9 Surprisingly Deadly Animals You've Never Even Heard of ...

By A.J.

There are species of animals out there that often give us mixed vibes, and it's not usually easy to spot the ones that are actually dangerous. A cuddly, sweet and seemingly benign animal can sometimes be deadly, even if it doesn't show its true colors too often.

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1

Box Jellyfish

Box Jellyfish There aren't many movies showing the deadly power of box jellyfish – unless you count Finding Nemo – but with up to 60 tentacles, 5,000 stinging cells on each tentacle, and enough toxins to kill dozens of people, this mysterious and deadly sea creature is responsible for up to 100 deaths per year.

2

The Red Fox

The Red Fox While wolves get all the blame when it comes to attacking humans, this cunning little canine could be equally dangerous, especially when coming in contact with children, whom they sometimes see as their prey.

3

White-Footed Deermouse

White-Footed Deermouse We may be free of the bubonic plague, and mice are generally considered harmless today. The white-footed deermouse, however, is to stay away from. Found in Canada and the Northern United States, this “cuddly” little creature carries a deadly disease known as the Hantavirus.

4

Beavers

Beavers Beavers aren't exactly the deadliest animals you'll ever see, but they can certainly be really dangerous. They are very territorial, and their habitats are being shrunk by human development. There have been quite a few cases when beavers showed us just how deadly their sharp front teeth can be when used to defend their beloved homes.

5

Catfish

Catfish Some species of catfish can be very dangerous. Even though in many cases, catfish stings are not venomous, some species, like the striped eel catfish, can actually put you between life and death - and the stings are extremely painful!

Famous Quotes

Silence at the proper season is wisdom, and better than any speech.

Plutarch
6

Hyenas

Hyenas Despite their reputation as scavengers, some hyenas are actually top predators, and their biting "skills" can definitely be very dangerous. African striped hyenas, for instance, have proven to be some of the deadliest animals you will encounter (or, hopefully, you won't), even completely eating their prey – which sometimes included humans.

7

The Red-Backed Jumping Spider

The Red-Backed Jumping Spider This is one of the fastest jumping spiders out there, and it won't hesitate to bite you if you disturb it. The bite of a red-backed jumping spider isn't deadly, but it can certainly give you a nasty case of pain and swelling – however, note that, in some cases, the victims also experienced serious complications.

8

Wapiti

Wapiti Weighing up to 1,000 pounds and boasting huge antlers, the Wapiti – or Common Elk – is definitely a threat in some areas in the North, particularly during the breeding season, when humans are often trampled or gored to death when they become too intrusive.

9

The Dingo

The Dingo The dingo is Australia's equivalent to the wolf. Although light and nimble at only 40-70 pounds in weight, these slender guys are known for their bone crushing bites and ability to bring down their prey in packs. In fact, in some areas, dingoes are considered to be even much more aggressive and dangerous than a Grey Wolf, and since they are more used to human presence, they are less likely to be scared off too easily.

While humanity looks at great white sharks, killer whales or huge snakes as being some of the most dangerous creatures on earth, we might want to stay closer to home and consider some of these unlikely candidates – or make sure we stay away from them. What other surprisingly dangerous animals do you know about?

Sources
listverse.com
livescience.com
venomousspiders.net
eol.org

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Where Thoughts and Opinions Converge

I have a fox family in my yard. They sometimes hiss at you like a cat. But they're not really a problem

I have heard of most of them but thanks anyway!

The animal in the cover photo is not a red fox. It is a shiba inu, which is a dog. They are not deadly at all.

I knew all these u need to try better

the cover photo is a cute little dog, one of the neighbors have that exact one, she is so friendly and quiet.

this was an awful article, I knew of all of them, and in the spider one it said its bite wasn't deadly, totally contradicting the title of the article !

@KelsiZ, that's a red fox, not a shiba inu. Search up a red fox and a shiba inu and you can see they're quite different

Heard of them all 😂

Oh you said cover photo, they could've mistaken it for a dingo

These are common sense ones try again

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