10 Most Poisonous Animals in the World

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10 Most Poisonous Animals in the World

 

1. Box Jellyfish

The top prize for The World Most Venomous Animal,would go to the Box Jellyfish.

It has caused at least 5,567 recorded deaths since 1954. Their venom is among

the most deadly in the world. Its toxins attack the heart, nervous system, and

skin cells. And the worst part of it is that jelly box venom is so

overpoweringly painful, that human victims go in shock, drown or die of heart

failure before even reaching shore. Survivors experience pain weeks after the

contact with box jellies.

 

You have virtually no chance to survive the venomous sting, unless treated

immediately. After a sting, vinegar should be applied for a minimum of 30

seconds. Vinegar has acetic acid, which disables the box jellys nematocysts that

have not yet discharged into the bloodstream (though it will not alleviate the

pain). Wearing panty hose while swimming is also a good prevention measure since

it can prevent jellies from being able to harm your legs.

 

Jelly box can be found in the waters around Asia and Australia.

 

2. King Cobra

The King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is the worlds longest venomous snake -

growing up to 5.6 m (18.5 ft) in length. Ophiophagus, literally means

snake-eater as it eats other snakes. One single bite of this deadly snake can

easily kill a human. This snake is even capable of killing a full-grown Asian

Elephant within 3 hours if the larger animal is bitten in a vulnerable area such

as the trunk.

 

Its venom is not as toxic as other venomous snakes, but King Cobra is capable of

injecting 5 times more venom than black mamba and can result in mortality up to

5 times faster than that of the black mamba. It is quite widespread, ranging

across South and South-east Asia, living in dense highland forests.

 

3. Marbled Cone Snail

This little beautiful looking Marbled Cone snail can be as deadly as any other

animal on this list. One drop of its venom is so powerful that it can kill more

than 20 humans. If you ever happen to be in warm salt water environment (where

these snails are often found) and see it, dont even think of picking it up. Of

course, the true purpose of its venom is to catch its prey.

 

Symptoms of a cone snail sting can start immediately or can be delayed in onset

for days. It results in intense pain, swelling, numbness and tingling. Severe

cases involve muscle paralysis, vision changes and breathing failure. There is

no antivenom. However, only about 30 human deaths have been recorded from cone

snail envenomation.

 

4. Blue-Ringed Octopus

The Blue-Ringed Octopus is very small, only the size of a golf ball, but its

venom is so powerful that can kill a human. Actually it carries enough poison to

kill 26 adult humans within minutes, and there is no antidote. They are

currently recognized as one of the worlds most venomous animals.

 

Its painless bite may seem harmless, but the deadly neurotoxins begin working

immediately resulting in muscular weakness, numbness, followed by a cessation

and breathing and ultimately death.

 

They can be found in tide pools in the Pacific Ocean, from Japan to Australia.

 

5. Death Stalker Scorpion

Contrarily to the popular belief most of the scorpions are relatively harmless

to humans as stings produce only local effects (pain, numbness or swelling).

However, the Death Starker Scorpion is highly dangerous species because its

venom is a powerful cocktail of neurotoxins which causes an intense and

unbearable pain, then fever, followed by coma, convulsions, paralysis and death.

Fortunately, while a sting from this scorpion is extremely painful, it would be

unlikely to kill a healthy, adult human. Young children, the old, or infirm

(with a heart condition) are at the biggest risk.

 

Death stalker scorpions are spread in North Africa and Middle East.

 

6. Stonefish

Maybe Stonefish would never win a beauty contest, but it would definitely win

the top prize for being The World Most Venomous Fish. Its venom causes such a

severe pain that the victims of its sting want the affected limb to be

amputated. It is described as the worst pain known to man. It is accompanied

with possible shock, paralysis, and tissue death. If not given medical attention

within a couple of hours It can be fatal to humans.

 

Stonefish stores its toxins in gruesome-looking spines that are designed to hurt

would-be predators.

 

Stonefish mostly live above the tropic of Capricorn, often found in the shallow

tropical marine waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans, ranging from the Red

Sea to the Queensland Great Barrier Reef.

 

7. The Brazilian wandering spider

The Brazilian Wandering Spider (Phoneutria) or banana spider appears in the

Guinness Book of World Records 2007 for the most venomous spider and is the

spider responsible for most human deaths.

 

This spider is believed to have the most potent neurotoxic venom of any living

spider. Only 0.006mg (0.00000021oz) is sufficient to kill a mouse. They are also

so dangerous because of their wandering nature. They often hide during daytime

in highly populated areas inside houses, clothes, boots, and cars.

 

Its venomous bite causes not only intense pain, the venom of the spider can also

cause priapism - uncomfortable erections lasting for many hours that lead to

impotence.

 

8. Inland Taipan

The prize for The Worlds Most Venomous Snake goes to the Inland Taipan of

Australia. Just a single bite from this snake contains enough venom to kill 100

human adults or an army of 250,000 mice. Its venom is at least 200 - 400 times

more toxic than a common cobra. The Inland Taiwans extremely neurotoxic venom

can kill an adult human in as little as 45 minutes. Fortunately this snake is

very shy and there have been no documented human fatalities (all known bites

were treated with antivenin).

 

9. Poison Dart Frog

If you ever happen to be running through the rain forests somewhere in Central

or South America, do not ever pick up beautiful and colorful frogs - it can be

the Poison Dart Frog. This frog is probably the most poisonous animal on

earth.The 2 inch long (5cm) golden poison dart frog has enough venom to kill 10

adult humans or 20,000 mice. Only 2 micrograms of this lethal toxin (the amount

that fits on the head of a pin) is capable of killing a human or other large

mammal. They are called dart frogs because indigenous Amerindians use of their

toxic secretions to poison the tips of their blow-darts... Poison dart frogs

keep their poison in their skins and will sicken or kill anybody who touches or

eats it.

 

10. Puffer Fish

Puffer Fish are the second most poisonous vertebrate on earth (the first one is

golden dart Frog). The meat of some species is a delicacy in both Japan (as

fugu) and Korea (as bok-uh) but the problem is that the skin and certain organs

of many puffer fish are very poisonous to humans.

 

This puffy fish produce rapid and violent death..Puffers poisoning causes

deadening of the tongue and lips, dizziness, vomiting, rapid heart rate,

difficulty breathing, and muscle paralysis. Victims die from suffocation as

diaphragm muscles are paralyzed. Most of the victims die after four to 24 hours.

There is no known antidote, Most deaths from fugu happen when untrained people

catch and prepare the fish.

 

Statistics show that there were 20 to 44 incidents of fugu poisoning per year

between 1996 and 2006 in all of Japan and up to six incidents per year led to

death. Since Fugus poison can cause near instantaneous death, only licensed

chefs are allowed to prepare it.