Ah, Australia. The land down under gave us wonderful imports like Hugh Jackman and Crocodile Dundee, but it’s also home to some of the deadliest species known to man. Each crack and crevice of Australian wildlife is alive with something that can maim, or worse yet, end you. For instance, there are close to 520 types of creepy crawlers, many of which are extremely venomous. Then there are the venomous snakes that could paralyze you, or worse. And don’t even get us started on the kangaroos. That’s right. They’re not so innocent either.
That’s just on land. The oppressive heat will beckon you to take a refreshing dip in the Pacific Ocean, but beware of deadly jellyfish and shark attacks, not to mention the gigantic ocean swells that can swallow you up. Is Australia the most dangerous place on Earth? Probably not, but here are several reasons why Australian wildlife might not give you a pleasant, “G’day mate.”
Box Jellyfish
You don’t need to venture far into Australia’s waters to find danger. The box jellyfish has one of the most painful stings of any animal in the world, and it can even be fatal to humans. If that weren’t bad enough, their translucent skin makes them incredibly difficult to see in the water. That’s exactly what happened to 10-year, who miraculously survived this horrific attack in 2010.
Funnel Web Spider
If you’re looking to go for a walk, watch where you step. There are some prominent spiders to avoid, including the red back, mouse spider, wolf spider, black house spider, and then there’s the funnel-web spider, one of the most venomous on the planet. They build funnel-shaped webs, which they use as burrows or to trap prey. The venom of this spider is toxic and potentially fatal. Early symptoms of a funnel-web spider bite include tingling around the mouth and tongue, facial muscle twitching, nausea, vomiting, profuse sweating, salivation, and shortness of breath. Not fun!
Saltwater Crocodiles
These crocs wreak havoc in the sea and defy logic by eating pretty much anything. The swamps, rivers, and estuaries in Northern Australia are home to these huge, ancient animals.
Males can reach up to 4,400 pounds and can be more than 20 feet long. When a saltwater crocodile attacks, its incredibly strong tail enables sudden, speedy lunges out of the water, while strong back legs move with lightning speed, leaving any unfortunate nearby prey little time to react. Its powerful jaw is filled with 64-68 teeth, ready to bite down with the greatest bite pressure measured in any living animal.
Kangaroos
This unsuspecting marsupial can also be one of the outback’s most cuddly killers. Kangaroos can reach speeds around 44 mph over short distances, and can be very dangerous to men. Kangaroos live in large family groups called mobs. During courtship, the males will fight for “ownership” of the female. They will kick, bite, and punch. If humans try to break up the fight, they can be as aggressive with us as any other threat.
Female kangaroos are fierce when carrying a joey in their pouch and will fight pedestrians who approach to protect their offspring.
Cone Snails
This seemingly benign-looking mollusk literally sucks. It evolved a radular tooth that can launch out of its mouth like a harpoon at unsuspecting prey, including your foot. These snails are found near Indo-Pacific ocean reefs and are most likely encountered when they are stepped on. Because stings can be painless, people may not realize they have been stung until it’s too late. Their harpoon will pump you full of neurotoxins that affect vision and speech.
Giant Centipedes
Inhabiting the nightmares of everyone, everywhere, the giant centipede is able to grow to a whopping 6¼ inches. The squirmy insect is naturally equipped with a pair of venomous claws that sting its victims. It can cause severe pain in humans, which can last for several days. Some people report intense pain, while others claim it is no worse than a wasp sting, which is also pretty painful.
Trash Can-Sized Crabs
I cheated a little, as this image probably wasn’t taken in Australia. However, the coconut crab pictured is indigenous to islands across the Indian Ocean through areas of the Pacific Ocean east of Australia.
Still, the coconut crab is the largest land-living arthropod in the world and is capable of breaking human bones. So, ya know, steer clear and leave them to their dumpster diving.
Red back Spider
This spider is one of the most venomous in Australia. If you are a small insect unlucky enough to be considered a meal for this spider, you will first be bitten with its venomous fangs. As paralysis takes over, you will be wrapped in silk, have your head and body bitten repeatedly, and finally your liquified insides sucked out. Yikes!
Humans who are bitten don’t get off that lightly either. Taking the pain of a red back bite for granted, the venom often is so potent that you will need an antivenom to reverse its symptoms. And watch out because they like to live in walls, building materials, clothes, and shoes.
Snakes Eating Whole Crocodiles
We all know how there are hundreds of poisonous snake species slithering across the globe, but if one of your worst fears is being bitten by one of them, you’re in luck because they have other ways to kill you!
In 2014, this epic battle (or the end of it at least) between a python and crocodile took the internet by storm. We’re thinking the python may still be digesting this meal today.
Cassowaries
They look goofy, and because they can’t fly they take it out on humans. It has been named the world’s most dangerous bird in the Guinness World Records. Found in the rain forests of Australia, this cross between a turkey and an ostrich can slice you with a single kick They grow to 6 feet tall, run at speeds of up to 31 mph, and jump to heights of 5 feet. They are also excellent swimmers, so there’s no escape if you piss them off.
Red-Bellied Black Snake
The red-bellied black snake is one of the most identifiable snakes in Australia. It is most common in urban areas, and is distinguished by its red underbelly. As a warning, it will lift its body up to show off its fiery stomach, just so you know it’s not fooling around.
Bites from this snake are usually not life threatening, but they do require a trip to the hospital pretty quickly. Vomiting, diarrhea and intense pain are the main symptoms, and this is another creepy crawler that likes to find a home in shoes
Great White Sharks
While not just a danger in Australia, these mega-fish are the kings of any ocean and eat whatever they can sink their 222 razor-sharp teeth into. That’s pretty much anything that moves. These hunters are equipped with the ampullae of Lorenzini, a magical death adaptation enabling them to detect electromagnetic fields emitted from anything with a pulse. Some surfers are now even arming themselves with electromagnetic devices to repel them.
Snakes Eating Devils
For you religious types, Australia is so devout that its snakes hunt and kill devils. Just kidding.
In the scaly vice that is this python’s body, it’s hunted and killed a flying fox. Now, if you feel bad for the fox, it should be noted that they are notorious for carrying infectious diseases. According to New South Wales Government’s website, flying foxes are known to carry Australian bat lyssavirus and Hendra virust, each of which can pose a serious health risk.
Some Australians actually prefer the snakes keep up their pest control.
Stone fish
The stone fish resembles a rock, but it’s actually a super poisonous fish covered in needle-like dorsal fin spines. They camouflage themselves near rocks, confusing swimmers with a grey, mottled color similar to that of a stone (hence the name). It is one of the most venomous fish known. If you step on one, their sting can cause extreme pain, and possibly even death. You can get revenge on them, though. When prepared properly, the protein-based venom quickly breaks down when heated, meaning you can eat them.
Strychnine Tree
The small, orange fruits that grow on the strychnine tree happen to house toxic seeds, which can cause harm to the nervous system if eaten by humans. At best, it can cause convulsions; at worst, it can be fatal. And that’s just the fruit! The bark and blossoms of this tree are poisonous to humans, too.
Dingoes
Dingoes are wild dogs that roam the outback in packs. They are not the most dangerous animals in Australia as there have only been a small number of attacks on humans reported, but they are certainly capable of being a danger. Most of the reported attacks have been caused by tourists mistaking the animal for a dog and attempting to feed it.
On the other hand dingoes are bad news for livestock and farm animals. So much so that a 5,614-km fence was constructed in Southeast Australia for the sole purpose of protecting livestock from them.
The Outback
We are not talking about the popular restaurant chain. Australia’s outback, a massive sprawl of hot and dry land that makes up the nation’s interior, poses some special challenges. You’ll need to plot out your route in advance to make sure you have enough fuel for the journey, as there are long stretches of road without services of any sort — meaning no gas, food, or water for hundreds of miles. Think the real-life version of Mad Max. You should also carry plenty of extra water. And if you’re lost, there’s no guarantee anyone will find you with little or no cell service. Plus, the sparsely traveled roads mean help won’t always be fast to arrive. Happy travels!
Irukandji Jellyfish
This minuscule jellyfish proves that size doesn’t matter when it comes to packing a killer punch. They mostly live in the waters of North Australia and grow to a cubic centimeter.
Unlike other jellyfish, these guys can fire venom from their stingers to inject humans. The venom can cause muscle cramps, nausea, and almost always requires hospitalization.
The Heat
Australia can get mad hot in their summer months, which is our winter. Temps out in the outback have reached highs as sweltering as 122° F, where you can literally fry an egg on the concrete. Australia has been getting warmer due to global climate change. Health officials in Victoria highlighted the threat of heatwaves when they found that about 374 people died during an extreme week long period in January 2009.
Eastern Brown Snakes
This slithering killer found in highly populated areas throughout eastern Australia is the world’s second-most venomous land snake. Known to have caused more than 21 deaths since 2000, statistically that’s more than one a year, a bite delivers 2–6 mg of venom and can cause cardiac arrest, but more often leads to uncontrolled bleeding, with symptoms seen within 15 minutes.
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