The top prize for “The World's Most Venomous Creature,” would go to the Box Jellyfish. It has caused at least five thousand five hundred and sixty seven recorded deaths since 1954. Its venom is among the most deadly in the world. Its toxins attack the heart, nervous system, and skin cells. And the worst part of it is that jelly box venom is so overpoweringly painful, that human victims go in to shock, drown or die of heart failure before even reaching shore. Survivors experience pain weeks after the contact with box jellies.
One has virtually no chance to survive the venomous sting, unless treated immediately. When stung, vinegar should be applied for a minimum of 30 seconds. Vinegar has acetic acid, which disables the box jelly’s nematocysts that have not yet been discharged into the bloodstream (though it will not alleviate the pain). Wearing panty hose while swimming is also a good prevention measure since it can prevent jellies from being able to harm one's leg. Box Hellyfish can be found in the waters around Asia and Australia.
2. King Cobra
King Cobra (Ophiophagus Hannah) is the world’s longest venomous snake - growing up to 5.6 m (18.5 ft) in length. Ophiophagus, literally means “snake-eater” as it eats other snakes. One single bite of this deadly snake can easily kill a human. It is even capable of killing a full-grown Asian Elephant within 3 hours, if the larger animal is bitten in a vulnerable area such as the trunk.
Its venom is not as toxic as other venomous snakes, but King Cobra is capable of injecting 5 times more venom than Black Mamba and can result in mortality up to 5 times faster than that of the Black Mamba. It is quite widespread, ranging across South and South-east Asia, living in dense highland forests.
3. Marbled Cone Snail
This little beautiful looking Snail can be as deadly as any other animal on this list. One drop of its venom is so powerful that it can kill more than 20 humans. If one ever happens to be in a warm salt water environment (where these snails are often found), they should avoid picking it up if they spot one.
Symptoms of a Marbled Cone Snail sting can start immediately or can be delayed in onset for days. It results in intense pain, swelling, numbness and tingling. Severe cases involve muscle paralysis, vision changes and breathing failure. There is no anti venom. However, only about 30 human deaths have been recorded from Cone Snail envenoming.
4. Blue-Ringed Octopus
The Blue-Ringed Octopus is very small, only the size of a golf ball, but its venom is very powerful. It carries enough poison to kill 26 adult humans within minutes, and there is no antidote. It is currently recognized as one of the world’s most venomous animals.
Its painless bite may seem harmless, but the deadly neurotoxins begin working immediately resulting in muscular weakness, numbness, followed by a cessation in breathing and ultimately death. It can be found in tide pools of the Pacific Ocean, from Japan to Australia.
5. Death Stalker Scorpion
Death Starker Scorpion contradicts the popular belief that 'most scorpions are relatively harmless to humans since their stings produce local effects only (pain, numbness or swelling).' However, the Death Starker Scorpion is highly dangerous species because its venom is a powerful cocktail of neurotoxins which cause an intense and unbearable pain, resulting in fever, followed by coma, convulsions, paralysis and death. Fortunately, while a sting from this scorpion is extremely painful, it would be unlikely to kill a healthy, adult human. Young children, the old, or infirm (with a heart condition) are at the biggest risk. Death stalker scorpions are found in North Africa and Middle East.
6. Stonefish
Not the best looking fish but again, the venom does the trick. It causes such a severe pain that the stung victims would want the affected limb to be amputated. It is described as the worst pain known to man. It is accompanied by possible shock, paralysis, and tissue death. If not given medical attention within a couple of hours.
Stonefish stores its toxins in gruesome-looking spines that are designed to hurt would-be predators. It mostly lives above the tropic of Capricorn, often found in the shallow tropical marine waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans, ranging from the Red Sea to the Queensland Great Barrier Reef.
7. The Brazilian Wandering Spider
The Brazilian Wandering Spider (Phoneutria) or Banana Spider appears in the Guinness Book of World Records 2007 for the most venomous spider and is responsible for most human deaths.
It is believed to have the most potent neurotoxic venom of any living spider. Only 0.006mg (0.00000021oz) is sufficient to kill a mouse. It is also very dangerous because of its wandering nature. It often hides during daytime in highly populated areas like houses, clothes, boots, and cars.
Its venomous bite not only causes intense pain, the venom of the spider can also cause priapism - uncomfortable erections lasting for many hours that lead to impotence.
8. Inland Taipan
The Inland Taipan comes from Australia. Just a single bite from this snake contains enough venom to kill 100 human adults or an army of 250,000 mice. Its venom is at least 200 - 400 times more toxic than a common cobra. Its extremely neurotoxic venom can kill an adult human in as little as 45 minutes. Fortunately, this snake is very shy and there have been no documented human fatalities (all known bites were treated with antivenin).
9. Poison Dart Frog
If one ever happens to be running through the rain forests somewhere in Central or South America, they should never ever pick up beautiful and colorful frogs - it can be the Poison Dart Frog. The 2 inch long (5cm) golden Poison Dart Frog has enough venom to kill 10 adult humans or 20,000 mice. Only 2 micrograms of this lethal toxin (the amount that fits on the head of a pin) is capable of killing a human or other large mammal. It is called “Dart Frog” because of the indigenous use of their toxic secretions to poison the tips of their blow-darts. Poison dart frogs keep their poison in their skins and sicken or kill anybody who touches or eats them.
10. Puffer Fish
Puffer Fishes are the second most poisonous vertebrates on the earth (the first one is Golden Dart Frog). The meat of some species is a delicacy in both Japan (as fugu) and Korea (as bok-uh) but the problem is that, the skin and certain organs of many puffer fishes are very poisonous to humans.
This fish produces rapid and violent death. Puffer fish's poisoning causes deadening of the tongue and lips, dizziness, vomiting, rapid heart rate, difficulty in breathing, and muscle paralysis. Victims die from suffocation as diaphragm muscles are paralyzed. Most of the victims die after four to twenty four hours. There is no known antidote. Most deaths from fugu happen when untrained people catch and prepare the fish. Statistics show that there were twenty to forty four incidents of fugu poisoning per year between 1996 and 2006 in all of Japan and up to six incidents per year led to death. Since Fugu’s poison can cause near instantaneous death, only licensed chefs are allowed to prepare it.
