Some animals use strength, claws, or teeth to defend themselves. But thousands of animals use highly venomous or toxic poisons instead. Some shoot poisons towards their victims, and others store toxins in their glands or skin. Here are the top eight most poisonous animals in the world:
Box Jellyfish
Box jellyfish are found in the ocean waters throughout Asia and Australia. The stingers and tentacles on this animal can cause excruciating pain for weeks, and are capable of stopping your heart or paralyzing your lungs. To top it off, the venom will slowly eat away at your skin.
Marbled Cone Snail
This snail thrives in reefs throughout the world. The snail shoots out a proboscis with a tooth-like appendage that attaches onto the victim. Humans that have experienced a bite experience weakness, numbness, nausea and eventually death due to lung paralysis.
Blue Ringed Octopus
Within a few minutes after a painless bite from a Blue Ringed Octopus, a deadly neurotoxin in the animal’s saliva causes muscular weakness and numbness, followed by a cessation of breathing and ultimately death.
Death Stalker Scorpion
Found throughout North Africa and the Middle East, it has the most toxic sting of any scorpion anywhere in the world. It causes an intense and unbearable pain, then fever, followed by coma, convulsions, paralysis and death.
Stonefish
Inhabiting the waters of the Pacific throughout the Australian coast, this fish resembles a sea rock or coral. But a powerful toxin stored within its 13 spines can stop nearly every animal that it connects with. If contact comes with humans, the venom will cause intense pain, swelling of tissue and shock, followed by death.
Sydney Funnel Web Spider
A native of the Australian outback, the Sydney Funnel Web Spider is large and very aggressive. From its fangs, the spider can deliver a powerful neurotoxin that causes extreme pain and is capable of killing a person within 15 minutes.
Inland Taipan
This Australian snake is the most poisonous snake on earth. One bite from this serpent contains enough potent toxin to kill about 100 people. Fortunately, the Taipan is a very gentle and shy reptile.
Poison Dart Frog
The beautiful Poison Dart Frog is found in the rain forests of Central and South America. The frog's skin contains a toxic chemical that sickens or kills any animal that touches or eats it. Two micrograms of this deadly toxin, just enough to fit on the head of a pin, will easily kill a human being or other large mammal.