While Australia is known for its endless beaches and laidback lifestyle, it’s also known for being home to quite a few creepy and frankly very dangerous animals. Here’s a round-up of seven of the deadliest animals you can find in Australia, though you should probably stay as far away from them as you can!
1- The Textile Cone Snail
The most venomous of all cone snails, the textile cone snail uses microscopic, harpoon-like needles to inject its venom into its pray. It’s not to be picked up or handled unless you’re wearing protection. Despite its deadliness and the fact that it stores enough venom to kill several dozen adults, it’s only been known to have killed a small number of people.
2. The Saltwater Crocodile
The world’s largest reptile by mass, the saltwater crocodile is highly territorial and very deadly indeed. They’ve been known to feed on water buffalo, wild boar, sharks, monkeys and even horses. Though it’s a very dangerous animal to be around, human death rates are very low.
3. The Southern Blue-Lined Octopus
Found in tidal rock pools along the south coast, the southern blue-ringed octopus has venom that’s capable of killing humans, though as of now there’s no anti-venom available. Its bite can pierce through a wetsuit and its venom can kill in a matter of minutes. There have been a number of bites recorded, though only three have been fatal.
4. The Stinging Stonefish
The stinging stonefish is one of the world’s most dangerous fish. Step on it and it can inject you with a venom that can eventually kill you. The sting is said to be excruciatingly painful and even though there are anti-venoms, the pain of the sting can last for days. If left untreated, the venom from the sting can kill a grown adult in less than an hour.
5. The Inland Taipan
The inland taipan is the world’s most venomous snake. A single bite contains enough venom to kill dozens adults, though no deaths by this snake have ever been recorded. The reason is that it’s particularly elusive and it lives in quite a remote area in central east Australia. It’s been estimated that if someone were to get bitten by this snake, they’d die within an hour if they didn’t get treated.
6. The Sydney Funnel-Web Spider
This spider is the reason why you should check your shoes before putting them on, not walk around barefoot and wear gloves when gardening in Australia. It’s found along the country’s eastern coast near the large, sprawling city of Sydney. Though it has been known to kill humans with its venom, there haven’t been any recorded deaths since 1981, when an anti-venom was produced.
7. The Box Jellyfish
Widely regarded as the country’s most dangerous animal, the Box Jellyfish’s venom is one of the deadliest in the world. It’s so powerful, in fact, that it can cause a human being to go into shock and even die of heart failure. They’re mostly found in coastal waters in Northern Australia.