10 Scariest Creatures Found In The Amazon

hi it's katrina from powerful electric eels that hunt and packs to a caiman that swallows people whole here are 10 of the scariest creatures found in the amazon number 10. amazonian giant centipede the amazonian giant centipede or scolopendra gigantia is without a doubt one of the creepiest inhabitants crawling around the amazon jungle it's also the largest centipede in the entire world reaching lengths of 12 inches with 46 legs these large arthropods prey on a wide variety of animals such as insects lizards snakes and mice they have even been seen eating bats they can easily climb the walls of caves and use their front legs to take hold of the bats while using their back legs to grip the wall surprisingly they can hold on like this for long periods of time even while eating scientists knew that centipedes can kill people but weren't quite sure how recently they discovered that they have an extremely specialized toxin that can wreak havoc on your cardiovascular respiratory and nervous system centipedes can kill mice 15 times their size and 30 seconds flat they have a pair of modified legs near their heads equipped with sharp claws that they use to grab their victims then they use these claws to inject the highly toxic venom the amazon giant centipede generally hunts at night and so it rarely comes into contact with humans however if it does then a bite from this animal can pack a nasty punch while this venom most likely isn't lethal to a healthy adult human it can still cause considerable pain as well as swelling fever and weakness number nine the brazilian wandering spider the guinness book of world records calls the brazilian wandering spider the most toxic spider in the world also known as banana spiders they are mostly found in the lush amazon rainforest they are nocturnal and hide out during the day often in banana plants which is where they get their nickname the rest of the time they are out wandering on the forest floor at night where they search for prey in densely populated areas the brazilian wandering spider looks for cover and dark places to hide this usually leads them into houses cars shoes piles of clothes boxes and log piles in backyards unfortunately if you don't look first you can get accidentally bitten they seem to be very aggressive because if threatened they will rise up on their hind legs to make themselves look bigger however it is mostly for show because they do not want to waste their precious venom defending themselves their large size and rearing pose should be enough to scare you away these spiders are thick and can have a leg span of about 5 to 7 inches according to the natural history museum in germany the venom from a brazilian wandering spider is a complex cocktail of toxins proteins and peptides the venom affects chemical receptors in ion channels in the victim's neuromuscular systems symptoms include irregular heartbeat abdominal cramping nausea salivation vertigo convulsions and excessive sweating associated with shock symptoms occur within 10 to 20 minutes and children and pets living in the amazon are especially at risk due to their wandering nature a man in england was bitten by a spider when one arrived in a shipment of bananas and another family reported seeing one in their home when they brought home a bunch of bananas from the store keep an eye out because you just never know what's going to get you even if you aren't in the amazon number 8 electric eel just recently scientists discovered two new species of electric eel in the amazon basin including one with a record-breaking shock these freshwater predators are found in the murky streams and rivers of south america they are not actually eels at all but are more closely related to carp and catfish the research team that went to the amazon was literally shocked that these enormous eels had gone undetected for so long these large predators can reach lengths of over eight feet the study says that one of the new species electrophorus voltai also has a shock of up to 860 volts making it the strongest living bioelectricity generator with a much higher shock than the 650 volts of the previously known e-electrical species their bodies contain electric organs with about 6000 specialized cells called electrocytes that are able to store this power like a battery aside from stunning prey electric eels can also use this current to dissuade predators from attacking just this year researchers have learned that these freshwater predators don't hunt alone just like wolves and orcas they attack in packs douglas bastos a biologist at the national institute of amazonian research saw the group attack on an expedition looking for endangered fish in northern brazil two years later he went back for a closer look camping alone in the middle of the amazon a five-day journey by boat from the nearest city he filmed hundreds of electric eels in groups of ten repeatedly attacking small tetrafish multiple shocks can lead to respiratory or heart failure and particularly strong jolts have caused some people to drown in shallow water number 7. the green anaconda the green anaconda is the world's heaviest snake and one of the longest snakes in the world a stocky muscular snake anacondas have thick necks and narrow large heads both their nostrils and their eyes are on the top of their heads which allows them to see above the water while they remain hidden from view waiting for their prey to get close before they strike these giant snakes are found in the swamps marshes and slow-moving streams of the amazon basin while they don't move very quickly on land they are stealthy and sleek in the water according to the smithsonian national zoo while the average anaconda usually gets to about 17 feet long there are reports of some getting to over 30 feet long a large anaconda can weigh about 1 100 pounds anacondas are not venomous instead using the element of surprise to lunge out and bite then quickly coil around and constrict to subdue their victims once an anaconda decides on its target it will snatch the animal in its jaws locking it in with its teeth and then will usually try to drag it back into the water to drown it at the same time it will squeeze and squeeze until its prey dies from being drowned or suffocated it will then consume the entire carcass hole for larger prey the green anaconda will unhinge its jaw to stretch its mouth around the body it can fit an entire alligator in its stomach and after a big meal like that anacondas can go weeks without needing to eat again anacondas have a legendary status as being man-eaters but this is not common they are usually peaceful around humans but if they catch you by surprise they are capable of eating a person if they wanted to they can eat prey that is much tougher and stronger than humans such as caimans wild pigs and even jaguars while trying to capture an anaconda in the jungles of venezuela a team of scientists came under attack or the snake came under attack it's up to you the enormous snake did not appreciate the scientists trying to pull it out of the river where it had just been minding its own business it took a big bite and managed to get its fang right through the scientist's finger and anaconda's fangs curve inwards which means if one bites you don't just pull your hand right out you have to actually push your hand or whatever appendage deeper into its mouth to unhook it and then you should be able to pull it out most of the time they will try to avoid predators like us by swimming away however i still don't feel like going to dip my toes in the amazon number 6 bull sharks bull sharks are extremely unique sharks because they can survive long periods in both salt water and fresh water while they spend most of their time along the shallow tropical ocean shorelines they are also known to venture well upriver particularly in the amazon they migrate up and down the river seasonally and have been reported as far upstream as iquitos in peru sometimes 2485 miles from the shore bull sharks are often considered to be the most dangerous sharks to humans because they are aggressive and territorial and love to hang out near warm coastal waters where we like to hang out they are the most common shark species involved in attacks on humans they get their name from their short blunt snout and their tendency to headbutt their prey before attacking they are medium-sized sharks that can reach lengths over 8 feet and weigh up to 300 pounds bull sharks are gray on top and have a white underside these fast agile sharks will eat anything they can catch including fish dolphins other sharks and yes sometimes humans number 5 the bullet ant the bullet ant is considered to have one of the most painful stings in the world as its name suggests the potent sting from this venomous insect has been compared to being shot by a firearm justin o schmidt who came up with the sting pain index describes the pain as like walking over flaming charcoal with three inches of nails embedded in your heel this aggressive little ant uses its sting when it feels that its colony is under threat and the painful sting can cause a range of symptoms that can last anywhere between 5 and 24 hours the sting from this ant can cause waves of excruciating pain as well as shaking and temporary paralysis these ants live in colonies that are usually found at the base of a tree in the rainforest these colonies can contain several hundred ants most people try to avoid these ants at all costs but there is one indigenous tribe in brazil called the satire maui that use these ants in their initiation rights for men to become warriors the ants are sedated with smoke before hundreds of them are woven into gloves made of leaves with their bottoms facing inwards boys and young men must place their hands inside the gloves and bear the pain for minutes at a time as they chant and dance together getting stung over and over to complete the initiation and be considered men and warriors the young men must complete this task at least 20 times this can take several months or even years number four jaguars jaguars are very secretive and elusive animals they are the largest cats found in the americas and are the third largest cat in the world after lions and tigers this large cat can reach more than eight feet in length and weigh up to 245 pounds they are excellent swimmers and ambush hunters making for a deadly combination they hunt a wide variety of animals including fish deer tapers turtles and even caimans while jaguars can be dangerous their main threat is actually us when human and jaguar territory overlaps there is often conflict as jaguars hunt cattle and sometimes in retaliation the ranchers will hunt and kill them conservation efforts have focused on reducing human jaguar conflict by teaching ranchers better husbandry practices as well as compensating them for the cattle they lose sometimes however these interactions can lead to the jaguar attacking humans and has become more common as human wildlife interactions increase one day a man was attacked while traveling to a cassava plantation early in the morning the non-fatal attack occurred after the victim's two dogs attacked the jaguar who was lurking just off the trail following them the victim tried to help the two dogs by fighting the jaguar with a machete and a stick of wood but he was unable to help and the dogs were unfortunately killed as the victim turned to flee he was bitten on the shoulder by the jaguar although this attack was non-fatal it does highlight the dangers of living in close proximity to such large and powerful animals number three poison dart frog while this brightly colored little frog may not seem very scary the poison dart frog is one of the most toxic animals on earth one species the golden poison dart frog has enough poison in its skin to kill 20 000 mice or 20 fully grown men these little frogs are so lethal that native hunters in the forest of south america once used them to make poisoned arts for hunting birds monkeys and other small animals while millions of animals produce toxic substances most of them are not poisonous unlike these frogs that's because to be poisonous an animal must be toxic to eat or touch these frogs however keep the poison under their skin so any animal or person taking a bite would be immediately in trouble the poison is called batrachotoxin and it can cause paralysis and death when it enters the bloodstream even in tiny amounts unlike most creatures in the amazon who rely on camouflage for both hunting and defense poison dart frogs want to be seen and avoided they come in a stunning variety of bright colors and patterns so that they can stand out against the green canopy of their forest home warning you not to eat them number 2. red-bellied piranha piranhas have pretty ferocious reputations and the red-bellied piranha is no different it's a carnivorous fish found in south american rivers and lakes the red-bellied piranha is one of 20 species found in the amazon river and it has the strongest jaws and sharpest teeth of all the piranha species it's also the most aggressive though attacks on humans are rare they have happened just like their name suggests the complete bottom half of the fish from chin to cheeks to belly is completely red this particular species can grow a little over a foot long and hunts in groups that can contain more than 100 fish while red-bellied piranhas usually prefer easier prey that is only slightly larger or smaller than themselves if a large animal is attacked several groups can join together in the famous feeding frenzy stripping all the flesh from the animal's bones within a matter of minutes what most don't know about piranhas is that they actually like to spread out to hunt for prey when prey is located then the fish that finds it sends signals to the others to come together everyone in the group rushes to take a bite before swimming away to make room for the others the signal is most likely sent acoustically as these amazing fish have excellent hearing so if you happen to fall into the amazon river near a red belly piranha it's possible one could signal its family and friends and you could end up as their dinner number one the black caiman the black cayman is considered to be the deadliest predator of south america responsible for more attacks on humans than bull sharks and anacondas they can grow to be over 10 feet long and are strong enough to take on a human no problem they are very opportunistic and will grab anything they think is easy lurking in the water until they are ready to strike in 2011 a young child was eaten by a caiman while she was swimming with friends in brazil a fisherman saw it happen and tried to help but it was too late she was trapped and disappeared underwater he helped the other traumatize children to safety and then notified the authorities the case study published in wilderness and environmental medicine verified the report and confirmed that injuries caused by caimans have a similar clinical profile to those of sharks due to the potentially large wounds blood loss and secondary bacterial infections the shrieking children splashing in the water most likely drew the cayman's attention and it snuck up slowly the study says that an attack by one of these animals is almost always fatal especially when it is an adult caiman thanks for watching which animal do you think is the scariest which one is your favorite let me know in the comments below and remember to subscribe if you haven't already see you soon bye

Channel: Origins Explained

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Rating: 4.8864899 out of 5

Keywords: origins explained, scariest animals found in the amazon, scariest, creepiest, animals, creatures, found, amazon, jungle, rainforest, amazon jungle, amazon rainforest, scariest creatures, scariest animals, dangerous creatures, dangerous animals, found in the amazon, amazon creatures, amazon animals, creatures in the amazon

Id: dvRNKgr5TdU

Length: 14min 57sec (897 seconds)

Published: Fri Apr 02 2021