50 Animals That Would Be Nightmare Fuel To Non-Australians

The plethora of scary animals in Australia is mainly a consequence of geographical placement and evolution. 180 million years ago, Africa, South America, India, Australia and Antarctica were all joined together, and as they split apart, the venomous creatures were divided. Australia, the most isolated continent, was an encouraging ground for animals to become more dangerous.

Take snakes, for example. If all of them had venom of identical strength, they could only kill prey of one size, and eventually there wouldn’t be enough food. That’s why their venom usually differs in potency, allowing them to feed on different victims. Then, snakes are able to eat more food, survive, and pass toxicity on to future generations. This way, they become more and more common and significantly more venomous. Boom, evolution.

Australia is also home to one of the most venomous creatures on the surface of the earth - box jellyfish. The sting is unbelievably painful and may cause paralysis, cardiac arrest, and death within five minutes. Survivors experience pain for weeks and often have scarring where the tentacles touched the skin. It doesn’t help that the deadliest animal is see-through and pale blue—perfectly disguised in the background of marines.

Obviously, not all information circulating online about the mythical Australian wildlife is true. In reality, not all venomous creatures are going to kill you. They live in outback bushland areas, and the chances of meeting them are very slim. For instance, only two people per year die in Australia from snakebite, and it often happens due to people’s recklessness, like handling them or reaching into holes. Snakes are shy, retreating creatures, and they’ll slither away when approached.

There are a ton of species that look like bad news but are actually harmless. The common Australian Huntsman spider is just about the most terrifying looking thing, but it actually is a friend. They’re quite useful to keep around because they eat a lot of creatures that you truly don’t want to come across.

Contrary to popular belief, most aquatic species in Australia are harmless to humans. Venomous sea animals like stingrays, stonefish, and marine snails are perfectly safe when they are left alone, as none are aggressive by nature.

Steve Irwin (the famous crocodile hunter) was very unfortunate to die in an accident involving a stingray. Their deadly attacks on humans are exceedingly rare, but because he was stabbed right in the heart, he died almost instantly. If Steve had been injured anywhere else, he probably would’ve survived to tell the tale.

If scrolling through these pictures brought you intense anxiety, you might suffer from zoophobia—a fear of animals. It's estimated that more than 12% of adults in the US have this fright. Most of the time, it’s directed at a specific kind of animal, like snakes, spiders, or rats. While a person with zoophobia knows that their fear is likely irrational, they can’t really control it. A fear of frogs might seem silly, but to some, they bring a sense of dread even just thinking about them.

This phobia may develop due to negative experiences with animals. For example, someone who’s been attacked by a dog may become terrified of them. Additionally, we may learn such behavior from a parent or a sibling, and genetics may influence us to be more anxious around wildlife than others.

However, you shouldn’t worry. Australia is very aware that there are a lot of dangerous species around, so they take precautions to ensure that everyone remains safe. Most populated beaches have lifeguards who announce when it’s risky to go in the water, and helicopters monitor for any shark activity. Lifeguards are also on the lookout for dangerous jellyfish in the water and will ensure that no one stays in the water when they are spotted. For extra safety, many beaches have underwater netting to detect sharks, and some have enclosed ocean pools ideal for swimming.

Additionally, if you aren’t allowed to go or take a dip somewhere, there will be signs prohibiting you from doing so. A beach that might seem perfectly good to swim in for a tourist may have saltwater crocodiles inhabiting it. So, if you’re not supposed to go anywhere, there will be a sign for it, or you can ask a local just in case.

See, not everything in Australia is out to get you; most of it is incredibly exaggerated or created to spook you.