Animals are multicellular eukaryotic organisms that form the biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, are able to move, can reproduce sexually, and grow from a hollow sphere of cells, the blastula, during embryonic development.
Some if these animals I’ll be mentioning below are too dangerous, don’t try to keep them nearby.
Anteater is a common name for the four extant mammal species of the suborder Vermilingua commonly known for eating ants and termites. The individual species have other names in English and other languages. Together with the sloths, they are within the order Pilosa.
Sloths are a group of arboreal neotropical xenathran mammals, constituting the suborder Folivora. Noted for slowness of movement, they spend most of their lives hanging upside down in the trees of the tropical rain forests of South America and Central America.
The platypus, sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. The platypus is the sole living representative of its family and genus, though a number of related species appear in the fossil record.
Pangolins are mammals of the order Pholidota. The one extant family, Manidae, has three genera: Manis, Phataginus and Smutsia. Manis comprises the four species found in Asia, while Phataginus and Smutsia each include two species living in Sub-Saharan Africa. These species range in size from 30 to 100 cm.
Wombats are short-legged, muscular quadrupedal marsupials that are native to Australia. They are about 1 m in length with small, stubby tails and weigh between 20 and 35 kg. There are three extant species and they are all members of the family Vombatidae.
The hog badger, also known as the greater hog badger, is a terrestrial mustelid native to Central and Southeast Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species because the global population is thought to be declining due to high levels of poaching.
Saltwater Crocodile, Florida’s alligators may be scary, but they have nothing on their cousin, the fearsome crocodile, which is more short-tempered, easily provoked, and aggressive towards anything that crosses its path. Of all the species in the world, the largest and most dangerous is the saltwater crocodile. These ferocious killers can grow up to 23 feet in length, weigh more than a ton, and are known to kill hundreds each year, with crocodiles as a whole responsible for more human fatalities annually than sharks.
Saltwater crocodiles are especially dangerous as they’re excellent swimmers in both salt and freshwater (yes, their name is confusing), and can strike quickly with a bite delivering 3,700 pounds per square inch (psi) of pressure, rivaling that of the T. Rex. If that’s not enough to scare you, put it in perspective: humans chomp into a well-done steak at around 200 psi, a mere five percent of the strength of a saltie’s jaw.
Cape buffalo, which number around 900,000, are a relatively mild species when left alone, preferring to travel in massive herds to graze in early morning and late afternoon hours or to gather around watering holes to stay hydrated. However, if an individual (or its calf) is threatened or wounded, they become the incarnation of their nickname: Black Death. Reportedly responsible for killing more hunters on the continent than any other creature, these behemoths, which can grow up to nearly six feet tall and weigh close to a ton, circle and stalk their prey before charging at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour.
They’re even known to continue charging no matter where they’re injured and will not hesitate to attack moving vehicles. You don’t want to mess with those horns.
Komodo dragons are the world’s largest lizards, growing 10-feet long and weighing about 150 pounds. In recent years, komodo dragons have become somewhat of a tourist attraction in Indonesia. Komodo National Park invites tourists to see this large lizard in its natural habitat. But these prehistoric monsters look as vicious as they are komodo dragons have killed four people over the past 33 years. The last fatal attack occurred in 2009.
Komodo dragons have a powerful bite packed with venom that delivers toxins that inhibit blood clotting. Trauma from the bite, bacteria from the komodo dragon’s mouth and rapid blood loss contribute to their ability to kill prey (humans included).
Hornet, Deaths from a hornet sting are usually grouped with wasp and bee stings. But in China and Japan, something called an Asian giant hornet is a killer. As its name implies, giant hornets are, well, giant. They’re roughly the size of a human thumb and usually invade schools or farm workers.
There are an estimated 30 to 50 deaths each year in Japan from hornet attacks. Most deaths are due to an allergic reaction to the sting.
These animals are very rare to see.