There are many animals in the world, but some of them can be dangerous for humans. The most dangerous animals impress not only with their strength, but also with their venom, capable of causing serious damage in an instant.
Black mamba
Black mambas (Dendroaspis polylepis) are the longest poisonous snakes in Africa, which can grow up to 2,5 meters. They are also among the fastest snakes in the world, reaching speeds of up to 20 km/h, according to National Geographic.
A black mamba bite is almost always fatal if timely help is not provided. Each of its teeth contains 12 to 20 drops of venom, and just two drops are enough to kill a person, according to Ryan Blumenthal, a forensic pathologist at the University of Pretoria.
Ball ant
The bullet ant (Paraponera clavata) is known for one of the most painful bites among all insects. The pain from its bite is often compared to a bullet, and it can last up to 24 hours.
These ants, only 2 cm long, have a powerful stinger that injects a toxin. This venom affects the nerve cells responsible for pain perception, causing paralysis at the site of the bite. Although their toxin is fatal to small creatures, the bite is not life-threatening to humans, although extremely painful.
Komodo dragon
The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is the largest lizard in the world, which can reach up to 3 meters in length. These predators have large, serrated teeth that help them tear apart prey, as well as saliva full of bacteria.
In addition, they use venom produced by glands in their lower jaws. This poison causes shock and prevents blood clotting, which gradually kills the victim, allowing the dragons to enjoy their prey in peace.
Komodo dragons are relatives of megalania (Varanus priscus) - a huge extinct lizard that could reach up to 7 meters in length, being the largest poisonous predator in history.
Brazilian traveling spiders
Brazilian traveling spiders are one of the most poisonous in the world. Their poisonous cocktail of toxins affects the neuromuscular system. People experience severe pain, increased sweating and a tingling sensation on the skin after being bitten. After 30 minutes, symptoms such as convulsions, blurred vision, irregular pulse, low body temperature, and other unpleasant symptoms, including prolonged painful erections, may appear.
Although spider venom is very dangerous, fatalities are rare. Since 1903, only 15 deaths from the bites of these spiders have been recorded in Brazil.
King cobras
King cobras (Ophiophagus hannah) are the longest venomous snakes in the world, which can reach up to 5,5 meters in length. When a cobra feels threatened, it raises its head and spreads the skin around it, showing its majestic appearance. Although their venom is not the strongest of snakes, a cobra can inject a significant amount of venom in a single bite and often inflicts multiple bites during an attack.
One bite can kill a person in 15 minutes, as University of Maryland molecular biologist Sean B. Carroll notes in his article for The New York Times.