Top 7 Most Venomous Animals

lurking in places we wouldn't expect are creatures with enough venom to take out a small army on this episode we count down the top seven most venomous animals

number seven inland Taipan
this unique 6.5 foot or 2 meter long australian snake also known as the fierce snake western Taipan or small scaled snake has a bite that if goes untreated will kill a human in 30 to 45 minutes the inland Taipan is often reported as the most poisonous snake in the world it's bite contains 50 times more venomous toxins snake than a king cobra with enough venom to kill 250,000 mice 1,200 guinea pigs or a hundred humans many sources claim the inland Taipan as the most venomous snake but there are a few factors that need to be considered inland Taipan while possessing a highly potent venom cannot inject nearly as much of it as their fangs are shorter than other snakes allowing less venom to be released generally a shy reclusive species that doesn't typically bite when it does attack it happens at lightning speed biting multiple times in critical places it almost always in Venom's with every bite their bite is so fast that in a single attack they will strike up to eight times in the blink of an eye the Taipans venom is injected so quickly that it renders the victim unable to fight back these multiple bites per attack put into question if this is the most venomous snake out there as there is a release of venom eight times while not as much per bite another factor to throw in is that the inland Taipans venom is fast spreading throughout the body making it react quicker there has been no recorded human deaths from the inland Taipan but don't let that make you think you can approach one just in November 2017 the young Australian guy acquired an inland Taipan as a pet but was bitten soon afterwards he was rushed to the hospital in serious condition although they mostly feed on rodents if they feel threatened they'll form a distinct pose being in S shape with their head pointed towards the target which indicates they're ready to strike

number 6 stone fish
stone fish are a flat wide fish that looks like a big chunk of coral or ocean raw which have 5 different species that exist in coastal regions around the Indo Pacific Oceans they have incredibly venomous toxins and their spines but are only released when pressures applied to them such as an attacker biting them or a human stepping on them 13 dorsal fin spikes that each contain two venom glands will release venom if disturbed this happened to an unlucky guy vacationing in the Philippines when he stepped on one which proved to be fatal it only takes an hour to kill a human so beware once empty these spines require a few weeks to replenish the venom which is generated from a mixture of proteins this defense of venom while effective against marine life doesn't protect the stonefish from humans increasing demand to eat this fish a cozy sashimi is a common dish made from this fish which only a licensed Japanese executive chef is allowed to prepare in the Philippines humans aren't the only one that eat the stone fish larger sharks and rays have been known to chow down on these venomous creatures stone fish don't use their venom to catch their prey instead they lay still camouflaging like a rock  then swim incredibly fast capturing their prey with their speed the time it takes them to swallow their prey has been clocked in at 0.01 5 seconds I'd say that's a tad bit faster than having quick reflexes stone fish have the unusual trait of being able to live out of water for up to 24 hours despite this unique survival ability their offspring aren't as lucky with survival stone fish can produce up to a million eggs but only a small number of them will make it to adulthood the name stone fish comes from their masterful camouflage looking like a piece of rock or coral they can vary in size depending on the subspecies with some measuring up to 20 inches or half a meter long and weighing 5 pounds or 2.2 kilograms

number 5 cone snail within the group of cone snail are some heavy hitters when it comes to deadly venom the most commonly known as the marbled cone snail which resides in waters around Southeast Asia that are referred to as the underwater tank sporting a hard spiral shell and a cannon or long siphon which is used to pick up the scent of prey although it does have eyes its siphon is primarily used in hunting once prey is found the snail pushes out a long harpoon which is aimed at the argot then with a simple muscle contraction is launched and punctures its prey usually fish the fish become paralyzed in seconds and is swallowed by the cone snail this attack lasts just milliseconds it's one of the fast is possessed by any creature on the planet a single drop of venom from this snail has the power to bring the demise of 20 adult humans currently there's no anti-venom so watch your step like the stone fish the only ever used their venom on a human if disturbed the marbled cone snail feeds on marine worms mollusks small fish and other cone snails who live in warm tropical waters up to 300 feet or 90 metres deep cone snails in general measure in size from as small as a human thumbnail all the way up to a large human hand but they're being more than 600 different species they all have similar but different attack strategies to inject their venom the geographic cone snail is actually the most deadly snake residing in shallow waters around coral reefs measuring up to about half a foot in length the body in size is only about 1/3 that size their method of attack is the Rattler tooth which is the same as the marbled cone snail this weapon is like a mix of a hypodermic needle and a harpoon it hooks and injects all in one motion unique to the geographic cone snail is their ability to knock out an entire school of fish by releasing a potent dose of insulin into the water this insulin leaves the fish zonked out or more technically putting them into hypoglycemic shock which makes them easy pickings for the geographic cone snail numerous people have fallen to this cone snail usually it's curious scuba divers who picked them up some people survive if they can make it to the hospital quickly there's no anti-venom so it's a matter of medical treatments and life support equipment can keep the person alive long enough until the venom passes through the system

number four blue ringed octopus
this aquatic creature is the only known lethal octopus there are approximately five to ten different species sporting eight arms dual rows of suction cups a large head and eyes they feed on shrimp crabs and small injured fish but believe it or not the blue ringed octopus is tiny measuring only half the size of your finger they live in waters between Australia and Japan and get their name from the blue rings that show up on their body when they feel threatened if provoked they'll inject you with a toxin that can kill a human in minutes this toxin called tetrodotoxin is a self defense muscular neurotoxin that is produced by bacteria that live in their saliva glands as secondary toxin is also available that's harmless to humans is used by the blue ringed octopus to hunt crabs this octopus carries enough venom to kill 26 full-grown human beings and there's no anti-venom so be careful around them this species is highly sought after as a subject of underwater photography but it's incredibly rare to find them they have interesting reproductive habits immediately after mating the male will die the female will lay between 50 and 100 eggs which he will guard with her life she'll spend up to two months defending her babies without eating  until she dies of starvation these parents will never get to see their kids grow up

number three king cobra
the king cobra is the world's longest venom producing snake it can grow up to 19 feet or six point eight meters long the king cobra is technically closer to mambas than cobras their heads are larger relative to their body with narrower hoods in comparison to true Cobras the king cobra is also known as the snake eater it has much more power than most venomous snakes allowing them to dominate and eat them they can be found eating birds lizards rodents and fish as well the king cobra doesn't possess as much venom as other snakes like the inland Taipan but can actually release more venom in a single bite allowing it to kill large mammals in the short period of time a human if bitten by the king cobra will die in 15 to 30 minutes where large mammals like elephants will die within 3 hours if bitten in a vulnerable place like the trunk anti-venom is available but needs to be administered immediately to survive this attack the king cobras byte blocks communication between nerve cells causing blurred vision dizziness and paralysis if feeling threatened the king cobra will lift itself up to human high level flare their hood wide and start to growl this is no normal snake hiss it has been compared to the growl of a disgruntled German Shepherd male king cobras will fight over female mates by wrestling each other they lift themselves off the ground interlocking bodies and try to pin each other down they don't bite each other as they're immune to their own venom after a mate is secured the female will spend four days building and nest for her twenty to thirty eggs she lays hang Cobras are the only species of snakes that will build the nest the mother will defend her babies day and night not eating the entire time just before the babies hatch she'll take off leaving the children to be on their own nature's weird

number two vultures sea snake
first discovered by Sir Edward Belcher the Belcher sea snake or fate banded sea snake the most venomous snake in the world it resides in waters that's right I said waters around Southeast Asia and northern Australia this oxygen-dependent snake surfaces regularly to grab a breath before heading back down under the sea while under water valves above the nostrils remain shut this is even the case when they sleep the Belcher's can sleep underwater for eight hours straight though going back up for air these creepy snakes move around the ocean by paddling themselves with their tail while a timid snake just a few micrograms of its venom is enough to kill over a thousand humans the good news is these snakes are not particularly aggressive and shy away from humans unless it's mating season if you're bitten the bite won't hurt all that much but you'll start to feel your feet and legs going numb as it continues upwards eventually your stomach and lungs will go numb and you'll suffocate to death is being said that the Belcher's only releases its venom one out of every four bites but if it does you'll meet your demise as soon as 30 minutes after you've been bitten most cases of people being bit by the Belcher's or from fishermen who accidentally caught the snakes in their Nets

number one box jellyfish
the box Jellyfish is the most venomous animal in the world the toxins it releases attacks the heart and nervous system the poison is so painful that people stung at sea often go into shock and drown before reaching the shore. The box jellyfish gets its name from its box like shaped Bell each corner of the jellyfish contains 15 tentacles of which each have over 500,000 Cinda sites which are essentially the stinging organ each Cinda sides contain my cysts which are a microscopic harpoon shaped mechanism that injects the venom into its victim the pain from the venom is so horrific that it can last for weeks if you survive the initial sting often people stung have massive scars with the tentacles make contact box jellyfish have been responsible for over 5,000 deaths in the past 50 years you see one of those warning signs that says warning box jellyfish don't go in the water probably best to heed that warning now stinger suits are available but still you've got to be nuts to seek out these creatures in the water there are 29 different species with the big box jellyfish being the most well known and most deadly turtles are the only natural predator of the box jellyfish as their thick skin and shell provides the necessary protection against their sting only their eyes are vulnerable to being stung if the box jellyfish wasn't weird enough they have six sets of four eyes on the sides of their bodies that face inwards which allows them to use their own body as a lens the big box jellyfish are faster swimmers than any human even Michael Phelps they use their speed to catch prey eating 2 to 3 times a day if a catch isn't made they'll start to shrink in size stinger season when the Australian waters are warmer brings forth the big box jellyfish historically this period lasted from November until May but due to climate change this season is now lasting until July as a temperature continues to rise these jellyfish will be hanging out longer where humans typically enjoy the ocean we humans have a symbiotic relationship with nature and have to do our part to keep it balanced otherwise big box jellyfish are gonna take over which one of these creatures.