10 Most Poisonous Animals in the World
By Village Mayor • Oct 10th, 2008 • Category: Animals, Dangerous, Latest Post, The Best of Village of JoyIt is really hard to tell which animal is the most poisonous in the world. The one that has the most toxic chemicals? The one that kills the biggest amount of people a year? Or maybe the one with the biggest amount of poison?
First of all, I have to admit that the title is a bit incorrect, because there is a difference between poisonous and venomous animals. A poisonous animal carries harmful chemicals called toxins primarily used for self defense. Therefore venomous animals deliver their toxins by stinging, stabbing, or biting. So poisonous animals are passive killers, while venomous animals are active killers.
Nevertheless, theory aside, they are all really dangerous. So look really closely at each photo, cause next time you meet them can be the last thing you ever see.
1. Box Jellyfish
(Image credits: jlambusphotography)
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. It’s 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 jelly’s 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
(Image credits: Enygmatic-Halycon)
The King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is the world’s 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.
It’s 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
(Image credits: Wikipedia)
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, don’t 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
(Image credits: Tom Weilenmann)
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 world’s 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
(Image credits: furryscaly)
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
(Image credits: laszlo-photo)
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
(Image credits: Wikipedia)
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
(Image credits: kleinmatt66)
The prize for “The World’s 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 Taiwan’s 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
(Image credits: ucumari)
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
(Image credits: Wikipedia)
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..Puffer’s 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 Fugu’s poison can cause near instantaneous death, only licensed chefs are allowed to prepare it.
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July 1st, 2009 at 5:21 pm
how can the puffer fish be poissons when it looks cool?
July 1st, 2009 at 5:17 pm
i betthe french wont eat the marbeld cone snail
June 30th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
i’ve seen a puffer fish ones .it was cool.
June 26th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
From Scotland, we have something here called a deep fried Mars Bar supper. Thats pretty deadly too, one bite and you can feel your heart stopping
LOL
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:13 pm
The name of the sea snake that is consider to be the most toxic snake in the whole World (sea and land) is the Hydrophis Belcheri (the Faint-banded Sea snake or Belcher’s sea snake).
June 23rd, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Speaking about the Inland Taipan, the correct definition woud be: the most toxic LAND snake on Earth, because some sea snakes are even more toxic. Actually there is one (now i cant recall the name) that is consider to be the most venomous/toxic (not the most deadly) snake on the whole planet.
June 22nd, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Actually there is a dispute going on connected with the question which spider is the most toxic. Some claims this primacy should go to the australian Sidney Funnelweb spider -Atrax Robustus- (the male actually which is some 5 to 6 times more toxic than the female), other says that honour shoud go to the brasilian Banana/Wandering spider (Phoneutria nigriventer/fera) just the one above.
June 22nd, 2009 at 3:14 am
Right now I’m leaving in Korea, and Today I ate a puffy fish soup (Bok-Hu). It is very good, taste delicacy.
It was in a restaurant, of course.
The restaurant says is serving this soup since 1949! (with 0 death until now…..I think.)
June 20th, 2009 at 6:09 am
You missed out on the box jellyfish sub-species irukandji:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irukandji_jellyfish
No bigger than a fingernail, and now the number one deadly animal.
June 18th, 2009 at 1:50 am
DEATH TO ALL! HEH. I reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllly love Golden Dart Frog. I wonder if I could appraised it in Jewelry Store. hehehe!
Me: Hey Ma’am can I appraised this Golden Frog?
Ma’am: Can I check if the gold is real?
Me: Sure!
Ma’am: NYaaaaaaah!!!!! *drool* dead.
June 16th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
omg!!!i would hve ran anyways they all ugly…………………………………….bet you would 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 9th, 2009 at 10:19 am
What about some african interior forests bees and snakes ?
June 8th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Hehe I live in Norway, so I feel… safe xD
June 7th, 2009 at 7:00 am
goddamn!!!! in my house we killed a king cobra!!!!! our house was surrounded with trees and f**king grasses!!!!! f**k’m all!!!
June 6th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
HEy yall….this is all good to no. I love that its irrelevant to me because i live in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan!!
June 1st, 2009 at 7:04 am
It is interesting.
I never knew that the puffer fish was poisonous.
May 27th, 2009 at 2:50 am
well i fell great lol (not) i was snorkling yesterday and i came across a stonefish and lionfish and had to look them up not knowing how dangerous they were but am now terrified
living in tanzania and have come across 3 of those on the list kinda scary now that i know i could have been in danger !!
good website though!!
May 15th, 2009 at 6:11 am
very interesting thanx and im glad i live in britain where the only venemous snake is the adder which on the scale of things is bottom rung of the ladder of anything venemous
May 13th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
this was very interesting thanks so much for sharing it with us!
i was reading through the comments and noticed some poeple talking about mosquitos and i thought of something then..
what would happen if a mosquito landed on a phyllobates terribus? (golden dart frog) would it be able to carry the venom or not?
May 4th, 2009 at 4:45 am
This is a very interesting page and the animals are beautiful. Thanks for creating it.
May 4th, 2009 at 2:08 am
In history, were there humans recorded to be poisonous?
May 1st, 2009 at 2:06 pm
What about the sea snakes? “..Among this group are species with some of the most potent venoms of all snakes”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_snake
April 28th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
you guys are fags for talking sh*t on a website about poisonous stuff. im sure i could prolly beat all your asses but those animals coud sure as hell kill you and they woudn’t even go to jail. peace out.
April 14th, 2009 at 10:07 am
@ mattocomeuncavallo
Only a foreigner would make a comment like that! Everyone understands the difference you fool, its just easier to write without the apostrophe.
GET A LIFE!!!
April 12th, 2009 at 1:08 am
Should have included the Taipan that is found on the Australian Eastern coastline. That is as deadly as the Inland Taipan but also possesses a short temper.
April 10th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
mattocomeuncavallo did not in any way come off as rude. Everything he said was completely correct and tactful. I’m sorry people, but chill out.
April 6th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
I thought this was real interesting, especially considering I too watched the film “Seven Pounds”, and came to this site to check if the Box Jelly was the most deadliest animal in the world, looks as thought they were right, LOL
April 1st, 2009 at 3:34 am
The Sydney Funnel Web spider is the one we fear here in Sydney, Australia. This deadly spider is very aggressive and loves to attack. It is ground dwelling and loves to hide in clothes left on the floor.
March 23rd, 2009 at 2:59 am
I have met with several off this list, living in Darwin (tropical) we have cone snails and Box Jelly fish.
. One of my friends who has had 2 children said she had been stung and would rather go through child birth again with no drugs than get stung again.
I have been hospitalised from a Box Jellyfish i had at least 2m of tenticles wrapped around both my ankles and it was very painfull but unless you are a child, old or sick (ie heart condition or asthma) or had the tenticles wrapped around your upper body its unlikely that you would die.
In fact most people do not die from envenomation from Box Jellyfish but in fact drown trying to make it back to shore.
I’d advise anyone not to mess with them as on a pain scale i rated it a 9/10 i took at least 45mins to pour vinegar on my wounds and then showered and went to hospital.
I refused all medication/pain killers @ the hospital and they treated my wounds with 40degree hot water for 40 mins.
I then went home and unbeknown to myself should of shaved the affected areas to remove the hooks which envenomate and kept getting poisoned all night(thanks hospital). The next day i was advised i should shave the affected area and vinegar it again and i was fine from then on. My feet/ankles were swollen for about 3 weeks and the skin affected went see through and i have very little feeling in my feet so now kicking my toes isn’t as bad
March 22nd, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Goodness me, you do have a bee in your bonnet don’t you!?
God forbid we should encourage ignorance but heaven preserve us from arrogance!!
March 17th, 2009 at 4:05 am
AN APOLOGY – IF ONE WERE NEEDED…
I’m truly sorry that my “grammar notes” have had such negative reactions from some people here! However, I am not aware of having been RUDE to anyone, which is not something I am in the habit of doing, anyway. Perhaps I should have addressed my comments to the webmaster, and that could be my only mistake.
My writing was NOT directed at anyone participating in the site, but at the site text itself, and was offered in good faith. The texts are written in much better-than-average English and could have been almost perfect, but for those out-of-place “it’s”. After all, I did also write that I found it all very interesting…
Yes, I AM a teacher and I feel it strongly to be my duty to spread knowledge and correct information, just as this site aims to do. Good grief, of course you do not have to be fluent in English to write here, and there is nothing wrong in the fact that people who are writing make spelling mistakes, etc. – we all do, in this medium! And there is certainly room for dyslexics and five-year-olds, too!! However, the Web is simply full of sites that, to put it mildly, do not contribute to divulging correct English, and I think that is a pity and a missed opportunity.
Having said all that, I think commentators to my comments – if that’s not a play on words – should take things in a slightly more relaxed fashion, and I will certainly not be “teaching” here ever again. LONG LIVE IGNORANCE!!! (Now you could be justified in labelling me as RUDE!)
Guido
March 13th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
I make friends with puffer fish but i didn’t know they were poison.
March 12th, 2009 at 2:08 am
do i have to be fluent in english,to ask questions here???matt are you a teacher??well this is not a room for you to teach…..
March 11th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Matto, that response is not only irrelevant to this website but also makes a large assumption as well as being rude! How do you know that Ghelay has English as his/her first language? Or any of us for that matter!? How do you know that he/she is not dyslexic or five years old? Write something relating to the subject or stay out of it!
Sticking to the subject, I have met two of the beasties on this list, stone fish and puffers. Nearly stepped on the former!
March 11th, 2009 at 4:13 am
I found it all very interesting, especially after recently watching the film “Seven Pounds”!! I won’t say more, in case any of you haven’t seen it yet…
Only one comment to the texts, as a translator and teacher of English, lest many should copy this:
it’s = it is (i.e. the verb TO BE)
When we use it as a possessive adjective, indicating belonging that is, then – albeit pronounced identically – it has to be written:
its (i.e. with NO apostrophe)
Funny that a foreigner should have to tell mother-tongue speakers about it, but this is an extremely common mistake.
I hope this helps…
Guido in Italy (where, luckily, there are very few poisonous or venomous creatures!)
March 7th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
is it dangerous in the salt water because of that marbled cone snail what if accidently you step o n it ,,does he going to sting you????how come there is no cure for that???so it means its very dangerous than snakes cos snakes have anti venom not like marbled cone snail???
March 3rd, 2009 at 10:14 am
i think black mamba is the most poisonous snake in the world.The pictures are beautiful.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:11 pm
coolio
January 30th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Sydney funnel web spider was included in the first version of this article, but then I replaced it with The Brazilian Wandering Spider which appears in the Guinness Book of World Records 2007 for the most venomous spider and is the spider responsible for most human deaths.
January 29th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
what about the sydney funnel web? I heard that that spider wass hella nasty
January 28th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
wow..
that Blue-Ringed Octopus looks like one nasty individual..
January 24th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Black Mamba.
January 23rd, 2009 at 1:14 am
Certain species of cone snails (family Conidae) have a cocktail of toxins that rivals that of the box jellyfish. As far as the most deadly organisms in the world go, the bacteria causing botulism is far more toxic than anything on this list…
January 12th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
simon your so dumb this is top ten poisonuos animals the moskito isn’t poison and as with simon the moskito it’s self dosent kill a thing
January 11th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Puffer fish looks funny, not dangerous
January 10th, 2009 at 8:11 am
I don’t want to meet any of those creatures
January 8th, 2009 at 5:34 am
In response to Simon, mosquitos themselves are not responsible for human death. It is the Malaria parasite that causes the fatalities, the mosquito is just a transport system! It has also been proven that mosquitos do not spread HIV.
December 30th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
In terms of total human deaths however, the mosquito tops the list by a long, long way.
December 29th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Scary creatures.
Mumbai, India has its share of poisonous snakes. Bustling metro still has snakes in places. Fortunately, local Haffkine Institute makes antivenin to combat their bites.
December 29th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
I think the dart frog as it is commonly known is very attractive. won’t mind having one in my backyard