12 INSANELY Dangerous Animals In Australia!

 

12 INSANELY Dangerous Animals In Australia 12.

 Duck-billed Platypus Surprised?

 The innocent looking and somewhat adorable platypus can definitely cause a great deal of harm to anyone who attempts to cuddle with it.

 Male platypuses have a venomous spur on the inside of each ankle, called a tarsal spur, which can be used to defend themselves when under threat, though the primary use is probably for showing dominance to other males during mating season.

 The sting of this spur is horrifically painful and while it will not kill you, it will make you extremely miserable for a long time.

 One former Australian soldier described the pain as worse than shrapnel and morphine has zero effect on it.

 The pain can later develop into hyperalgesia which results in an increased sensitivity to pain for several months.

 11.

 Stonefish

 The Australian barrier reef waters up to northern New South Wales waters house the most venomous fish in the world, the stonefish.

 Like the name implies, the fish looks much like an unassuming stone lying on the bottom of the ocean floor.

 This is how the stonefish hunts for food by lying in wait for its prey to swim by.

 Then it attacks so quickly that high-speed film is needed to capture it.

 For humans, the main threat is the thirteen venom-filled spines along the dorsal fin that can pierce through the skin and inject a lethal dose.

 The stings are intensely painful but hot water can bring some relief while on route to the hospital for the antivenom.

 Since the antidote has been available since 1959, deaths from the reef stonefish have been significantly reduced.

 10.

 Cane toads

 The invasive cane toads are ubiquitous across Australia and are known to be quite the pests.

 Originally introduced in the hopes that they would eat crop-damaging cane beetles, the toads quickly learned how to multiply ferociously throughout the county because they had no natural predators and adapted quickly to the environment.

 Unfortunately, the fact that they are poisonous soon wreaked havoc on humans and pets alike.

 Though not usually fatal for humans, they can cause a lot of pain whenever their poison is ingested or gets into any mucous membranes likes the eyes, nose, or mouth.

 The poison can affect the heart, blood pressure, and breathing and can also cause cardiac arrest.

 The frogs can sometimes spray the poison from shoulder glands on their backs if they are aggressively handled so children should be taught to identify them and avoid them.

 They are poisonous at all stages of their lives so this includes tadpoles too!

 9.

 Great White Shark

 Humans are not the most desired meal of the great white shark as they tend to feed on marine mammals, fish, and seabirds, but that doesn’t prevent them from having the infamous reputation of having the most shark bite attacks on humans and the most fatal, unprovoked attacks on humans.

 What many sharks seem to do is to “test bite” humans and decide they have too much bone and muscle for their taste.

 If you have a higher fat content though, watch out, you might be a more desirable dish for a great white.

 Some scientists say the only reason more humans don’t die from great white attacks is because there are usually other humans around to help someone who has been attacked.

 This messes with the shark’s normal feeding behavior of biting a chunk off, like the tail of a seal or the flipper of a turtle, and letting it bleed to death before eating it.

 Humans typically have the wherewithal to get the heck out of dodge before any more damage is done.

 This is why you see a lot of shark bite victims with missing limbs or big chunks of their thighs torn off.

 So, before you decide to go cage diving off the Neptune Islands, you should know that one great white shark was captured off the coast of Kangaroo Island in Australia and estimated to be over 7 meters or 23 feet long.

 Just something to think about as the tour operator throws chum in the water and you float around in an open-topped “diver’s cage” made of chicken wire and empty plastic barrels.

 If you are going to do it, at least make sure you are going with a reputable company.

 8.

 Box jellyfish

 Avoid the dangerous waters of northern Australia in the warmer months due to the deadly tentacles of the box jellyfish, arguably the most dangerous animal in the country.

 When the box jellyfish come closer to shore to breed, they come into contact with humans who cannot always see them in the muddy water.

 Instead, they feel them first – the sting is ridiculously painful and meant to kill fish immediately.

 For humans, it can mean inability to move, breathing problems, and cardiac arrest.

 It can sometimes be difficult to determine if the sting from a jellyfish is from a deadly strain or a less harmful strain which would cause itching and numbness for a short while, so it is important to seek medical help in either case.

 With the box jellyfish, one can be dead within minutes so rush to a hospital or doctor immediately.

 It is especially critical for children who have smaller body mass and are less able to fend off the venom from the stingers.

 Most beaches have vinegar on hand to pour on the stingers which stops the venom flow, and then they can be removed with gloves or a towel.

 Be careful though, even stingers on tentacles detached from a jellyfish can still cause a lot of damage.

 7.

 Honey bee

 For most people, the simple honey bee doesn’t seem like such a life-threatening issue.

 A bit of a sting, some swelling, and you’ve learned to steer clear of any bees.

 But for some people who are allergic, a honey bee sting can mean life or death without a powerful, life-saving antidote.

 This can also be the case though if someone without allergies is stung by multiple bees all at once if they mistakenly stir up a nest out in the bush.

 Though you will not be stung multiple times by one bee as they have a barbed sting so they can only sting once, you can be stung a bunch if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 In this case, run in a straight line, cover up your face and eyes as much as you can while running, don’t flail your arms around, and get to shelter.

 Then scrape the stingers out - don’t pull them out - and seek medical help.

 6.

 Saltwater crocodile This crocodile conjures up the image of Steve Irwin and his famous “crikey” outburst while escaping from the lunge of one of these “beauties.”

 The saltwater croc is responsible for about one to two deaths per year and around 4-10 non-fatal attacks.

 They are primarily found in northern Australia in the ocean, estuaries, and sometimes even in freshwater.

 The biggest spot for crocodile attacks is the East Alligator River at a site known as Cahill’s Crossing.

 This small bridge often gets over run with water and instead of finding another path, cars still attempt to cross.

 The cars get rushed away and the crocodiles, waiting there for fish, then attack the humans as they try to escape their vehicles.

 Surprisingly, people often fish in this area as well.

 In 1987, a man was decapitated by a “saltie” while he fished with his feet ankle deep in the water.

 Authorities say that for every one croc you can see in this area, there are 10 more that cannot be seen.

 Despite their efforts to keep people away, tourists and adventure-seekers – or crazy people - still visit Cahill’s Crossing for a thrill.

 5.

 Wary of the Cassowary To date there is only one known human death caused by a cassowary, a great bird that is kin to the ostrich and evolved from dinosaurs.

 This death occurred in the early 1900s when a boy and his dog went on the attack.

 The cassowary gained the upper hand though and when the boy was on his back on the ground, the cassowary gouged him to death with this razor-like claws on the insides of each foot.

 Despite this being the only recorded human death, there have been other numerous attacks.

 Primarily the result of humans getting too close to the usually reclusive cassowary to get a closer look or to try to feed them - they love fruit - the cassowary will attack to protect their eggs or when they think they are in danger.

 They can leap up to 5 feet and sprint at about 30 miles per hour so when they decide they are going to come for you, they certainly have the capacity to reach you.

 Along with their sharp claws, they will also aggressively peck with their beaks and throw repeated head butts.

 With the right blow, the cassowary can break bones, gash skin, and even slash open the gut or throat.

 Definitely be wary of the cassowary whenever you are in any northern Australia areas.

 4.

 Bull shark

 Bull sharks are one of the three shark species, along with the tiger shark and great white shark, that are most likely to attack humans.

 In fact, the bull shark, not the great white, may have actually been the inspiration for the movie Jaws which was based on shark attacks in New Jersey.

 In Australia, they are known for biting swimmers in the Sydney Harbor inlets.

 Bull sharks stay close to the shore and are even known to go up into freshwater areas where humans are more likely to be.

 In fact, they are probably responsible for most dogs and other pets that go missing from freshwater areas.

 Bull sharks are unpredictable and aggressive so, like most other sharks, should be avoided at all cost.

 3.

 Brown snake

 Here is the craziest thing about the brown snakes in Australia.

 They are incredibly deadly but if one bites you, you might not even know it for a while.

 The bite can go undetected while the venom does its work resulting in paralysis, bleeding, and ultimately death.

 The brown snake family in Australia is found in all regions and is responsible for most of the snake bite deaths in the country.

 At 3.5 feet in length, the brown snake has a large striking range so it is possible it will strike from far off the trail as you walk by.

 This makes keeping your eyes peeled all the more important.

 2.

 Sydney Funnel Web Spider Even the scientific name for the funnel web spider, Atrax robustus, sounds intimidating.

 Here is what happens when people build their homes on top of the habitats of spiders.

 In the eastern coast area of Australia, people have to be really careful to avoid the funnel web spider because they can be found in their garages, sheds, and even find their way into their homes.

 Since the spiders have to avoid UV light during the day, they will burrow in dark spaces like under rocks or logs, or inside of shoes.

 Their fangs can go through fingernails, soft shoes, and light clothing.

 Once bitten, the neurotoxin goes to work on the nervous system causing tingling, muscle spasms, confusion, and sweating and can definitely be fatal.

 Since 1927, 14 people have died from funnel web spider bites, however, only the males’ bites are deadly.

 This could be due to the fact that males tend to wander more in search of mating females.

 This wandering leads them to come into contact with humans more often.

 They will defend themselves aggressively and while they are not jumpers, they can run really fast.

 1.

 Blue-ringed octopus Yes, they are deadly and found all around the Australian coast, but fortunately there is an easy way to avoid a bite from these dangerous, but beautiful creatures.

 Normally they are brown and pretty innocent looking but when they are irritated, the blue rings appear.

 Since most bites occur when they are picked up and taken out of the water, the best bet here is to take a “look but don’t touch approach.”

 Otherwise, a bite leads to paralysis within minutes and you basically stop breathing.

 Keep on the lookout to make sure you don’t accidentally step on one and you will be good to go.