You Can't Make This Stuff Up!

[Lee Stewart]

This bright little jumper looks pretty unassuming but, in keeping with the general rule that vivid colors often signal danger, it's actually the deadliest of all amphibians. In fact, the golden poison dart frog is believed to be among the most poisonous animals alive. Found in the Colombian rainforest, they grow no bigger than around two inches (5cm) long yet hold enough poison to kill 10 people. The indigenous Emberá people have long used the venom to poison darts for hunting, giving the species its name.

[Lee Stewart]

Most of the 50-odd species of box jellyfish are relatively harmless but some of the shimmering, hypnotically beautiful creatures are effectively floating death traps, with each tentacle packing an arsenal of poisonous darts. The few lethal varieties are found mainly in the Indo-Pacific region and northern Australia – the Australian box jellyfish is the deadliest of all marine creatures. Those (including humans) unlucky enough to be struck can suffer paralysis, cardiac arrest and even death within minutes.

[Lee Stewart]

Saw-scaled viper The saw-scaled viper isn’t the most venomous of snakes – that accolade goes to the Inland or Western Taipan, native to central Australia – but it is among the most aggressive and is the deadliest to humans. Found in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and parts of Africa and the Middle East, it often lives near inhabited areas and strikes often, with terrifying speed. It’s estimated that a staggering 5,000 people are killed by them each year – the highest death toll of any snake.

[Lee Stewart]

Pufferfish Also known as blowfish, pufferfish are found in tropical seas worldwide and are classed as the second most poisonous vertebrate after the golden poison dart frog. When threatened by a predator, they inflate by rapidly ingesting huge amounts of water or air – believed to have developed to compensate for their slow swimming speed. If caught, most pufferfish will release enough terodotoxin – a deadly venom up to 1,2000 times more poisonous than cyanide – to kill 30 people, with no known antidote. However, most human deaths occur when it’s eaten, as the flesh is toxic if not properly prepared.

[Lee Stewart]

Deathstalker scorpion: This arachnid is as terrifying as its name and looks suggest. Up to 40 scorpion species are capable of killing humans and the deathstalker, found in deserts in North Africa and the Middle East, is the deadliest of them all. The creatures, which have eight legs and two bodies like spiders, prey on small invertebrates which they paralyze with small bursts of venom from their sting.

[Lee Stewart]

Learning about the black mamba is unlikely to quell any existing fear of snakes. The reptile, found in the savannahs and hills in eastern and southern Africa, is the longest venomous snake on the continent and can reach up to 14 feet (4.3m) in length. More terrifyingly, black mambas are among the world’s fastest snakes and can move at speeds of up to 12.5 miles per hour (20km ph). Named for their dark, gaping mouths, they’re naturally reserved but will strike when threatened – and bites are usually fatal within 20 minutes.

[Lee Stewart]

The world’s longest venomous snake at 18 feet (5.5m) and the star of many a terrifying nightmare, the king cobra is something of a poster-reptile for deadliness. It is indeed one of the most venomous of snakes and also has some particularly scary traits, such as its ability to raise itself up so its beady eyes are level with a human’s. Found mostly in India’s rainforests and plains, they’re also equipped with an intimidating flaring “hood” and a particularly loud hiss. A spit of its venom is enough to kill an elephant or 20 people.

[Lee Stewart]

Blue-ringed octopus: Many octopuses squirt ink to deter potential threats but this cute-looking marine creature, which is roughly the size of a pencil, emits something a little less edible: poison. Enough of it to kill around 26 people within a matter of minutes, in fact. Named because of the blue rings that brighten and intensify across its body when threatened, this diminutive octopus is native to the Pacific Ocean and lurks in crevices in reefs and tide pools. Deaths are rare, with none reported since the 1960s, although this is definitely a case of look but don’t touch.

[Lee Stewart]

The male funnel-web is the world’s most venomous spider with a bite capable of killing an adult human within half an hour. They can be found (by the unlucky) in eastern and southern Australia and Tasmania, usually lurking in corners and sometimes even shoes, with a tendency to build their webs in sheltered burrows to create the funnel shape that gives them their name. Up to 40 people are bitten each year but there have only been 13 recorded deaths, and none since an anti-venom was released in 1981.

[Lee Stewart]

The world’s most venomous fish (that we know of) is also, terrifyingly, an expert at camouflage. Found in oceans from the Red Sea to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, they lurk on the seabed and blend in almost completely with the reefs and rocks. From those hidden depths they ambush their prey and, while they don’t hunt out humans, their venom can prove deadly to those unlucky enough to step on one. The poison, injected from the dorsal fin spines, can kill within an hour if the anti-venom isn’t administered.