15 Dangerous Animals You Should Never Touch

we all love to pet a good dog or scratch a cute cat behind the ears but not all animals are fluffy bundles of joy we can snuggle up with some should absolutely never be touched no matter how tempting these are dangerous animals you should never touch [Applause] number 15 sea urchin if you've ever been snorkeling or diving around a reef you'll be more than familiar with the scourge of the sea urchin there are actually at least 200 different species of them and they come in a wide range of different shapes and colors but one thing's true about all of them you definitely want to do everything in your power to avoid touching or standing on one they have two types of defense the visible spikes and the venom that they contain if you're unfortunate enough to make contact with one the effect it will have depend on whether the spine is able to puncture your skin or not if it does it will release venom too and will probably break off inside your body which can cause further damage an urchin sting is painful as soon as it occurs and will lead to virtually instant swelling further symptoms can develop such as weakness muscle ache drowsiness and even paralysis and if left untreated the puncture site may also become infected a small percentage of people who are stung by urchins can die as a result mainly because of allergies to their venom so to be on the safe side you're best staying well clear of them like this video smash the subscribe button and click the notification bell right now or slenderman will come from under your bed when you're sleeping now it's time for the juicy topic this right here is a gnarly critter known as the giant water bug and you seriously don't want to be bitten or stung by one of these guys whatever you do keep your hand well away you can see in this image what a bite or sting from a giant water bug can do to a human hand and i am sure you can agree that is not something anybody wants to happen to their poor little fingers more formerly known as a betis herberty they are often given the name toe biters because they are known to literally nip at human toes growing up to 4 inches in size they are most common found in north and south america northern australia and east asia if you live in those parts of the world and ever see one of these things we seriously recommend you keep your fingers and toes to yourself as always comment down below with the hashtag juicytopic and let us know your opinion in relation to what we just showed on screen let's move on to the next one number 14 blue ringed octopus there are four different species of blue-ringed octopus each of which lives in the waters of the pacific and indian oceans and each of which is extremely dangerous and should never ever be touched or picked up this is because they're regarded as being the world's most venomous animal and each individual contains enough venom to kill 26 adults this is surprising considering they grow to be no more than 8 inches long and their beautiful coloration and docile nature means that people instinctively want to pick them up [Music] if they see them in the water or in a rock pool this is a big mistake however because the bite of a blue ringed octopus is almost impossible to feel and the first sign you'll get that you've been envenomed is when the symptoms start to happen their venom contains several powerful chemicals including tetrodoxin dopamine taurine and histamine it's more than one thousand two hundred times more powerful than cyanide and leads to paralysis within minutes it's a particularly horrible way to die because most deaths occur due to the inability to breathe and before that happens you're also likely to become nauseous lose your sense of sight and won't be able to move at all so wouldn't be able to tell anyone nearby what's happening there's no anti-venom for this sting so if a lethal dose makes its way into your system you'd better pray it ends quickly number 13. fire coral fire corals are the yellow green or brown growths that you see around coral reefs and look so similar to seaweed that they are often mistaken for it they can be found in the indian pacific atlantic and the caribbean and are particularly common where the currents passing over the reefs are strong surprisingly despite their name they're not actually a type of coral but instead have closer links with hydra this means that they have different defense mechanisms to corals and one in particular means that you want to do all you can to avoid touching one they have small almost invisible tentacles all over them that are covered in pneumatocysts these explosive cells rupture upon contact and release toxic chemicals in a similar way to how a jellyfish sting works if you touch one gently they will create an intense burning sensation on the surface of your skin but if you are unlucky enough to be scratched by the fire coral the chemicals will be released underneath your skin and can cause excruciating pain for a few weeks fire corals are therefore a well-known danger on the reefs and divers are routinely warned to stay away from them number 12 puffer fish there are more than 200 different known species of puffer fish all of which live in warmer waters around the world and the vast majority of them can cause serious problems for anyone that mistakenly touches them that's because they have a powerful means of defense they have developed this because they're relatively slow moving through the water and can't simply swim away from danger so when they feel threatened they are able to inhale water or air into their stomachs until their bodies swell up into a spherical shape they are also covered in hard to see spines and their flesh contains a powerful neurotoxin called tetradotoxin which can be deadly to humans even if it doesn't kill you each fish contains enough of it to cause you serious pain or discomfort but surprisingly this isn't its normal effect on other animals to sharks for example it simply tastes unpleasant and means they won't try to eat the fish but it doesn't cause anywhere near the same amount of problems to them as it does to humans number 11. crown of thorns starfish most starfish are completely harmless but there is one that's found in the indian and pacific oceans that has a nasty surprise for anything that tries to touch it it's one of the largest starfish species in the world and is known as the crown of thorns starfish growing up to 14 inches across their bodies are a familiar starfish shape but unlike most others they are covered in long sharp spines not only does this pose a risk of cuts and abrasions but these spines also contain powerful toxins if part of one breaks off into a wound it will almost instantly lead to a sharp stinging sensation continuous bleeding and swelling and nausea for a number of days population numbers of these starfish are a concern on coral reefs because they actively hunt and eat coral polyps in recent years human fishing of a few species that eat the stars has meant that they have bred unchecked in some areas and the damage is becoming increasingly clear to see conservation efforts involve removing the stars or injecting them with chemicals to kill them which is something that has to be done extremely carefully to reduce the risk of being injured while doing it number 10 indian red scorpion indian red scorpions are native to india pakistan and nepal and were first scientifically described in 1798 they grow to around 4 inches long and can be a range of colors such as orange red brown and blue they are nocturnal and tend to feed on small vertebrates like lizards but very little is actually known about them they appear to prefer areas covered in vegetation and will often exist in larger numbers near human settlements and it's this proximity that's made them renowned in the area they aren't particularly aggressive but if you were to touch or try to hold one it'll immediately try to sting you with its tail if successful the toxins it injects into your system can lead to serious consequences such as severe pain vomiting unconsciousness pink phlegm erratic heart rates and in some cases death there's no anti-venom but other treatments have been shown to assist recovery and current estimates suggest that the mortality rate is somewhere between 8 and 40 with most victims being children indian red scorpions are therefore a classic case of you can look but don't touch number nine the brazilian walking spider there are actually eight different species of brazilian wandering spiders and each is regarded as one of the most venomous types of spiders in the world their greek name is phonutria which means murderous and the more you hear about them the clearer it becomes why this is a perfect description they can grow to be about 8 inches long and don't build webs instead crawling across the jungle floor in search for food they aren't particularly aggressive against anything they're not trying to eat but they will take a defensive posture if they feel they're in danger at first they'll raise their front two legs as a warning and if this doesn't work they'll preemptively try to bite the toxins they inject will cause extreme pain straight away and within half an hour lead to either high or low blood pressure rapidly changing heartbeats cramping vertigo blurred vision and a severe shock reaction it is possible that this can lead to death although only in very rare circumstances but with such painful and uncomfortable symptoms you might wish it was fatal as you let the venom take its course number eight irukanji jellyfish found in the waters of northern australia the irukandji jellyfish is one of the smallest species of jellyfish in the world but is also one of the most dangerous they grow to no larger than the size of a fingernail and were named after the irokanji people who lived in the coastal regions in the area and their discovery in the 60s explains a mysterious illness that had long plagued those who had entered the waters called the irukandji syndrome the jellies have tentacles that can be a couple of feet long and inject their potent toxin through stingers located along them and their bell it's described as being 100 times more potent than the venom of a cobra and 1 000 more times than of a tarantulas and it's responsible for sending at least 100 people to the hospital each year just a tiny amount of venom is needed to result in complications and symptoms will soon occur after contact such as severe headaches nausea vomiting increased heart rate and hallucinations these can last for days or weeks and without medical attention are likely to be fatal luckily now there are several methods to reduce the severity of an irukandji jellyfish thing so deaths are now few and far between number seven ronomia obliqua more commonly known as the giant silkworm moth thalonomia oblique is relatively uninteresting when it's an adult but while it's in its larval form things are far more remarkable the caterpillars grow to become around 2 inches long and are usually either green or brown they camouflage well into the background of the jungles in south america but are still an appealing treat to other animals in the region so they have developed a secondary form of defense to significantly increase their chances of survival they are covered in hollow body hairs that can easily detach and be breathed in by a potential threat and can also puncture the skin they contain a potent venom which passes through the hollow spines and was the first caterpillar discovered that can be deadly to humans each sting releases a small amount of toxin so it's estimated that you need to be stung between 20 and 100 times to receive a fatal dose but that's easily possible if you were to pick one up and this species is thought to be responsible for at least 500 deaths the first signs of envenomation are swelling headaches fever and vomiting and this leads to hemorrhagic diathesis within 24 hours and death soon after if you see one of these in the wild you better stay well clear and definitely don't be tempted to touch it number six the death stalker scorpion found across the desert regions of africa and the middle east the ominously named death stalker scorpion is one of the most dangerous species of scorpion on earth and has been linked with countless human fatalities these unassuming creatures only grow to around 3 inches long but if you get close enough to one or stupidly try to touch it you're in for a world of pain they are highly aggressive against perceived threats and can attack with their stinger in a fraction of a second the venom it injects is a mixture of a number of neurotoxins including chlorotoxin chardotoxin cylotoxin and three types of aikido toxins if you think this blend sounds horrific then you'd be absolutely correct it's unbelievably painful from the moment the sting occurs and can lead to complications such as paralysis a malfunctioning central nervous system and loss of muscle control people are also likely to suffer from anaphylaxis as a result of envenomation and when enough toxins are present the usual cause of death is either asphyxiation or pulmonary edema even though there's an antivenom for the death stalkers sting it needs to be administered in such large doses that this itself can cause further medical complications number five flamboyant cuttlefish normally you might not think cuttlefish could pose too much of a threat to a human [Music] but there's one native to the waters in the indo-pacific that is very much unlike the rest known as the flamboyant cuttlefish because of the unusual array of colors the species typically grows to around three or four inches long and spends its life sifting through the mud and silt of the seabed in search of food it is however only the third cephalopod known to contain toxins and some studies have suggested that it could be as dangerous as the blue ringed octopus the acids and chemicals present are through every part of their body and contact with the skin can prove to be extremely painful as eating one would most likely result in death fishermen in the region have to be very careful to make sure they don't catch any in their nets but they're quite rare so the chances of this are minimal they can be seen in a few aquariums around the world where special measures have been taken to assure they're looked after correctly and while there is a high demand for unusual creatures like these in private aquariums they aren't very common because they're so difficult to safely procure in the first place number four harvester ants various species of harvester ants can be found across the americas but there's one known as the maricopa harvester ant that is particularly vicious and unpleasant to encounter if you live in arizona or any of the southern states then the chances are that you're familiar with them and more than aware of how wise it is to keep your distance from them normally they spend their time searching for food such as insects and dragging it back to their colonies but if they detect a threat or if you were to try and pick one up they immediately go into defense mode first they emit pheromones that attract others to join the fight and then they start trying to clamp their mandibles into the skin once it has hold it starts to pivot around that point and continually sting its target each sting causes a searing pain that will last many hours but only involves a small amount of venom it's the number of these small doses that can become a real danger though especially if a number of ants are involved in the attack it's 20 times stronger than a honeybee and if a human is stung more than 100 times they will more than likely require immediate hospital assistance to prevent any long-term damage occurring number three blue glaucus this incredible looking creature is called a blue glaucus and it's more than understandable why some may try to pick one up if they see it swimming past them in the water but you should definitely resist that temptation because you won't have much time to look at it more closely growing up to 1.2 inches long they float upside down on the surface of the indian and pacific oceans and are carried along on the currents they aren't naturally dangerous by themselves but it's the food that they eat that gives it its unique means of defense they prey on venomous sephonophores such as the portuguese mano war and store their stings and venom within their own tissue this means if you handle one of these slugs you could potentially be stung with a concentrated dose of venom from some of the deadliest animals in the world leading to symptoms such as vomiting nausea extreme pain and a variety of other nasty conditions that could lead to death if not treated quickly it's amazing that something so small and so beautiful can be so dangerous but don't let its appearance fool you it's just not worth risking it number 2 the cone snail there are more than 600 different species of cone snails and while many are harmless there are some that you'd very much regret if you tried to handle them the reason why the snails have developed deadly abilities is that they are very slow moving on the ocean floor and need a way to capture their prey the method they do this is a modified tooth that they use like a harpoon and shoots out into the prey it's coated in cone snail venom and incapacitates their target almost instantaneously which gives them plenty of time to make their way over to the carcass and extract the nutrients that they need the range of beautiful colors that they come in means that shell collectors and swimmers often pick them up and this can trigger the harpoon it's more than capable of piercing skin and even passing through rubber gloves and there are three or four species that have venom that's toxic enough to kill there are around 27 deaths that have been attributed to cone snail venom that was injected in this way and symptoms can include blurry vision breathing difficulties pain swelling vomiting and death it's for this reason that they're also sometimes called cigarette snails because after being invented the victim probably only has enough time to smoke a cigarette before they die number one the africanized honeybee africanized honeybees are also known as killer bees [Music] and were created by breeding several different species together they were released in brazil in the 1950s with the hope that they would increase honey production and have since spread around the continent and into the us they are a highly defensive species much more so than other honeybees and if you disturb them they'll keep attacking you until they're sure you no longer pose a threat they've been known to chase a person more than a quarter of a mile before giving up and as they work together in large swarms victims will receive more than 10 times as many stings as they would with another species more than 1 000 people are known to have been killed by africanized honeybees many of whom accidentally incurred their wrath and weren't actively trying to disturb their hives part of the reason for this is the way that they structure their community they have a much wider area around their hives that they consider to be their own territory and the proportion of individuals that are guards are much higher than other species unfortunately it's not very easy to identify one of these versus other bees from a distance and it's only from their behavioral responses that it becomes clear if you're in a region where they're known to be present your best bet is to stay away from any bees you see just in case it happens to be one of them which of these would you be most tempted to touch if you see one have you ever touched one of the animals we just mentioned make sure to let us know in the comments section also check out our other cool stuff showing up on the screen right now see you next time

Channel: The Genius Lemon

Views: 391,317

Rating: 4.7275791 out of 5

Keywords: dangerous, top, list, creatures, animals, most dangerous, in the world, deadly animals, wild animals, scary, dangerous animals, ocean creatures, ocean, mysterious creatures, most, worst, top most, facts, viral, creature, on earth, creatures caught, unexplained, scary creatures, discoveries, education, sea creatures, dangerous creatures, around the world, dangerous bugs, most dangerous bugs, worst insects, shark, underwater creatures, water, animal, dangerous creature, people

Id: kNpXFHn8sZ0

Length: 20min 35sec (1235 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 20 2020