What are the most venomous animals on Earth?

What is the animal that you fear the most? Do snakes freak you out? Or you scream to hell whenever crossing the street and see a stray dog? Maybe, like most people afraid of snakes, you are sure that it would be as rare as a blue moon to see a snake in your office or home. But if you are one of the cynophobes or someone with “fear of dogs” for whatever reason, you are quite unfortunate as there are many puppers everywhere. People with cynophobia may go out of their way to avoid parks and tend to feel uncomfortable in neighborhoods where loud pooches reside.

On the other hand, ornithophobic people fearing canines are usually a result of their childhood experience. Therapists suggest that patients with this phobia will eventually be free from fear through constant controlled exposure. It can be done through quality time with a well-trained dog under a supervisor’s watchful eye that can work wonders.

Perhaps, if not with furry dogs, you fear furry cats instead? Rumor has it that Napoleon Bonaparte and other famous conquerors were scared stiff of kitties. In Bonaparte’s case, the allegations are probably false. Historian Katharine MacDonogh said, “No record exists of Napoleon either liking or hating cats.” She reflects that the myth came from the long-standing cultural belief that our feline friends wield supernatural insights. “Cats have been endowed with a magical ability to detect the overweening ambitions of dictators, many of whom have consequently been accused of ailurophobia on the flimsiest evidence,” MacDonogh wrote in her book Reigning Cats And Dogs: A History of Pets At Court Since The Renaissance.

Textile cone

Meanwhile, some phobias are just there even without concrete evidence of why those fears arise and develop. But the sure thing you need to fear are those animals that can kill you quickly in hours, some a few minutes, and even a few seconds, especially venomous animal species.

What animals on Earth can do that?

1. Box Jellyfish

This type of jellyfish with scientific name Cubozoa is hardly seen on the water as it appears transparent. It is large and has tentacles that can sting you with its millions of nematocysts, injecting a hefty amount of venom while holding its victim in place.

It is considered the most venomous in the world, containing toxins that directly attack the heart, nervous system, and skin cells. The toxins it has can cause extreme pain, paralysis, delirium, shock, cardiac arrest, and even death within minutes. Its venom can kill almost 60 adults.

 2. Inland Taipan snake

The inland taipan or Oxyuranus microlepidotus has one of the most lethal venoms that can put death 100 adult men with its one drop of poison that works in as little as 45 minutes.

The Inland Taipan snake has a medium to large body with a deep, rectangular-shaped, robust build head. Its dorsal has varying color from pale fawn to yellowish-brown to dark brown, with the head and neck being several to many shades darker than the body.

3. Blue-stringed octopus

The blue-stringed octopus is native to the Pacific Ocean, mostly found in the soft, sandy bottom of shallow tide pools and coral reefs. They often hide in crevices, shells, or marine debris when not seeking food or a mate. When these animals are threatened, there are bright blue rings that appear all over their bodies as warning signals to potential predators.

This octopus is relatively small, similar to a golf ball, but its venom is unbearable and deadly. In as fast as 10 minutes, the victim can suffer from respiratory failure and die within 30 minutes. Its toxin has no found antidote.

4. Poison Dart Frog

yellow poisonous dart frog

A person would rarely love to have a pet frog. Although some species have the most colorful in the world, such as this Poison Dart frogs, have, they are, however, extremely poisonous. These frogs have yellow, blue, green, and red. Among the more lethal frogs is the Golden Poison frog that contains enough venom to kill ten adult men.

Yet, there are local tribes that use the frog’s venom for lacing their arrows. The poison is called batrachotoxin that causes paralysis and death, even in small amounts.

5. Cone Snail

Slow-moving and harmless-looking snails but has extra-potent venom. These cone snails are aquatic snails with hollow modified teeth called “radulae,” sharp enough to penetrate a wetsuit. With very small amount of its venom, one can be in danger of dying. Also, the venom in one of these mollusks is enough to kill 20 adult humans.