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No matter just how cute and cuddly an animal may look, you just can’t trust some of Mother
Nature’s most fascinating wildlife.
Case in point, the beasties we’ve compiled in this unsettling Archive of the top ten
animals you didn’t know were deadly!
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away as soon as we upload a new video.
As you watch this one, pick out the critter that most surprised you as being deadly to
humans and leave a comment afterward.
10.
Beaver These cute woodland mammals are known for
their large front teeth and dam-building abilities, but few people are aware of how protective
they can be of their homes.
They are the second largest rodent in the world, and while technically herbivores, are
fiercely territorial, using their large, very sharp incisors that never stop growing for
deadly purposes.
Though beavers typically are shy and like to avoid humans, they are not afraid to stick
up for themselves when threatened.
Often they flee while slapping their large tail against the water to warn others, but
when they decide to fight, they have been known to be deadly!
9.
Box Jellyfish With venom that is considered to be one of
the deadliest in the world, the tentacles of this jellyfish can grow up to 10’ (3
m) in length.
The venom attacks the heart and nervous system, often causing the victim to go into shock
and drown before they can receive help.
Even if the envenomed target lives, they have been known to experience pain for a while
afterward, and are usually permanently scarred.
Their most common prey, the fish and shrimp they eat, are often killed instantly by the
sting of the box jellyfish.
Surprisingly, sea turtles are not affected by their sting and commonly have them for
dinner.
8.
Slow Loris An undoubtedly adorable and cuddly-looking
animal, this member of the primate family is actually one of the only venomous mammals
in existence.
Secreted from a gland on its elbows is a toxin that the slow loris can mix with saliva from
its mouth.
It can either use this to bite in self-defense or coat its fur with the mixture as protection
from predators.
Researchers are not entirely sure whether the toxin is actually deadly to humans or
if the deaths that have occurred can be attributed to anaphylactic shock, but you’ll likely
never come across one as they’ve become endangered due to illegal exotic pet trade.
7.
Blue-Ringed Octopus Native to Australia and the eastern Indo-Pacific,
this beautiful sea creature is the cause of numerous human fatalities each year.
They are one of few venomous species of octopi, and though they are only about the size of
a human hand, one bite can be fatal to a fully grown adult.
Comprising the deadly cocktail is tetrodotoxin, which some may recognize as the same toxin
carried by the pufferfish.
Currently, there is no antidote for the bite of a blue-ringed octopus, making immediate
response and hospitalization key to survival.
6.
Anteater One wouldn’t think an animal named after
its love for eating ants could be especially dangerous, but this large and awkward-looking
mammal can be shockingly deadly.
Though the anteater has no teeth, it does have extremely long and sharp claws, all the
better to maul you with.
While they were made to tear into ant hills, they also come in handy for self-defense.
Anteaters tend to be solitary and shy, but if they are threatened they can rear up onto
their hind legs and slash with their four-inch (10 cm) long claws.
5.
Cassowary Commonly referred to as the most dangerous
bird on Earth, this large, ostrich-like bird is native to Australia.
Though they are flightless, they use a large, hard crest on the top of their head called
a casque and a dagger-shaped middle claw in fights to defend themselves.
Not commonly known to attack without cause, cassowary are aggressively territorial and
protective of their babies.
There are over 200 cassowary attacks reported per year on average, with the last recorded
death from one in 1926.
4.
Blue Dragon While this aquatic creature’s name would
suggest its ferocity, it is actually a colorful and friendly-looking sea slug native to Australia’s
shores.
They’re not actually naturally venomous by themselves, but they do pack a deadly sting
by feeding on venomous jellyfish and storing the toxin.
The toxin is concentrated down so that when the blue dragon is touched, they can release
the stored stinging cells in a manner even more deadly than the famed Portugese man o’
war jellyfish. 3.
Striped Eel Catfish Catfish are generally so common that most
people aren’t aware that other, and much deadlier species exist.
This one in particular has venomous spines on its pectoral fins that can be extremely
painful and, at times, deadly to humans.
They live in the Indian and Pacific Oceans and tend to feed on algae and smaller fish,
but can sting when threatened.
The fatalities reported tend to come from fishing communities that occur while workers
are cleaning the fishing nets, but the actual chemical structure of the toxin is mostly
unknown.
2.
Mute Swan One of the largest waterfowl in North America,
these gorgeous birds are the epitome of grace and beauty.
Unfortunately, it isn’t commonly known that they are fiercely territorial and defensive
when threatened.
This particular species of swan is known for these attributes and are capable of attacking
and drowning a fully-grown man that encroaches upon their homes.
These attacks are extremely rare, but the birds are incredibly strong and fierce.
For the most part, they will only charge at their target, but they are absolutely capable
of killing humans.
1.
Cone Snail Native to the Indo-Pacific, the geographic
cone snail is the deadliest of the numerous species of this underwater invertebrate.
They can grow to be up to about six inches (15 cm) long, but don’t let their size fool
you.
Numerous human deaths have been attributed to the cone snail’s extremely toxic venom
that is delivered via a harpoon-like projection on its head.
The venom, which is comprised of hundreds of toxins, has no current antidote with the
only treatment being to try and keep the victim alive until the toxin wears off.
Thanks for watching!
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