Some animals have the amazing ability to kill using toxic chemicals, or poison. This method is considered one of the most cowardly, insidious and effective. In this article, you will discover 11 poisonous animals in the world that can easily kill an adult.
There are "passively" venomous animals (which transmit their venom by being eaten or attacked by other animals) and "actively" venomous (they inject venom into their victims using stingers, fangs or other devices.
The most poisonous amphibian: The terrible leaf climber
It lives only in the tropical rainforests of western Colombia. The poison of one frog can kill from 10 to 20 people. (Only one type of snake Liophis epinephelus, is resistant to the poison of the terrible leaf climber, however, if exposed to a sufficiently large amount of toxin, the reptile may die).
Interestingly, the terrible leaf climber produces its poison from its diet of native ants and beetles; specimens kept in captivity and feeding on fruit flies and other common insects are completely harmless.
Most poisonous spider: Brazilian wandering spider
If you suffer from arachnophobia (fear of spiders), there is good and bad news for you about the Brazilian wandering spider. The good news is that these spiders live in tropical South America, and do not always inject a full dose of poison during a bite, and also rarely attack people; The even better news is that an effective antidote (if administered quickly) can prevent death. The bad news is that the spider's venom contains powerful neurotoxins that slowly paralyze and suffocate its victims, even in microscopic doses.
Men bitten by Brazilian wandering spiders often experience painful erections.
Most Poisonous Snake: McCoy's Taipan
The venom of this Australian snake is the most powerful among land snakes. Toxic substances contained in one individual can kill hundreds of adults. (Its venom consists of neurotoxins, hemotoxins, mycotoxins, and nephrotoxins. This means it can dissolve your blood, brain, muscles, and kidneys before you hit the ground.) Fortunately, this venomous snake rarely comes into contact with humans. and even when this happens (if you know how to interact with her), she becomes quite meek and easily tamed.
The most poisonous fish: Wart
This fish lives in shallow waters in the South Pacific Ocean. It looks ominously like a rock or piece of coral (the camouflage is meant to ward off predators) and if stepped on, the wart injects a powerful dose of toxins into the person's foot.
Australian authorities are actively replenishing supplies of antidotes, so there is a high probability of saving lives (provided that the antidote is administered in a timely manner).
Most Poisonous Insect: Maricopa Ant
Maricopa Ants ( Pogonomyrmex maricopa) quite dangerous insects. About 300 bites of these ants can cause death in an adult. Their venom is much stronger than that of hornets and honey bees. One bite of such an ant causes acute pain that lasts about 4 hours.
Fortunately, it is virtually impossible to accidentally step on a Maricopa ant colony and end up getting stung by hundreds; These insects are known to build nests with a diameter of about 9 m and a height of up to 2 m!
The most poisonous jellyfish: Sea wasp
Box jellyfish (jellyfish characterized by a rectangular bell shape) are by far the most dangerous invertebrate animals in the world, and the sea wasp ( Chironex fleckeri) is considered the most poisonous species of jellyfish on the planet. The tentacles of the sea wasp are covered with nematocytes - stinging cells, which, upon contact, cause burns.
Most people who come into contact with a sea wasp's tentacles experience excruciating pain, but a close encounter with this species can kill you in five minutes.
Most poisonous mammal: Platypus
Of course, platypus venom will not cause death to a person, but it will cause severe pain and swelling. Its poison is capable of killing small animals. On the hind limbs of males there are spurs (about 15 mm long) that contain poison. Most often, males use these spurs to fight each other during the breeding season.
Other venomous mammals include: 3 species from the shrew family and the Cuban slittooth ( Solenodon cubanus).
The most poisonous mollusk: Marble cone
If you've never used the phrase "predatory sea snail," then you clearly don't know enough about the sea creatures that can kill you with a single bite. This mollusk is capable of paralyzing its prey (including other snails of the genus Conus) using a toxic poison that can easily kill an unwary person.
Unfortunately, no one has ever calculated how much poison can harm an adult.
Most poisonous bird: Bicolored blackbird flycatcher
The bicolored blackbird flycatcher from New Guinea contains a powerful poison called batrachotoxin. It is found in the skin and feathers of birds and can cause mild numbness and tingling in humans, but is much more dangerous for small animals. (Apparently, thrush flycatchers synthesize poison from beetles that are part of their diet (these beetles are also part of the diet of dart frogs).
Another well-known poisonous bird is the common quail, the meat of which (if the bird has consumed a plant of a certain species) can lead to a non-fatal disease for humans called coturnism.
Most poisonous octopus: Blue-ringed octopus
Blue-ringed octopuses live in the Indian and Pacific oceans and are quite modest in size (the largest individuals rarely exceed 20 cm). Their bite is almost painless, but the venom causes paralysis and can kill an adult within just a few minutes.
There is currently no antidote for blue-ringed octopus bites.
Most poisonous turtle: Hawksbill
Unlike some of the other animals on this list, the hawksbill turtle is not miniature: adults weigh about 80 kg, about the same as the average person. These turtles are distributed throughout the world, and individuals from Southeast Asia that eat toxic algae have poisonous meat that can cause poisoning in humans (symptoms of poisoning: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and other intestinal ailments).
These turtles are endangered and protected by law.
All of us, one way or another, have encountered such a phenomenon as poisons.
Some enthusiastically read about them in books, some were briefly told about them in school lessons, and some directly worked with them.
Poisons are divided into natural and artificially created, and have been present in human history since time immemorial. People, such ruthless and sophisticated creatures, not only learned to extract poison from natural materials, but also decided to go further - they created methods of killing with their own hands. And, I must admit, they did it well.
The heyday of poisons occurred in the dark and mysterious Middle Ages - a time when animal fear, cruelty and unquestioning obedience to religion dominated society. And, as it turned out, the endless games of the nobility with death, in the struggle for the throne, became the final touch in the dark trail of the Middle Ages.
However, even today poisons have not lost their relevance and continue to interest many people. It’s a pity, of course, that it’s not only for scientific purposes.
But, if you found this article out of pure curiosity, why not?
Check out the top 10 most dangerous poisons in the world.
Everyone knows the dangerous effects of mercury on the human body. That is why we were so often told to be careful with thermometers and immediately take appropriate measures if it turned out to be broken.
Theoretically, there are three forms of mercury that are deadly to humans: elemental, organic and inorganic mercury. We often encounter elemental mercury in everyday life - these are the same banal old thermometers or fluorescent lamps. This type of mercury is safe to touch, but can be fatal if inhaled.
Symptoms of mercury poisoning are almost the same in all species, and can range from nausea and seizures to blindness and even memory loss.
If we look at history, arsenic was at one time the most popular poison and a favorite among murderers. It was even called “royal poison.”
The use of arsenic began in ancient times (the use of this poison was even attributed to Caligula), mainly in order to eliminate enemies and competitors in the endless struggle for the throne - no matter whether royal or papal. Arsenic was the poison of choice for all European nobility during the Middle Ages.
Its popularity was justified by various factors - both power and availability. For example, in Great Britain, arsenic was sold in pharmacies as a rodent poison.
However, while in Europe arsenic brought only death and suffering, traditional Chinese medicine used it to treat diseases such as syphilis and psoriasis for two thousand years. Nowadays, scientists have experimentally proven that leukemia can be treated with arsenic. And it was Chinese doctors who discovered that such a strong poison was able to successfully block proteins responsible for the growth and reproduction of cancer cells.
Quite a sensational poison in its time.
Anthrax is a frequent guest in the media due to the large volume of letters contaminated with it and sent to innocent victims in the United States. As a result of this attack, 10 people died and another 17 were seriously infected.
In this regard, a huge general paranoia broke out in the country, affecting millions. And, I must admit, it’s not in vain. After all, anthrax is caused by bacteria, and one breath is enough for complete infection. Such a strong poison is spread by spores that are released into the air.
After infection, the victim feels only a chill, which gradually turns into impaired breathing, and then to a stop. The mortality rate from this disease reaches as much as 90% in the first week from the moment of infection.
This famous toxin has become literally synonymous with poison.
Potassium cyanide can be in the form of a colorless gas with the smell of bitter almonds (does everyone remember Agatha Christie's novels?), or crystals. Cyanide is present almost everywhere: this poison can form naturally in some foods and plants.
Also, cyanide is present in cigarettes. It is used in the manufacture of plastics, printing photographs, and, of course, potassium cyanide is a must in the composition of insect baiting agents.
Cyanide poisoning can occur through inhalation, ingestion, or even simple touching. The slightest dose is enough for the poison, once in the body, to paralyze the blood flow and block the access of oxygen. Death occurs almost instantly.
Potassium cyanide was actively used during World War I, and was banned along with all chemical weapons later, in accordance with the Geneva Convention.
Sarin is one of the most powerful nerve gases, which is considered a weapon of mass destruction. Death from this poison is always incredibly painful and brings terrible agony to the victim. Causing complete suffocation, Sarin kills a person in just a minute, which, however, seems like an eternity to the victim.
Despite the fact that the production of Sarin has been prohibited by law since 1993, since then quite a few cases of its use have been recorded. For example, in terrorist attacks or chemical warfare. The chemical attack of 1995 in the Tokyo subway and the uprisings in Syria and Iraq stand out especially strongly against this background.
Strychnine was originally extracted from trees that grew in Southeast Asia and India.
Pure strychnine is a white powder, bitter in taste and lethal if it enters the body by any means, whether by injection or inhalation.
Despite the fact that the original purpose of strychnine was to use it as a pesticide, it has been added to drugs such as cocaine and heroin on many occasions.
When poisoned with strychnine, many symptoms may appear within thirty minutes, such as: muscle spasms, respiratory failure, nausea, vomiting, and it is not uncommon that the entire process of spreading the poison throughout the body ends in brain death. And all this in just half an hour!
The mushroom, which contains such a powerful poison, looks, unfortunately, no more dangerous than its edible counterparts. However, just thirty grams of the deadly mushroom can send a person to the “other world.”
Amatoxin has an incredibly destructive effect on the human body. This poison can cause serious damage to the kidneys and liver and cause death of organ cells in just a couple of days. Also, it often causes multiple organ failure and even coma.
Amatoxin is such a strong poison that it can seriously harm the heart. In this case, the victim will face certain death, without the immediate administration of an antidote, which, by the way, is a large dose of penicillin. Without an antidote, victims of amatoxin have a 100% chance of falling into a coma and dying from liver or heart failure within a few days.
The “supplier” of this well-known poison is Fugu fish, which at first glance will not seem to you to be particularly dangerous predators. However, their skin, intestines, liver and other organs contain one of the most dangerous and deadly poisons known to mankind.
If improperly prepared, Fugu fish can cause convulsions, paralysis, various mental disorders and many other health problems in those who dare to try it. Despite this danger, because tetrodotoxin is a deadly poison, people in many countries continue to order this fish, sometimes even paying an insurance premium in advance.
And although the delicacy is Japanese, and it would seem that in Japan everyone should know how to properly prepare such a “risky” dish, it is in this country that the largest number of victims per year is registered. About three hundred people are poisoned by tetrodotoxin every year, and more than half of them die.
Being a derivative of the castor bean, a perennial, highly poisonous plant, ricin is also considered a natural poison. Therefore, people risk being exposed to it in several ways: through food, air or water. And, depending on this route, the symptoms of ricin poisoning may vary.
However, the principle of damage to the body remains unchanged. Ricin poisons the body, blocking the ability of cells to synthesize proteins necessary for life. As a result, such “blocked” cells die, and this, in turn, often leads to failure of the entire organ that was subjected to the poisonous attack of ricin.
And the fact that ricin is most lethal when inhaled served as a signal for many people who began sending the poison by mail in envelopes, as they once did with anthrax. After all, just one pinch of ricin can kill a person.
If we take all these facts into account, it becomes clear why the decision was made to study ricin as a tool for chemical warfare.
In this article, we have listed many poisons that are simply incredibly powerful and can kill in record time. However, many experts in the field of toxicology unanimously agree that botulinum toxin can be called the deadliest poison in the world. By the way, this is what is used in Botox injections to smooth out wrinkles.
This poison leads to botulism, a disease that causes respiratory failure, neurological disorders and other more severe damage.
Several factors led to Botulinum toxin becoming the most dangerous poison on Earth. Its volatile and easily accessible nature, its powerful effects on the body and its frequent use in medicine. For example, just one test tube full of this toxin could potentially kill about a hundred people.
The scope of application of botulinum toxin is multifaceted - starting from the well-known Botox and ending as a method of treating migraines. Therefore, even deaths among patients as a result of procedures that included Botox injections are not uncommon.
Poison of any origin, chemical, food or natural, has always been a subject of interest from the media, chemical safety and popular writers. Humanity knows hundreds of deadly poisons, many of which have been practically used as a means of murder, genocide and acts of terrorism. Some of them are presented in our review.
The well-known cyanide is a deadly poison that affects the central nervous system and the heart. Even a small dose, entering the blood, binds iron molecules and blocks the supply of oxygen to vital organs, resulting in death in a matter of minutes. There are different forms of cyanide, such as hydrogen cyanide, which is considered the most poisonous. This gas kills a person in about 10 minutes. The gas was used during World War I as a chemical weapon and was banned by the Geneva Convention. Today, cyanide is used as a means of murder, suicide and in the plots of books.
This is the protagonist of the events of September 2011, when reports that people received anthrax spores in envelopes appeared in the news almost every day. As a result, five people died and 17 were injured from exposure to the poison, which caused panic among US citizens. This fear is understandable, since anthrax spores are easily transmitted through the air. After infection, the respiratory system becomes numb and the person begins to suffocate. Out of 10 people, 9 die within a week of infection.
Sarin is considered a mass murder agent that causes death by asphyxia within 60 seconds. A minute of terrible torment and the person dies. Since 1993, this substance has been banned from production, but despite this, in 1995 there was a massive terrorist attack on the subway in Japan, as well as in Iraq and Syria, resulting in the death of 330 to 1,800 people.
Amatoxin is a substance found in the world's deadliest mushrooms. When it enters the bloodstream, it affects the cells of the kidneys and liver, resulting in organ failure within a few days. Amatoxin also affects the heart. If a large dose of penicillin is not administered, the person may fall into a coma or die from heart and liver failure.
Strychnine has been used as a pesticide to kill pests, but it can also kill humans. It was discovered in Asia, contained in special varieties of trees, but it can also be obtained in the laboratory (the one who managed to do this received a Nobel Prize). Strychnine can enter the body in different ways: injection, inhalation and absorption. After entering the body, muscle convulsions and spasms begin, leading to asphyxia. After the injection, the person dies within half an hour.
Back in school, everyone was warned to be careful with the thermometer. And this is not just like that, but because of a heavy metal called mercury. It is an incredibly toxic metal that enters the body either through inhalation or through skin contact. If mercury comes into contact with the skin, it causes itching, burning, and the skin may even peel off. Mercury can cause memory loss, vision loss, kidney failure and brain cell destruction. The result is death.
A notorious poison found in fugu fish, popular among sushi connoisseurs who are willing to pay a hefty price in the hope that the fish is cooked correctly. The first symptoms appear 30 minutes after eating poisonous fish. At first, the person feels his mouth paralyzed and it becomes difficult to swallow. Soon there is a violation of coordination of movements and speech. Seizures and convulsions begin, as a result the person may fall into a coma and die. Death occurs after about 6 hours, but cases of death have been known after 17 minutes. This poison is considered one of the deadliest on earth.
Ricin is another poison that has become popular, like anthrax, due to being sent through the mail. The actress who starred in the movie “Walking Dead” was convicted of just such a crime. Ricin has been found in castor bean seeds. Ricin is an incredibly deadly poison; it binds to proteins in the body, causing death. It was considered a chemical weapon by the US military and members of al-Qaeda.
The most dangerous nerve gas on the planet, formerly a pesticide, has become an excellent target for militaries around the world, despite the ban on the use of weapons of mass destruction. Gas has no other use except during war. The gas is so poisonous that one drop of it on the skin can kill a person. When inhaled, the first symptoms of poisoning are similar to the onset of the flu, then paralysis of the respiratory system occurs, which leads to death.
This is the deadliest poison on Earth. A cup of the toxin could kill hundreds of thousands of people by causing the disease botulism, a disease that affects the central nervous system. Surprisingly, this poison has important practical applications - from Botox injection procedures to the treatment of migraines. It is known that some patients have died after procedures using botulinum toxin. Of those affected by this poison, 50% die without receiving medical care, and those who survive suffer serious complications for many years. Due to its instability and easy availability in nature, botulinum toxin is the deadliest poison in the world. However, the cosmetic industry often uses
Foods and drinks that are very familiar to us can turn out to be deadly. And the simplest objects contain poison. It turns out that the most powerful poisons are sometimes close to us, and we don’t even suspect it.
Dangerous poisons
- Methanol, or methyl alcohol, is a very dangerous poison. This is explained by the fact that it is easy to confuse it with ordinary wine alcohol, since they are indistinguishable in taste and smell. Counterfeit alcoholic drinks are sometimes made from methyl alcohol, but without an examination it is impossible to determine the presence of methanol. Unfortunately, the consequences of consuming such drinks are irreversible; at best, a person becomes blind. 
Mercury. Everyone at home has the most common item - a mercury thermometer. It turns out that if you spill mercury from two or three thermometers in a medium-sized room, this will be enough to cause serious poisoning. True, elemental mercury itself is not dangerous, its vapors are dangerous, and it begins to evaporate already at room temperature. In addition to thermometers, the same type of mercury is found in fluorescent lamps. So be careful with them.
Snake poison. There are more than two and a half thousand species of reptiles, but only about 250 species are poisonous. The most famous are common vipers, cobras, rattlesnakes, black mambas, and small snakes - sand ephs.
People have long found out that snake venom is dangerous only when it enters the human bloodstream. And, since humanity has been dealing with snakes for many millennia, it is not surprising that it was while studying the effects of snake venom on the bodies of animals and people that the first antidote was created in 1895 - anti-snake serum. By the way, there is no universal antidote even in case of poisoning by snake venom; for each type of snake, its own antitoxin is created - for king cobras - one, for vipers - another, for rattlesnakes - a third.
The fastest poison
There are many poisons, but potassium cyanide is still considered one of the fastest-acting. It has been used since ancient times, it is probably the most famous "spy" poison: many agents in films and books use cyanide in ampoules or tablets. And everyone probably read about such a sign as the smell of “bitter almonds” in Agatha Christie’s wonderful detective stories. 
You can be poisoned by cyanide not only by ingestion, but also by inhalation or touching. Potassium cyanide is found in some plants and foods, as well as cigarettes. It is used in the extraction of gold from ore. Cyanide kills by binding iron in blood cells, thereby preventing them from delivering oxygen to vital organs.
Cyanide can be determined using a solution of ferric salts
By the way, they tried to poison Grigory Rasputin with potassium cyanide, but they couldn’t because they added the poison to a sweet pie. Glucose is an antidote to potassium cyanide.
The most accessible poisons
In summer and autumn, the time comes for seasonal mushroom poisoning - by the way, these are the most accessible poisonous substances today. The most famous poisonous mushrooms are false mushrooms, toadstools, lines and fly agarics. The most poisoned mushroom is the toadstool, since it has many varieties, sometimes indistinguishable from edible mushrooms, and one such mushroom can lead to the death of several people. 
Although the Germans have learned to prepare fly agarics in such a way that they are not poisoned by them, it is true that it takes them a lot of time to prepare these mushrooms - they boil them for days. True, the question arises - why do they need fly agarics when they can simply take other mushrooms for food? And of course, we must remember the rules for storing cooked mushrooms; even edible mushrooms can become poisonous if the shelf life is violated.
Regular potatoes or bread can also be poisonous. When stored improperly, potatoes accumulate the substance solanine, which causes poisoning to the body. And bread becomes poisonous if flour was used to make it and contained cereals contaminated with ergot. We are not talking about fatal poisoning, but it is quite possible to ruin your health with such products.
In addition, there are many household chemicals and fertilizers that can also cause poisoning. For example, potassium chloride is the most common fertilizer, but if it gets into the blood it becomes deadly, since potassium ions block the activity of the heart.
The most famous poison
In South America, the most famous poison is curare, a poison of plant origin; there are several subspecies of this poison. It causes paralysis of the respiratory system. Initially it was used for hunting animals, but in the 20th century it was successfully used in medicine. 
There is also strychnine, a white powder that is sometimes used in some drugs (such as heroin and cocaine). Although it is much more often used in the manufacture of pesticides. To obtain this powder, the seeds of the chilibuha tree, which is native to Southeast Asia and India, are taken.
But the most famous poison is, of course, arsenic; it can be called the “royal poison”. It has been used since ancient times (its use is also attributed to Caligula) to eliminate their enemies and competitors in the struggle for the throne, no matter the papal or royal one. It was the favorite poison of European nobility in the Middle Ages.
The most famous poisoners
The story of the Italian Borgia dynasty of poisoners, who elevated poisoning almost to the level of art, is unique. Everyone without exception was afraid of their invitation to the feast. The most famous representatives of this family for their treachery are Pope Alexander VI Borgia and his children: son Cesare, who became a cardinal, and daughter Lucrezia. This family had their own poison, "cantarella", supposedly containing arsenic, phosphorus and copper salts. It is known that the head of the family himself ultimately paid with his life for his treachery, having mistakenly drunk a cup of poison that he had prepared for another. 
In France, arsenic was used by women, the most famous of them was Catherine de Medici, who became Queen of France. There were also poisoners of lower rank - favorites of kings, marquises, baronesses and wives of jewelers. It is believed that Napoleon was poisoned with arsenic.
The most powerful poison in the world
And now scientists will not answer the question of what poison is the most powerful in the world. Some of the most powerful poisons are botulism and tetanus toxins. 
Among natural poisons, batrachotoxin is very dangerous; it is secreted by the skin of small but dangerous amphibians - dart frogs, fortunately, they can only be found in Colombia. One such frog contains so much poisonous substance that it is enough to destroy several elephants.
In addition, there are radioactive poisons, such as polonium. It acts slowly, but only 1 gram of this substance is needed to destroy one and a half million people. Snake venom, curare, potassium cyanide - they are all inferior to the above poisons.
It's not just snakes that are poisonous. As the editors of the site found out, the most poisonous creature on Earth is the jellyfish.
Subscribe to our channel in Yandex.Zen
Loading...
