Dangerous animals

[Miss Chicken]

Yesterday there was a shark attack in Tasmania. Luckily the young girl survived the attack because her cousin fought the shark and rescued her.

Shark attacks are rare in Tasmania, far rarer than on the Mainland of Australia. I think in the last fifty years there has only been four deaths from sharks in Tasmania.

The animal that causes the most deaths in Tasmania is the jackjumper ant. All snakes in Tasmania are venomous but, since anti-venom became available deaths are rare. The blue-ring octopus also has a deadly venom but it is rare for someone to be bitten.

What is the most deadly animal in the area where you live? Excluding humans and dogs and fall from horses?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

There was a mini-epidemic of mountain lions being seen in various city parks around here, a few years ago. I still don't know how they got there.

 

[MANT!]

Several types actually... Rattlesnakes are the most common, although large black bears and mountain lions have been spotted nearby, they have made several attacks on hikers in the mountains over the past 2 years... hornets have killed a few eldery residents last summer..

 

[-Brett-]

Rattlesnakes are pretty common where I live. As I understand it, their venom is pretty lethal, pretty quick.

 

[JonathonWally]

If I remember right, Coral Snakes and Brown Recluse Spiders are the most dangerous around here. Nothing to be overly worried about though.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

The most potentially dangerous animals in the region are black bears, mountain lions, rattlesnakes, various types of sharks, and black widow spiders, though attacks (much less fatal ones) are fairly rare so I wouldn't classify any of them as a serious or frequent danger.

Since the advent of antivenin, deaths from rattlesnake bites are fairly rare and mostly due to lack of immediate treatment. However, rattlesnake bites are not uncommon in the hills and deserts. I don't believe there have been any deaths from black widows in the area since the widespread use of antivenin, though their bites are highly venomous.

The last mountain lion death in SoCal IIRC was nearby in the Santa Ana Mountains in 2004. It killed and fed on a mountain biker and then later that same day jumped on and bit onto a female hiker's face before finally being fought off by four people.

A woman was severely mauled by a black bear that attacked her and her two dogs a few months ago in LA and tore off most of her scalp and part of her face. Deaths are extremely rare though, they'll generally just take a swipe at you or bite and then take off if they attack at all.

A triathlete was killed by a great white off San Diego last year, the first great white fatality in SoCal in 50 years, despite the region being a white shark breeding ground. NorCal has a lot more great white attacks and fatalities though (relatively speaking). Surfers, body boarders, and snorklers/divers will occasionally get nibbled and released by various sharks in SoCal, though it's fairly rare for there to be a fatality.

 

[Miss Chicken]

I believe that the wild animal that has caused the most deaths in Australia is the box jellyfish which has caused more deaths than crocodiles and sharks combine.

Australia and New Guinea have the dubious honour of having the only bird that is capable of attacking and killing a man - the cassowary.

 

[RJDiogenes]

People are seldom killed by animals around here (mostly by Pit Bulls, which were disqualified in the OP); we have been losing a lot of pets to the growing Coyote population, though.

 

[RoJoHen]

I will say deer. Not because they're violent and deadly, but because they cause a lot of car accidents.

 

[Roger Wilco]

As far as I know there are absolutely no animals that are dangerous to humans where I live - if you exclude dogs. Everything that would be even remotely dangerous has been killed to extinction a long time ago - wolves, bears, etc. There are a few poisonous snakes, but they are rare and non-lethal.

If I had to guess I'd say, that ticks are probably the most "dangerous" creatures here.

 

[nevermore]

In my immediate vicinity, I guess the rats would win the "most dangerous" prze, thugh some of the pigeons are pretty damn aggressive too.

In the State in general, we have copperheads, rattlers and mountain lions out in, well the mountains, and black widow spiders in various areas. The only remotely dangerous water creatures in the Chesapeake would be jellyfish and snapping turtles (mostly in the marshlansd), though of course neither of those could actually kill you.

 

[J.T.B.]

Where I live and in the mountian areas of the western US, moose are one of the more dangerous animals, and their numbers are increasing. They are so big they don't have much to worry about in the wild, including humans, and they can be aggressive. A cow moose with a calf can be extremely dangerous. They will knock you down and stomp you to a fare-thee-well.

--Justin

 

[Omnius]

In the Netherlands man is on top of the food chain. We keep dangerous animals in the zoo. However that doesn't necessarily mean you're safe.
Some time ago a woman was severly injured by an escaped gorilla in a Dutch zoo. (link)

 

[Warp Coil]

Chinchillas. There are two of them in my place. If you don't feed them raisins and let them watch "The Gilmore Girls", they could turn deadly.

 

[melancholymecha]

apart from snakes, spiders & bears, South Florida also has gators. Oh & baracudas & I saw a show once were they claimed those giant groupers could be dangerous too...

Edit: and "man-o-wars"

 

[Finn]

Up here in the North Country of New Hampshire, we have Moose, a couple of venomous snakes and drunken hunters. Sure we have bears, but no Human has been killed by a bear in about 250 years.

 

[Crusher Disciple]

Chinchillas. There are two of them in my place. If you don't feed them raisins and let them watch "The Gilmore Girls", they could turn deadly.

You let them watch Gilmore Girls? You're a good parent.

We've got things in Texas that will kill you as soon as look at you. Starting tomorrow, the most dangerous animal in town will be the out of town Republicans who are here for the Legislative session.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

Texas is home to several species of deadly snake, though nothing quite as nasty as they have in Australia. We are probably most famous for the Rattler. We also have Mountain Lions, and Brown Recluse Spiders. Deer can be pests, since when spooked a whole herd may run into traffic. People have died from colliding with a deer on the road, but most of the time you see them coming and honk and slow down.

 

[opali]

Texas is home to several species of deadly snake, though nothing quite as nasty as they have in Australia. We are probably most famous for the Rattler. We also have Mountain Lions, and Brown Recluse Spiders. Deer can be pests, since when spooked a whole herd may run into traffic. People have died from colliding with a deer on the road, but most of the time you see them coming and honk and slow down.

Once on my way to work at about 5 AM in Colorado right near the Continental Divide, a huge bull elk was on the road. In all my wisdom I decided to honk at him like I usually did at the deer where I grew up. He was sauntering off the road casually until I honked and he turned around and came back to face me and my Subaru off! Waving his head around and getting hot and bothered was enough for me to go into reverse, and back up a few feet. He looked at me haughtily and walked slowly off the highway and I drove by him in complete humiliation.

North Carolina has tons of poisonous snakes, the brown recluse spider and black widow. However, very few deaths are attributed to wild animals, etc.

Actually, I think the highest death rates that occur here are due to insect stings to those who are highly allergic.

 

[M'Sharak]

What is the most deadly animal in the area where you live? Excluding humans and dogs and fall from horses?

Probably one of these:

Mojave rattlesnake/Desert diamondback rattlesnake
Southern Pacific rattlesnake/Black diamond rattlesnake
Western rattlesnake/Pacific rattlesnake

These tend to be shy, however, and most incidents occur when they're caught by surprise, with no time to get out of sight.

Also, in mountainous and hilly areas, and at lower altitudes during drought years:

American black bear
Mountain lion/puma/cougar

Likewise dangerous when caught by surprise or when hungry enough to forage in populated areas.


And any time, anywhere:

Western black widow spider

Easily avoided as long as you don't go blundering into the dark corners they like.