The world is filled with dangerous and strange wonders. Most live inside the bubble of their home, never fretting about what lies away from the cities and towns. However, there are some dangerous animals to be worried about.
But what are the most dangerous animals in the world? The normal animals that come to mind might be sharks, crocodiles, or even lions. But what are the top six in the world that you want to avoid?
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What is the Most Docile Animal?
Before the fear catches up to us as we go further down this list, let’s first look at the brighter side of nature. What are some of the most docile animals compared to the most dangerous animals? Funny enough, giraffes are some of the most gentle creatures in the world. They’re calm, peaceful, and often shy away from conflict. They also have amazing social structure amongst them, and even form lifelong bonds.
Sheep are yet another one of the many docile animals next to giraffes. They’re docile, non-violent, and gentle. Along with sheep, there are capybara, which are giant rodents known for their friendly nature. Despite their size, they get along with cats, birds, humans, and crocodiles weirdly enough. They’re so docile that some states allow them as pets.
What Makes an Animal Dangerous?
Before we dive in, let’s acknowledge the reason behind the dangers. It’s argued that humans are probably the most dangerous animal in the world, however, we’re not going to be put on the list. So what makes the rest of them dangerous? It has to do with the death toll.
Several animals have potent venom, spread diseases amongst humans, or are territorial. Other animals are extremely aggressive, especially during mating season or when protecting offspring. While we’ll dive into each individual reason here soon, these are the most common reasons why an animal can be considered dangerous.
The Most Dangerous Animals
6. Tapeworms
Tapeworms are first on the list of most dangerous animals in the world. Tapeworms, or Eucestoda, are the larger of the two subclasses of flatworms. All tapeworms are endoparasites of vertebrates, living in the digestive tract or related ducts. Some symptoms of this parasite include nausea or weakness, loss of appetite, dizziness, and abdominal pain.
When left untreated, it could lead to a blockage of the appendix or bile duct, as well as impairment of the brain and central nervous system, as well as disruption of organ function. Tapeworms kill around 2,000 people per year.
5. Scorpions
Scorpions are known for being dangerous to begin with, but they’re actually one of the most dangerous animals in the world. While they mainly live in deserts, they’ve adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions.
There are over 2,500 species that have pincers to restrain and kill their prey. They have a venomous sting to use for offense and defense. The majority of the species don’t usually threaten humans, and healthy adults that get stung by scorpions don’t often need medical treatment, but there are still over 3,200 humans killed by them every year.
4. Dogs
Even though dogs are man’s best friend, and are considered some of the best pets around, dogs do kill humans as well. These domesticated wolves began as hunters and gatherers for humans once domesticated, but have since become the best companion for so many around the world.
The reason behind the many deaths, up to 30,000 a year, is due to deadly bites and attacks. While most dogs are trained when domesticated, not every pup is. Wild dogs can be dangerous, or untrained dogs as well. There are some domesticated dogs that can even harm infants and children, as they don’t realize their full strength.
3. Snakes
Snakes are often referred to as dangerous animals, and rightly so as they’re one of the most dangerous animals in the world. These limbless reptiles are found on every continent except Antarctica. Sea snakes are widespread as well, especially throughout the Indian and Pacific oceans.
There are around thirty families that are currently recognized, comprising about 3,900 species. While not all of them are deadly, several species are. From the constriction of the boa to venomous ones like cobras, they usually kill around 138,000 a year.
2. Freshwater Snails
Freshwater snails are gastropod mollusks that live in the freshwater, hence the name. There are many different families that live in various habitats, ranging from ephemeral pools to the largest lakes, and from small seeps and sprints to vast rivers. The majority of species have a shell, and some species uses gills while others need to go to the surface to breath.
The reason these are some of the most dangerous animals is because of schistosomiasis, or snail fever. This is caused by being in contact with a freshwater snail, which causes abdominal pain and even organ failure. It’s so dangerous that usually 200,000 people die a year due to it.
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1. Mosquitos
Mosquitos are the most dangerous animal in the world, and that might come as a surprise. The insects are part of the family of small flies consisting of 3,600 species. The biggest problem for them is their piercing-sucking mouthparts, which drink nectar from flowers, in addition to blood in some species. The problem with them is that when they suck blood, some can carry diseases.
These diseases can be transferred to humans when they suck blood, which in turn can kill us. In fact, mosquitos are so dangerous that around 1 million humans die from mosquitos a year, with 500 million cases of mosquito-borne diseases occurring annually. About 90% of mosquito-borne illnesses occur in Africa.
