Almost all puffer fish have
tetrodotoxin, a substance that’s 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide. And
don’t be fooled by their tiny size: there is enough toxins in one fish to kill
about 30 adult humans.
2. Hippopotamuses
Hippos are the most dangerous
mammal in Africa. They are incredibly aggressive and territorial, and when
coupled with their complete unpredictability, hippos are responsible for more human
deaths than any other mammal in Africa.
3. Platypuses
As one of the few venomous mammals
on Earth, a platypus uses venom in the spur of its hind foot to fight and kill
their prey.
4. Rhinoceroses
Deemed one of the most unpredictably
dangerous animals on the planet, rhinos will charge at anything they feel
remotely threatened by. Their bad eyesight and senses for their surroundings
make them even more unpredictable.
5. Box Jellyfish
With darts that pierce toxins
through the skin and into the blood, eventually stopping its victim’s heart,
box jellyfish attacks are known as “the most explosive envenomation process
that is presently known to humans.”
6. Poison Dart Frogs
As beautiful as they are (coming in
over 100 variations of vibrant colors and shapes), POISON dart frogs are VERY
POISONOUS. They use their colors to ward off potential predators.
7. African Lions
Found in sub-Saharan Africa, these
lions usually do not target humans, but they have killed dozens. Over a century
ago, two lions found their way to a Kenyan camp near the Tzavo River and
terrorized and ate 135 residents — supposedly. Other reports claim only
35 people were ingested. Still. They were then deemed “man-eating” lions.
8. Boomslang Snakes
In the world of snakes, Boomslangs
don’t look terribly threatening. But if one did attack you, even small doses of
their venom will cause hemorrhages, eventually killing you.
9. Blacktip Sharks
With its sleek physique and sharp
lines, blacktips are one of the fastest predators in the ocean.
10. Vultures
Vultures do not pose much of a
threat to humans, but to their prey, they charge in mobs and their beaks can
literally shatter bones.
11. Hyenas
Hyenas have pretty horrible
reputations — and all warranted. These mangy scavengers are capable of
attacking (and have attacked) mammals of all kind. And yes, humans included.
12. Caiman Crocodiles
Caimans are possibly the most deadly
crocs in the world. The National Geographic says “with one snap of its
jaws, [they] can kill almost anything stone dead.”
