Bite Immense
🔞 TOUTES LES INFORMATIONS CLIQUEZ ICI 👈🏻👈🏻👈🏻
Bite Immense
There was an error. Please try again.
Bryan Nelson is a science writer and award-winning documentary filmmaker with over a decade of experience covering technology, astronomy, medicine, animals, and more.
Share
Twitter
Pinterest
Email
25 of the Most Dangerous Animals in the World
15 Cute Animals That Could Kill You
10 Scary Animals That Are (Mostly) Harmless
10 Animals More Likely to Kill You Than Sharks
10 of the Largest Insects in the World
20 of the World's Most Venomous Snakes
36 Random Animal Facts That May Surprise You
10 Remarkable Types of Caterpillars and What They Become
10 Remarkable Animals Found in the Rainforest
8 Facts About the Black Widow Spider
How to Identify Different Types of Bees
13 Bizarre Animals That Could Totally Pass as Pokémon
There was an error. Please try again.
Treehugger is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.
We've updated our Privacy Policy, which will go in to effect on September 1, 2022. Review our Privacy Policy
There are many animals in the biological world that are venomous, but not all venom is created equal. Some stings and bites are merely irritating; others can stun their victims slowly and unexpectedly. Then there are those stings that cause extremely high levels of pain. Here are 10 of the animals that deliver some of the most painful bites or stings in nature.
worldswildlifewonders / Shutterstock
Considering the large number of venomous creatures that inhabit Australia, the cute and clumsy platypus might seem like a safe option. Unfortunately, it isn’t always. A male platypus has ankle spurs on its hind legs that are capable of delivering a sting that can cause excruciating pain and swelling in humans. Conventional painkillers don't work, either. Platypuses, however, usually do not sting humans unless provoked; they primarily use their venomous spurs as a defense against rival males of their species.
Gila monsters, one of the few venomous lizards in the world, are colorful natives of southwest North America. Since they lack the musculature to forcibly inject venom, they rely on hard chewing with their sharp teeth to ensure that the poison gets implanted. Gila monsters can be so aggressive that they have been known to flip over while biting, further opening the wound.
A Gila monster bite will cause pain in humans, but fortunately these creatures are mostly docile toward humans as long as they are left alone. If one does bite you, pry open its jaws with a stick, while ensuring the lizard has a solid foothold on the ground.
One of the world's most notorious spiders, the black widow lives up to its reputation and is capable of delivering a bite that is both painful and toxic in humans. Early symptoms of a female black widow bite may be minimal like a pinprick, or not felt at all. Within an hour, symptoms may include pain throughout the body near the site of the bite, difficulty breathing, high blood pressure, muscle weakness, nausea and vomiting, and, in pregnant women, contractions and early labor. 1 Interestingly, bites from male black widow spiders, which are smaller and less colorful than females, are less harmful as they contain less venom. 2
The creature that killed Australian conservationist Steve Irwin isn't usually a threat to humans, but it will strike if threatened. Stingrays have sharp barbs containing venom on their tails, and most injuries occur when someone accidentally steps on one. Effects of a stingray encounter usually occur within six to 48 hours and are rarely fatal. Symptoms may include breathing difficulty, sweating, muscle cramps, bleeding, seizures, and chest pain. 3
To avoid being stung by a stingray’s sharp barbs, shuffle your feet as you walk through the sand in shallow water. This lets the stingray know you're coming.
Elizabeth A.Cummings / Shutterstock
Tarantula hawk wasps are huge, and their name is derived from their habit of hunting tarantulas . After stinging a tarantula, the wasp lays its eggs on the spider and buries it. Because tarantulas are not easy prey, tarantula hawks are equipped with a powerful venom that is reputed to create one of the most painful stings in the insect world. According to the Schmidt Sting Pain Index—a pain scale rating the relative pain caused by some insect stings—a sting by a tarantula hawk rates as the second most painful sting ever measured. 4 If it's any consolation, the pain supposedly only lasts for five minutes.
Not every creature on this list is capable of delivering a painful sting that can kill you, but the stonefish is one of the exceptions. Stonefish are the most venomous fish in the world, capable of delivering fatal stings to humans. 5 Unfortunately, stonefish are also masters of camouflage , blending in with their surroundings on the ocean’s floor or on coral reefs. They're found in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Stonefish have spines along their dorsal fins that contain venom. A sting from a stonefish requires medical attention and treatment with antiserum to reverse the symptoms, which may include irregular heartbeat, temporary paralysis, shock, extreme pain, and possibly death. 6
Pit vipers, which include copperheads, water moccasins, and rattlesnakes, are venomous snakes. In the U.S., copperheads are responsible for the most venomous snake bites annually, primarily due to proximity to human habitats. Of all the North American pit viper species, however, the venom of copperheads is among the least toxic. 7
While a copperhead snake bite is not often deadly, it can cause severe pain within a few minutes of the bite. Symptoms of bites by all species of pit vipers may include changes in heart rate or rhythm, difficulty breathing, numbness near the site of the bite, swelling of lymph nodes, and weakness or dizziness. 8 The bite must be treated, or else the tissue around it could be permanently damaged.
Arizona bark scorpions are the most venomous scorpions in North America—a frightening fact considering that they are also the most commonly encountered house scorpion in Arizona. The venom causes acute pain and can lead to symptoms that include frothing at the mouth, breathing difficulties, and muscle convulsions. Limbs may also become immobilized. Though the venom is rarely fatal, its effects can last for as long as 72 excruciating hours. 9 Arizona bark scorpions tend to hide in dark crevices during the day and hunt at night.
These gelatinous sea creatures, also called sea wasps, are among the most feared animals in the ocean. You might have a better chance of escaping a shark attack unscathed than surviving a swim through a box jellyfish's tentacles. Even jellyfish that have washed up on beaches can still release venomous stingers from their tentacles.
The venom is so toxic that it is reputed to be the most venomous creature in the world. Within five minutes of being stung, humans typically experience extreme pain, shortness of breath, and sometimes cardiac arrest. 10 Researchers are working on an antidote to block the effects of a box jellyfish sting that could be effective if applied to the skin within 15 minutes of the sting. 11
The bullet ant has the distinction of delivering the most painful sting in the insect world, as evidenced by the Schmidt Sting Pain Index. 4 Some even believe that a bullet ant sting might be the most painful sting, period. Entomologist Justin Schmidt, who created the Pain Index, experienced it firsthand and described it as "pure, intense, brilliant pain. Like walking over flaming charcoal with a 3-inch nail embedded in your heel."
This menacing ant is found in South America, where it is referred to as the 24-hour ant in reference to the duration of time pain lasts after being stung. 12 Despite the excruciating pain, the stings are not fatal and are not known to cause permanent damage.
" Black Widow Spider ." MedlinePlus . U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Williams, Mollie, et al. " Black Widow Spider Toxicity ." StatPearls , Aug 2021.
" Stingray ." UFHealth . University of Florida Health.
Hartsuff, Anna. " Agkistrodon Contortrix Southern Copperhead ." Animal Diversity Web .
Gouge, Dawn H., et al. " Scorpions of the Desert Southwest United States ." Cooperative Extension. The University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, May 2018.
Schmidt, Timothy. " Chironex Fleckeri ." Animal Diversity Web .
There was an error. Please try again.
By
Kashmira Gander
On 7/12/19 at 5:57 AM EDT
Remembering World War II Is More Important Now Than Ever
By
Mateusz Morawiecki
People Fight Tooth and Nail to Unionize. They Shouldn't Need To.
By
Sara Steffens and Jimmy Williams Jr.
There's Cause for Optimism on Labor Day
By
Lee Saunders
Big Labor Traps Workers in Unions They Oppose
Big Business' Lobbying Is Fueling America's Inflationary Woes
By
Bay Buchanan
We're Living in Age of Unparalleled Free Speech
By
Nick Gillespie
Free Speech is Becoming Dangerous Again
By
Brooke Goldstein
Biden's Philly Speech Shows a Man and Party Renewed—and Ready to Fight
By
Doug Gordon
They Can Say No to the President—Let's Keep It That Way
By
Everett Kelley
Mikhail Gorbachev Was Not the Savior of the World
By
Paul du Quenoy
Newsweek magazine delivered to your door Unlimited access to Newsweek.com Ad free Newsweek.com experience iOS and Android app access All newsletters + podcasts
Unlimited access to Newsweek.com Ad free Newsweek.com experience iOS and Android app access All newsletters + podcasts
A shocking video showing a shark almost bitten in half by another shark has emerged, as experts ask whether cannibalistic attacks among the creatures are more common than we might realize.
A clip from Nat Geo WILD documentary Cannibal Sharks shows an enormous predator attempting to bite a smaller shark. Cannibal Sharks is running as part of Nat Geo WILD's SHARKFEST, which features user generated content shot around the globe.
There is "mounting evidence that shark-on-shark attacks happen a lot more than we ever realized," according to Nat Geo WILD.
The video was shot by divers off Neptune Island, South Australia, near the city of Adelaide, a spot known for being home to Great White Sharks.
In the video, a diver is heard yelling profanities as he watches the shark rising out of the water towards another shark, whose tail can be seen flapping in apparent distress.
Adam Malski from Sydney, Australia, who shot the footage in 2014, told News.com.au at the time: "I had literally just come up from my 25 [meter] dive and dried off and grabbed my camera. I said to the dive master 'what would happen if a smaller shark got in the way of a bigger one?' They said they had never seen it before and literally within about six seconds—it happened. I was filming the whole thing trying to keep still and calm because it was so incredible. They're such an elusive creature so I was so fortunate to be there."
The snippet from the documentary also showcases a jaw-dropping image taken off North Stradbroke Island in Queensland, near Brisbane, where a shark's fleshy pink insides are exposed after almost being bitten in half by another, bigger shark.
According to a Sky News report from 2009 when the image was taken, the shark was believed to have measured more than 5 meters long, while the smaller shark was 3.7 meters long. The smaller great white was being towed after being caught on a drumline when it was attacked.
Dr Mark Meekan , a fish biologist at the Australian Institute of Marine Science who has studied the effects of fishing on sharks in northern Australia, commented on the photo in the documentary.
"What an amazing photo," he said. "I mean, this is an enormous shark, it's 12 feet long but look at the size of that bite. It's absolutely massive. That's an immense amount of power you need to take a bite out of another shark like that. You have to be pretty big yourself."
Michael Heithaus, professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Florida International University who also appeared on the documentary, told Newsweek : "Sharks eat other sharks more often than most people might think. For some species of large sharks, like bull sharks, great hammerheads, and tiger sharks, smaller sharks are a favorite prey item.
In some cases, sharks will cannibalize smaller individuals of the same species, he explained. "The reason that a lot of species have nursery areas in shallow protected waters is to stay safe from larger sharks that would eat them until they grow big enough to be safe."
In fact, experts think sharks devouring one another dates back hundreds of millions of years.
One study published in 2016 concluded sharks living 300 million years ago likely ate their offspring in times of need. Scientists who published their findings in the journal Palaeontology analyzed the feces of Orthacanthus sharks, and found the teeth of juvenile animals indicative of an act known as "fillial cannibalism".
Howard Falcon-Lang of Royal Holloway University of London, who co-authored the study, commented at the time: "We don't know why Orthacanthus resorted to eating its own young.
"However, the Carboniferous Period was a time when marine fishes were starting to colonise freshwater swamps in large numbers. It's possible that Orthacanthus used inland waterways as protected nurseries to rear its babies, but then consumed them as food when other resources became scarce."
And despite their cannibalistic ways, Heithaus said sharks are unfairly given a hard time. He told Newsweek : "One of the biggest misconceptions is that they are mindless killing machines that are eating all the time. Sharks spend the vast majority of their time not eating and are not attacking everything that they see."
Pointing out another misconception, he stressed sharks aren't all the same size.
"There are more than 500 species and they vary in size from the palm of your hand to almost the size of a school bus," said Heithaus.
This article has been updated with comment from Michael Heithaus.
Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters
Monitor the health of your community here
How to Identify Insect Bites With Bruising
If you aren't sure what type of insect bit you, or if you are worried that what you see isn't actually an insect bite with a bruise but some other form of injury, you should think about visiting your doctor and having him look at it.
Some bites with bruises are harmless and will disappear on their own, while other insect bites with bruising can turn into serious, life threatening bacterial infections. If the insect bite is very painful and the bruised skin turns brown or black or the bruised area spreads, go to the emergency room right away. These are signs that you have a staph infection. Staph is a common name for a type of flesh eating bacteria that can do immense damage to your body if it isn't treated quickly.
Copyright © 2022 Leaf Group Ltd., all rights reserved. // Leaf Group Lifestyle
Insect bites that cause you to bleed under your epidermis, or the top layer of your skin, will cause bruises to form. There are several types of insect bites that may form bruises, such as bites from spiders, mosquitoes, bed bugs and ticks. Stings from scorpions, wasps or bees may also form bruises. Insect bites that cause bruises have a very distinct look to them. Once you learn what to look for, you will be able to identify an insect bite with bruising.
Look for tiny red or white puncture marks in the center of your bruise. If a spider bit you, there will be a pair of puncture marks. A single puncture mark can be made by a mosquito, bed bug or tick. Insect bites with bruising typically do not develop a red, raised, irritated and itchy lump around the bite.
Inspect the color of your skin around the bite. Is it purple, red and yellowish or is it magenta or bright red? If your skin is a magenta or bright red bulls-eye or target shape, you have been bit by a tick and may have Lyme disease, which is a serious condition that needs to be treated with medication prescribed by a doctor 3 . If the surrounding area of the bite is more muted pinkish-red color that looks like a weal or oval shaped rash, it is not an insect bite with bruising, but a bed bug or mosquito bite. Bed bug bites are very painful. Mosquito bites irritate the skin and make it itchy.
Inspect your skin where you have located the insect bite to determine if it has caused bruising. An insect bite with bruising will have a ring of normal colored skin around the bite surrounded by a larger ring-shaped bruise that is radiating out from it. The bruised area around the insect bite will be 1-inch or wider in diameter and will look like a donut.
If you aren't sure what type of insect bit you, or if you are worried that what you see isn't actually an insect bite with a bruise but some other form of injury, you should think about visiting your doctor and having him look at it.
Some bites with bruises are harmless and will disappear on their own, while other insect bites with bruising can turn into serious, life threatening bacterial infections.
If the insect bite is very painful and the bruised skin turns brown or black or the bruised area spreads, go to the emergency room right away. These are signs that you have a staph infection. Staph is a common name for a type of flesh eating bacteria that can do immense damage to your body if it isn't treated quickly.
Alexis Rohlin is a professional writer for various websites. She has produced works for Red Anvil Publishing and was one of the top 10 finalists in the 2007 Midnight Hour Short Story Contest for OnceWritten.com. Rohlin holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in English from Madonna University.
Medically Reviewed by Carmelita Swiner, MD on Augu
Sexe Femme Asiatique
Elle A Des Gros Seins
On Voit A Travers Sa Robe