The 10 Weirdest Deadly Animals That You Would Never Think Of

10. Leopard Seal

The leopard seal is the only type of seal that’s an apex predator. In the Antarctic, little else is as savage as a leopard seal. They have no problem taking down their own kind, penguins or other seal species. The leopard seal is actually not the heaviest seal species, but it is the most muscular. On average, these beasts weigh 850 pounds and are 12 feet long! The only predators for this ferocious beast are large sharks and orcas. They also can’t handle deep water.

In 2001, a diver was killed by a leopard shark when it attacked and dragged them out further from shore, then, while attacking them even more, drowned the diver. There are also reports of people being attacked by the sharp-toothed seals when they have gotten too close. They rarely attack humans, and for that, we should be thankful. One big reason there aren’t more reported attacks is that Antarctica isn’t exactly a human-populated place. If it was, it’s likely there would be more attacks.

9. Moose

A moose in Alaska can weigh 1,300 pounds and stand seven feet tall at the shoulder! If that alone doesn’t make you have a healthy respect for the largest member of the deer family, it should. Though these gentle grass eaters typically spend their days peacefully munching on vegetation or bark, they can kill a human easily. They do not seek out confrontations with humans. Instead, they attack when humans make them feel threatened.

In a stressed moose, an attack can come on quickly and is sometimes fatal. A bull moose in the fall rutting season is looking for a mate and, perhaps, a fight. A nursing cow moose is extremely protective of her calf and will protect them with everything she has. You do not want to be at the other end of those antlers or sharp hooves when it happens. If you fall on the ground, there isn’t much you can do to defend yourself from the moose’s sharp hooves. These animals fight off wolves and grizzlies, so a human isn’t much of a challenge.

8. Red Kangaroo

Red kangaroos are just one of three kangaroo species in Australia; they are also the largest. They weigh 110 – 200 pounds and can tower over a human when they stand on their tails. The males can be aggressive towards other males, and if they feel threatened, they attack. Red kangaroos are also fast at 43 miles per hour, so you won’t stand a chance of trying to outrun one. A mother kangaroo with a joey will be more defensive than the typical female, though it is the males that pose the largest threat.

An adult male kangaroo barely has to try if they want to kill a human. They simply lean back on their tails and kick with their extremely powerful hind legs. One kick is sometimes all that it will take. If you happen to be attacked by one in or near water, they can put you in a headlock and drown you. They can also punch and kick, dealing bone-breaking blows.

7. Blue-Ringed Octopus

The small blue-ringed octopus may look like mythical sea beasts with their bright coloring, but they are far from it. They only measure a few inches big, but they carry enough deadly venom to kill 26 adult humans. It only takes one milliliter of venom from this octopus to kill a person. You will know that you’re in serious danger if the octopus’s blue rings are electrified since that only happens when they become agitated. If a person is bitten, it must be treated immediately, or they will die. The TTX venom they carry is one of the strongest venoms in the world. Luckily, they aren’t aggressive unless threatened.

6. Hippopotamus

Hippos can weigh as much as 4,000 pounds and spend much of their time in the water. They are notorious for capsizing boats and attacking anyone who dares to enter the water. They are responsible for 500 deaths annually. If you happen to travel to Africa, it’s not a bad idea to stay out and away from the water. Hippos are extremely territorial, even more so when they are protecting their young. They have large tusks and sharp teeth but will also drag you to the bottom of the body of water.

5. Pufferfish

Pufferfish are not aggressive in the slightest towards anything, but they mean business when threatened. The toxin within the pufferfish is tetrodotoxin and is extremely deadly to humans. The tetrodotoxin is so intense that it is up to 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide. However, since these cute fish are not aggressive and people know to avoid handling them, it’s unlikely that poisoning will happen in the water. Instead, these peaceful sea creatures end up becoming dinner for the rich, and that is where it happens. The delicacy is called “fugu” and is served most often as sashimi and nabemono in Asian cultures. It is the liver that makes the food so “good,” and the liver is where the toxin is stored. Many people die from eating it every year. Maybe it’s karma?

4. Dolphin

Bottlenosed dolphins are one of the largest species of dolphins in the sea. They and other dolphin species are also bullies and enjoy playing with other living creatures until they die a cruel death. Male dolphins can become aroused and hostile, leading to the rape of other species and the separation of a mother from her calves unless she participates, and has been seen in groups raping younger dolphins. They also do this to humans. Dolphins can refuse to let a person get out of the water and can drown them. They have sharp teeth and can use them on humans as well. Every year, a dozen people are killed by dolphins.

3. Tapeworm

Tapeworms are enough to freak any person out. They can grow to be extremely long and cause quite a bit of damage to the infected’s insides. Once they are thriving inside of you, they can grow to be over 50 feet long! A tapeworm is able to spend its entire adult life in a human, unlike with cats or dogs. Some people have reportedly had tapeworms living in their intestines for 25 years.

The actual tapeworm will do damage to a person’s organs and cause cysts, but it will not kill them unless they are already severely ill. What can kill a person is the type of infection one can get by being infested with tapeworms. Hydatid disease can kill you if it is not promptly treated. If a cyst on an organ bursts, it can cause anaphylaxis. If it causes an organ to fail, death is also likely.

2. Freshwater Snail

It’s hard to imagine that a freshwater snail could be more dangerous than almost anything living on Earth except for mosquitos and humans. It isn’t actually the snail that is to blame for the over 200,000 deaths every year. Instead, these slimy friends can carry over 24,000 types of parasites, known as flukes.

Flukes are deadly to anything with a vertebrate. But that’s not the only thing that can kill us; they also carry a parasite known as schistosomiasis. Just swimming in water that contaminated snails can lead to infection. It comes right after malaria, one of the leading causes of death in the world. Asia, Africa, and South America are hotspots for the illnesses, but they are worldwide. Another sickness that causes death is a type of meningitis. This is caught by eating the snails.

1. Slow Loris

It’s not easy to imagine the slow loris as one of the most deadly animals in the world, but there’s no denying it. Very few mammals are venomous, but the slow loris is both. They have modified seat glands near their elbows that are filled with venom. When they feel threatened, they will lick the gland and spread the venom on their teeth. When they bite their assailant, the venom will eat their flesh and slowly kill them. In a human, the venom can cause anaphylactic shock, paralysis, extreme pain, shortness of breath, and death.

The slow loris is very aggressive, and generally, it’s towards each other. Males fight with other males, and females with young are also extremely aggressive. Another important tidbit is the teeth of a slow loris are extremely sharp, and their jaws are powerful enough to bite into bone. Congratulations to the adorable and deadly slow loris for coming in first on our list of the weirdest deadly animals! Please refrain from hugging one in congratulations.