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These are the 8 most lethal reptiles in the world. You may be surprised at how swiftly
they will kill you.
Number 8: King Cobras Roaming the forests of India and Southeast
Asia, King Cobras hold the distinction of being the longest poisonous snakes in the
world. On average, they grow up to 18 feet in length! In addition to their large size,
cobras are extremely dangerous. Just one bite from this snake is poisonous enough to kill
a person if not treated properly. Even if a bite turns out to be dry—or non-lethal—it
can still cause extreme pain, drowsiness, vertigo, blurred vision, and potential paralysis
in the victim.
If a victim does not quickly receive medical attention, they can face death within just
30 minutes of being bit. According to scientists, King Cobras posses enough venom to kill an
elephant within two minutes.
Generally speaking, King Cobras do not pose a major threat to humans, as they try to avoid
confrontations with potential threats. They'll always first attempt escaping a potentially
dangerous situation. They also avoid areas populated by people, so most folks living
in India are not likely to come across a Cobra.
Most bite victims of King Cobras are snake handlers, who seek out the snakes to tame
them. On the rare occasion that a Cobra does attack a person, they will spread out their
hood, rise up, and emit a loud hissing sound. Humans tend to misjudge a Cobra’s striking
distance, since it will only rise up about 6 feet, but can strike nearly the entire length
of its body.
Number 7: Komodo Dragons With an average length of 10 feet, Komodo
Dragons are the largest lizards in the world. They're also one of the most dangerous reptiles
in the world. In the Indonesian Islands, they reign supreme over their ecosystem. Komodo
Dragons prefer to ambush and charge their prey, biting their throats to kill them. Their
diet consists of many different animals including small mammals, monkeys, horses, goats, and
other reptiles, and on occasion, humans.
When a Komodo Dragon bites their prey, they release venom that slowly weakens them. The
Dragons will usually wait until their victim dies before consuming them, though smaller
animals are sometimes eaten alive. There have been reports of Komodo Dragons digging up
human corpses and feasting on them. Locals responded by burying their deceased under
rocks so the dragons could not get to the bodies.
Generally, attacks on humans have been extremely rare. However, in the past decade there have
been several notable incidents. An 8-year-old boy was killed by a Komodo Dragon in 2007
while playing with friends. The boy’s uncle was able to fend off the Dragon, but the boy’s
wounds proved to be fatal.
In 2009, a man fell out of a tree in his garden and was quickly bit by a Komodo Dragon that
was lounging underneath the tree. Although his neighbors rushed to his rescue, his wounds
were too fatal and he quickly bled to death.
Number 6: Malayan Water Monitor A Malayan Water Monitor is also known by many
other names such as rice lizard, plain lizard, ring lizard or a two-banded monitor. They
inhabit Southern Asia and are one of the most common lizards in the region.
Water Monitors grow very large, reaching lengths of about 6 feet long and weighing up to 45
pounds. Their sharp teeth, claws, and powerful tails are often used as defense mechanisms.
Also, they eat almost anything, preying on fish, lizards, snakes, and even baby crocodiles
and crocodile eggs.
Water Monitors actively stalk their prey. They do not try to ambush or surprise them.
They attack them head on, using their size, speed, and venom to over take their prey.
Their bites are also known to be extremely painful and venomous.
Number 5: The Common Anaconda Also known as The Green Anaconda, these large
snakes grow an average of up to 17 feet long. They're both the longest and heaviest snakes
in the world, with full grown adults weighing up to 150 pounds. Some historic records claim
of anacondas that reached up to 40 feet long, though these claims have not been substantiated.
Anacondas populate many countries in South America in swamps, rivers and marshes. They
move very quickly on the water, where they will wait to ambush their prey. They pose
a threat to just about anything that crosses their paths. They've been known to overpower
large animals such as deer and antelope and can even take down large caimans. They primarily
feed on fish, birds, and smaller mammals. Their size and strength allow them to constrict
their prey so they can suffocate them to death. Any animal that encounters an Anaconda is
potential prey.
Anacondas have been a popular subject in legends and modern popular culture. In the Anaconda
series of movies, they are portrayed as giant man-eating snakes, although they do not typically
eat humans in real life.
But Anacondas have been known to have killed people in the past. In 2013 an Anaconda killed
two children after escaping from a pet store in Canada. The kids were aged 5 and 7 respectively.
Many scientists refer to them as “generalists” which means that although they may not typically
eat humans, they tend to eat anything they can overpower.
Number 4: Nile Monitor Growing up to 5 feet long, Nile Monitors are
the second largest reptiles in the Nile River. Their sharp teeth and claws allow them to
rip into their prey. Frogs, snakes, birds, snails, fish, and crocodile eggs are typically
prey for these animals.
They generally populate countries in Africa, primarily along the Nile River, as their name
would suggest. However, Nile Monitors are considered an invasive species, meaning they
have the ability to acclimate to different climates. They've been breeding in Florida,
where they pose grave danger to Alligators, as they are known to raid alligator nests
and prey on small alligators. They have also been dangerous to feral cats and small pets.
Nile Monitors do not eat humans, but they have attacked people when they feel threatened.
Their bites are said to be powerful enough to break bones, and it is extremely difficult
to remove their jaws from a person’s arm.
Number 3: Inland Taipan Native to Australia, Inland Taipans are the
most venomous snakes on the planet. By some estimations, they have enough venom to kill
12, 000 guinea pigs with a single bite. These snakes can become very large, growing up to
nine feet long in most cases.
When they attack, they employ a series of bites, sometimes up to eight, ensuring their
prey does not survive. These attacks happen so suddenly and the venom is so poisonous
that the prey has no time to react or fight back.
While they do not pose a direct threat to humans, they are very adept at hunting mammals.
They prey on rodents such as large rats and mice. However, they have been known to attack
people when they feel threatened. Just like when they're attacking their food, they attack
humans with a quick, swift bite, striking with extreme accuracy. If not treated immediately
and effectively, any person bitten by an Inland Taipan is very likely to die. More than 80
percent of untreated bites result in fatality.
Their venom has the ability to quickly cause muscle weakness or paralysis. Victims have
also suffered from severe abdominal pain, nausea, convulsions, and organ failure.
An example of how deadly inland taipans can be took place in 2012. Andrew Vaughan was
working outdoors when he encountered one. Since he was alone, the exact details of his
death are unknown, but it was determined that he was bit by the snake, unable to seek treatment,
and died almost instantly. Just one month earlier, a 17-year old Australian boy managed
to survive an attack because he was quickly rushed to the hospital. Nevertheless, he still
suffered many of the above-mentioned symptoms and spent days in the hospital recovering.
Number 2: Deadly Sea Snakes Snakes are not only dangerous on land, but
in the water as well. The Belcher’s Sea Snake was once thought to be the deadliest
snake in the entire world. Found in the Indian Ocean, the gulf of Thailand, and the shores
of Australia, they rarely slither onto land as they're known to be expert swimmers. Fishermen
are sometimes bit when handling nets, though they rarely die since Belcher’s Sea Snakes
do not usually envenomate.
The Dubois’ Sea Snake is another vicious predator of the seas. Roaming the waters of
Papa New Guinea, Australia, and the Indian Ocean, they feast on Moray eels and a variety
of other fish. According to Marine Biologists, Dubois' Sea Snakes are the most venomous sea
snakes in the world.
Number 1: Crocodiles Crocodiles are the largest and number one
most dangerous reptiles in the world. Unlike other reptiles, crocs have been known to attack
even when unprovoked. They've been known to hunt down humans and kill them for food. There
are 12 different species of crocodiles, and their size and behavior vary based on the
species.
One noteworthy species is the saltwater crocodile. Saltwater crocodiles grow up to 17 feet long
and often weigh as much as 2,200 pounds. Crocs exceeding 20 feet have been observed as well.
Given their enormous size and their acute quickness and agility, saltwater crocs can
hunt down almost anything they want for food, including humans. They're considered the most
dangerous reptiles to humans.
Saltwater crocs usually attack people when they wander into their territory. Most people
do not survive crocodile attacks. When dealing with saltwater crocs, experts suggest avoiding
them at all costs. Although there are at least 20 to 30 fatal attacks on humans every year,
the true number is likely to be higher due to the possibility of unreported attacks.
In 1945, hundreds of Imperial Japanese soldiers were eaten to death when they wandered into
a nest of saltwater crocodiles on Ramree Island during World War II.
Nile Crocodiles are another dangerous species. They typically grow up to 16 feet long and
weigh up to 1,500 pounds. Despite their size, they are quick, agile hunters who prey on
anything that crosses their paths. They have been known to ambush their prey, sometimes
waiting weeks for the opportune moment.
Most crocodile attacks on humans are caused by the nile crocodile. Estimates vary, but
it is likely that hundreds of people are attacked and killed each and every year. Although they're
smaller and in some ways less dangerous than saltwater crocs, they tend to live in closer
proximity to humans and as a result are far more likely to attack.
Perhaps the most gruesome example of all predatory crocodiles is Gustav. Gustav is a Nile crocodile
who has allegedly killed as many as 300 people. Attempts to capture this man-eating croc have
proven unsuccessful, so his exact size is unknown. Eyewitnesses estimate that he is
at least 20 feet long. Gustav was the subject of the PBS documentary Capturing the Killer
Croc, and has since risen to mythical status.
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