What are the most dangerous animals in the world

An idea as common as it is widespread is to classify an animal as dangerous or harmless according to its physical condition : large size, strong muscles, presence of sharp teeth or claws, and so on. In other cases, thanks to the advancement of science, it is known that there are other types of factors to take into account, such as, for example, the toxicity of its venom or the ability to transmit diseases .

However, there is a third factor, which is often ignored or forgotten, is their behavior . After all, interactions with other individuals depend on the behavior of the animal, and therefore, its predisposition to cause harm, injury and even death.

Part of the behavior is defined innately, to ensure its survival and reproduction, while others are learned as a result of experience and contact with the environment. It should be noted that, in most cases, the aggressiveness or attack of an animal on a human being, an action that qualifies it as “dangerous”, is due precisely to this factor. Under normal conditions, an animal attacks when it requires food to survive or feels threatened , to defend its young and territory.

Here is a list of the most dangerous animals in the world, taking into account the considerations described above:

The mosquito

Mosquitoes, tiny flying insects, are often hosts to various parasites and viruses , some of them lethal. Thus, through their bite, they infect and spread diseases such as malaria, dengue or yellow fever, causing the death of 725,000 people a year.

The snail

Despite their harmless appearance, these small mollusks are responsible for 200,000 deaths annually, due to the transmission of a parasitic disease known as schistosomiasis. The snail infects the water of this parasite that, once it comes into contact with humans, evolves and lays eggs, leading to the development of the disease.

The snake

The snake injects its venom, which consists mainly of saliva with a specific toxic chemical composition , through the fangs in order to immobilize and kill its prey, being able to either affect only the area located around the bite or reaching to cause serious health problems in the cardiovascular and nervous system and, in the worst cases, death. A total of 94,000 deaths are recorded per year from the bite of this reptile. Of course, not all snakes are poisonous or dangerous for humans.

The dog

The one considered man’s best friend is, at the same time, the author of the death of 61,000 people annually. This is due to the transmission of the rabies virus , which is spread, in the case of this mammal, through the feeding of contaminated meat, or contact with an infected animal, such as foxes and bats and is transmitted through saliva, which can affect humans in the event of a bite.

The bed bug

Chagas disease , also known as the silent disease , is transmitted through the bite of the bedbug , which causes 12,000 annual deaths. Unlike other dangerous insects, this disease is not transmitted by the bite but by the intrusion of the parasites present in the insect’s feces into the mucous membranes or human wounds. The symptoms of this disease, in a first phase, usually go unnoticed, however, in more advanced stages it leads to intestinal complications, heart failure and even cardiac arrest.

The Scorpion

The scorpion has always had a reputation for being very aggressive, however, recent studies indicate that it only stings as a defense mechanism . The sting is carried out by a rapid movement of the stinger located at the back of the tail above its head and, although most of the bites hardly cause symptoms, others can be fatal, being the cause of 3,250 deaths year. In the following article we explain the difference between scorpion and scorpion and how to act when faced with a sting.

The tsetse mosca

This insect transmits the so-called “sleeping sickness” or trypanosomiasis through its bite. Its main victims are livestock and humans, something that causes some 2,000 deaths annually.

Sleeping sickness causes different symptoms, in a first stage it includes tachycardia, anemia, weight loss and muscle pain, while in a second stage it causes irritability, mood swings and long periods of sleep until the individual falls into a coma and dies. .

The crocodile

The danger of this reptile is that they are wild animals impossible to tame, so any human approach or intrusion into their habitat can lead to an unexpected attack and in the worst cases can be fatal. Currently, this reptile is responsible for about 1,000 deaths a year .

Elephant

The elephant is the largest land animal in the world, recognized as one of the most intelligent creatures on the planet and this is demonstrated by its ability to learn, play, imitate, express emotions and develop skills. Perhaps a creature of this majesty and character should not be considered dangerous , but the truth is that this species does not tolerate attacks and human destruction and therefore they are responsible for about 300 deaths a year.

The human being

The human being, despite not having a considerable size, poisonous glands, claws or sharp teeth, is one of the most dangerous creatures on the planet. This ability is due on the one hand to his ingenuity and intellect and on the other to his behavior, which has allowed him to give rise to world wars and bomb entire regions, causing the death of millions of members of his own species year after year. .

In addition, this intellect is also reflected in the consecutive modifications and alterations that it makes in its environment, to accommodate its habitat and improve its living conditions, reducing in turn that of other species and positioning it at the top of the nutritional scale.

But the dangers are not only found in the land environment, they are also in the water. These are the most dangerous animals in the sea:

• The wasp jellyfish : it is the greatest marine danger. With a minimal amount of its venom it is capable of killing a human being. For all this it is at the top of the most poisonous animals in the world .
• Snakes : just as on land, we also find snakes in the sea. Although not all types of sea snakes are poisonous, what are poisonous can be deadly to humans.
• Blue-ringed octopus : they are a family of small octopuses, in fact they rarely exceed 20 centimeters, however, they have a lethal venom for which we still do not know the antidote.