenom available, victims of a blue-ringed octopus bite are left turning
to first aid techniques like artificial respiration to survive the quick-acting symptoms of paralysis.
Number 4.
Funnel-web Spider While many might think of the brown recluse
or the black widow when the topic of venomous spiders arises, the funnel-web spiders of
Australia are a top contender for the world's most dangerous arachnid.
Found throughout the outback in a variety of sizes and species, these spiders are notable
for their burrow like nests that they construct from their webbing.
Within these funnels, the spiders will take cover and await unsuspecting prey such as
insects, snails, and even frogs or lizards!
To make matters even more creepy, funnel-web spiders build these homes between rocks, within
trees, or under houses — they could be anywhere.
This spells trouble for humans in Australia as these eight-legged nightmares contain a
highly dangerous venom.
In larger species, like the three-inch northern tree funnel-web spider, one bite can start
taking effect as quickly as 15 minutes after the bite, causing reactions like extreme perspiration,
hypertension, muscle spasms, nausea, altered consciousness and pulmonary edema . With the
advent of antivenom, fatality rates have decreased from funnel-web spider bites, but their spread
across the southern continent continues to be a menace with potential danger lurking
around every corner.
Number 3.
Deathstalker Scorpion As yellow as the wasteland sand it crawls,
few scorpions are more volatile than the deathstalker.
Found throughout the dunes of North Africa, West India, and nearly every desert in between,
the deathstalker scorpion is notorious for its powerful, neurotoxic venom.
Requiring only a trace dosage to prove damaging, this scorpion's venom is known to be especially
lethal for at-risk humans such as children, those with sensitive medical conditions, and
the elderly.
For a full-grown healthy adult, though, the sting of this scorpion can still have lasting
effects.
Anaphylactic shock is a risk for many who may not be aware of their own potential allergic
reaction and evidence of pancreatitis for those who survive the sting has been discovered
as well.
Number 2.
Box Jellyfish Capable of instantly stunning or even executing
small prey like fish and shrimp, the gooey sea creature's venom assaults the heart, nervous
system, and skin cells of its targets.
The toxins secreted from the tentacles of the box jellyfish are activated once they
come into contact with specific chemicals found on an enemy creature's skin.
These toxins are harmful to humans and are so dangerously painful, in fact, that many
victims go into shock or experience heart failure, causing them to perish underwater
long before they can reach the shore.
Those that do make it out of the grasp of the box jellyfish are prone to experience
pain for weeks on end and are left with crude scarring as a souvenir.
Swimmers, divers, and surfers are recommended to stay far away when exploring the waters
near Northern Australia and the Indo-Pacific ocean.
They have tentacles that can stretch up to 10 feet in length and each tentacle is equipped
with around five thousand stinging cells!
Number 1.
Inland Taipan Perhaps the most frightening on this list,
the inland taipan is a specialized hunter in that its venom is specifically attuned
to slay mammals.
A single bite from this Australian snake possesses enough venom to eliminate a hundred full grown
men!
The inland taipan strikes multiple times when provoked, and victims can pass in half an
hour if not treated immediately.
Luckily, this snake is reclusive and remains sheltered from human society.
Still, the inland taipans toxicity is undeniable, making it among the most dangerous snakes
in the world.