The 5 Most Dangerous Animals in Asia
Wed, Mar 19, 2008
Asia has fascinated western societies since its discovery. Its rich culture and exotic animals have captured the imaginations of countless generations.
I was watching a documentary on tigers the other day, and I started thinking about the dangerous animals in Asia. This inspired me to create my list of the five most dangerous animals in Asia. A couple points before we begin. I know mosquitoes kill more people than anything else ever. I don’t care, they’re boring and I don’t want to write about them. Also, this list is based on subjective criteria, not number of kills. Some of these animals will just cause you pain and you wouldn’t want to meet them in the forest. Now let us begin.
5. Tiger
The tiger has an important place in Asia’s life and culture. It appears frequently throughout the mythology of all the countries in which it appears, generally as a figure of strength and power. It’s generally treated with a healthy respect borne of its danger to humans. While it won’t attack people unless provoked or hungry, clashes are common enough. Recently the issue has become even more common as human encroachment and deforestation means the shrinking habitat of the tiger frequently extends into populated areas. Six people have died and twelve more have been mauled in Bangladesh in the last few months alone after the tigers’ habitat was partially destroyed by a cyclone. They are immensely strong and deadly predators. Treat them with the respect they deserve.
4. Cobra
Image by Qz10
When I think of deadly snake, movies have trained my mind to think of the cobra. It’s not as dangerous as brown snakes or other poisonous creatures, but it’s still very nasty. The king cobra is the world’s longest venomous snake, reaching lengths of up to 20 feet. Its venom is a neurotoxin, and it is very dangerous. It’s one of the most venomous snakes on the continent, and it can kill a human with a single bite. Thankfully, most of the snake’s bites don’t inject fatal amounts of venom, although the mortality rate is close to 75% when it gives you a full on bite.
3. Malayan Pit Viper
Image by Al Coritz
The Malayan Pit Viper is found all across Southeast Asia and Indonesia. It loves thick vegetation, preferring bamboo thickets and overgrown farmland. It’s also a nasty little punk of a snake. It has a notorious reputation as an aggressive snake that is quick to attack humans. In the northern part of Malaysia alone it is responsible for more than 700 snakebites a year. Luckily for those bitten, it’s not got a huge mortality rate. About 2% of people bitten by the snake die.
2. Camel Spider
Image by Jalandoak
The camel spider is very widespread, found in deserts from Iraq to China and beyond. They’re not venomous, but they will bite humans and their bite is immensely painful. They’re perhaps scarier than they are dangerous, but they’re scary enough that I’m going to include them on this list because I never want to meet one. For one thing, they will scream at you! They can run very quickly, as fast as a human in many cases, and will utter a scream while they chase things. They can also jump up to four feet in the air. The spider loves shadows, and so if you’re in a desert and happen to be the only thing casting a shadow for a long way around you might find one chasing you to stay in your shadow. Freaky stuff.
1. Krait
Image by Ash Lin
The krait is a type of snake found in India and Southeast Asia. The nocturnal animals are immensely poisonous, with a neurotoxic venom more than 16 times deadlier than the cobra’s. The banded krait can allegedly reach more than 7 feet in length. They are nocturnal animals that are aggressive at night. Their bite is fatal to 85% of people bitten, although there is an effective antivenin now so the number is much lower. The venom is particularly painful, and causes paralysis and a slow, agonizing death. You do not want to meet one.
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March 19th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
A good reason not to go to Asia now.
March 20th, 2008 at 6:18 am
Bull. The most dangerous animal in Asia is the mosquito. Mosquito-borne malaria kills more people in Asia every year than all of these creatures combined, by an order of magnitude or greater.
March 20th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
There’s a famous Russian riddle: what’s the most dangerous animal you can meet in taiga? Apparently - it’s human. If I where in Asia I would fear people more than anything else.
May 6th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
hey that’s not the case
we asians are very warm people.
come to asia and you will experience it
May 12th, 2008 at 6:49 am
Camel spiders do not scream, leap, or chase people–sorry. They may follow a person’s shadow, to escape the hot desert sun. They cannot run as fast as a human–they clock in at at a top speed of a mere 10 mph.
The largest species of camel spider is about 6 inches long, which is a fair size for something that looks creepy. They aren’t aggressive toward larger creatures (such as humans)–they eat insects. They aren’t actually a spider, and are nonvenomous–so they could give you a pinch, but not really harm you with their bite.
There are many creatures scarier than this one, from actual spiders to scorpians.
June 10th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
these animals are pretty dangerous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 26th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Camel spider:
For one thing, they will scream at you! They can run very quickly, as fast as a human in many cases, and will utter a scream while they chase things. They can also jump up to four feet in the air.
* Not true
July 24th, 2008 at 4:11 am
Putting the camel spider at number 2 seems very strange. You probably shouldn’t have called it 5 most dangerous animals in Asia if you’re going to include a harmless animal. Maybe 5 scariest or something, but for someone representing a website that claims to push for an educated environmental view you may want to stop perpetuating the already ludicrous fear that humans have of harmless animals such as the aforementioned camel spider. In fact I’d say that while all the other animals mentioned are indeed somewhat dangerous, if we are knowledgeable about their behavior then we have nothing to fear. As for the snakes I and many other people have successfully handled venomous reptiles(not with my bare hands, Steve Irwin was good… but perhaps not very wise)on multiple occasions and understand that with proper education there is nothing to fear and as long as you take the precaution to look where you’re walking the odds of a snake, spider, or pretty much anything harming you is minuscule.