RP320 Small but deadly
The world is a dangerous place, especially for a small animal. In the wild it pays to have a deadly weapon, be it for self-defense or better hunting. From snakes to snails, some animals have developed a weapon more effective than big teeth or sharp claws, a weapon that can kill no matter how strong the threat is: venom.
Many of the world's deadliest animals live in the sea. The terrifying box jellyfish is about three meters long and its venom can kill in less than three minutes. Some reports claim that this jellyfish has killed more than 5,500 people since 1954. Though stings can be treated with vinegar, the venom acts so quickly that most people die in the water before even reaching the shore. You'd better be careful the next time you decide to take a dip.
Good things also come in small packages, and so, it seems, does venom. The blue-ringed octopus is only the size of a golf ball, but it is one of the world's most deadly animals. Its bite has enough venom to kill 26 humans, but you might not even realize you've been bitten as its bite is often tiny and painless. Its venom is so powerful that most people die within minutes and there is no antivenin. However, there is still hope. If the victim's heart can be kept going long enough, the venom will eventually leave the body with no harmful side effects.
While most creatures use their venom in self-defense and won't attack unless provoked, the Brazilian wandering spider is particularly dangerous because of its aggressive nature. Several things make this spider an unpleasant customer. The first is it likes to move around a lot and lives in heavily populated areas, hiding in houses, boxes, and cars; the second is it has the most effective venom of all species of spider; the third is that it's huge—sometimes as big as a man's hand! Luckily though, many of its bites contain no venom at all as it prefers to conserve its supply for prey. Even more reassuring is that no deaths have been reported since the discovery of the antivenin.
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