Discover the ten most venomous animals: prepare to encounter some unexpected venomous creatures along the way...

Beyond just specific snakes and spiders to be wary of, here's our rundown of the top ten most venomous animals, spanning surprising sea dwellers to primates.

In nature's arena, many creatures have adapted mechanisms to both hunt and protect themselves. This often involves the production of chemical toxins, which can serve to incapacitate prey for easier consumption or ward off potential predators.

It's crucial to distinguish between poisonous and venomous animals. Poisonous creatures passively release toxins, while venomous ones actively deliver venom through specialized body parts, such as bites, stings, or, as in one example on our list, specialized ankle spurs!

Here's our expertly crafted guide to the most venomous animals, detailing their level of danger and even potential beneficial uses of their toxins.

10 most venomous animals
1:Box jellyfish (including Chironex fleckeri)
Box jellyfish are often regarded as one of the deadliest animals, implicated in numerous unexplained drownings of swimmers worldwide.

Their reputation stems from certain species' ability to produce highly potent toxins that target the heart, nervous system, and even skin cells. This can lead to rapid death, as victims may succumb to shock, drown, or suffer heart failure before reaching safety.

We've identified box jellyfish as among the most perilous sea creatures.

2:Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum)
From the most lethal to potentially the most agonizing, the bite of the gila monster, a venomous lizard native to the USA and Mexico, is renowned for its excruciating effects among vertebrates.

A journalist, unfortunate enough to experience it firsthand, likened the sensation to "hot lava coursing through your veins." Despite the intense pain, no fatalities have been attributed to gila monster bites. The venom, a relatively mild neurotoxin, is secreted from the lizards' salivary glands. Interestingly, scientists have discovered a hormone in this venomous saliva that shows promise in treating type 2 diabetes in humans.

3:Sydney funnel web spider (Atrax robustus)
The medicinal potential of animal venoms extends beyond the gila monster. The funnel web spider, for instance, produces a potent venom highly toxic to humans and other primates, yet surprisingly harmless to many other creatures.

This discrepancy arises from animals producing antibodies capable of binding to and neutralizing the toxins, a defense mechanism absent in primates. Despite its lethality, this venom holds promise as a life-saving agent. Scientists have identified a specific molecule within it that could serve as a treatment for heart attacks, delaying cell death and averting further harm.

We've recognized the funnel web spider as one of the world's deadliest arachnids.

4:Cone snail (including Conus magnus)
Examining sea snail shells scattered along the shore, one might overlook the potential lethality of a marine snail. However, cone snails are not merely passive inhabitants of rocky surfaces. They reside on the seabed and employ a venomous strategy to capture fish, deploying a hollow, venom-filled "harpoon" to immobilize unsuspecting prey. Once subdued, the snail then consumes its victim alive and paralyzed.

A sting from a cone snail would undoubtedly be felt, as their venom is remarkably potent, capable of inducing respiratory failure, muscle paralysis, vision impairment, and even death. Divers are most commonly affected by cone snail stings when handling them.

Despite their deadly capabilities, cone snails offer potential medicinal benefits. Scientists have identified a specific toxin from one species of cone snail, from which they've derived a non-opioid painkiller surpassing morphine in potency. Other components of the venom are under investigation for their therapeutic potential in treating ailments such as Alzheimer's, epilepsy, and providing pain relief for cancer and HIV patients. Sadly, this offers little solace to the snail's prey.

5:Stonefish (Synanceia genus)
Similar to cone snails, stonefish pose a threat to unsuspecting swimmers. With their mottled camouflage and tendency to inhabit muddy or rocky seabeds, they are easily stepped on. Contact with their needle-like dorsal fin spines triggers an excruciating sting, which can prove fatal. Despite their dangerous reputation, stonefish have a secondary purpose—not as a pharmaceutical, but as a culinary delight. In parts of Asia, they are considered a delicacy once their venomous spines are meticulously removed. Would you be adventurous enough to try it?

6:Inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus)
Certainly, a discussion on venomous creatures would be incomplete without mentioning snakes. While the majority of snakes encountered are harmless (with only about 1 in 5 species being venomous), some rank among the most lethal animals on the planet.

Snakebites take a significant toll on human lives, far surpassing the threat posed by the often-dreaded shark, resulting in an estimated 200,000 fatalities annually. The inland taipan, found in central-eastern Australia, holds the title of the world's most venomous snake. It boasts the highest median lethal dose of venom among all snakes, and likely any other animal, making it incredibly toxic. However, due to its shy nature and rare interactions with humans, it isn't considered the most dangerous snake. In terms of mortality, that distinction may belong to the small yet aggressive saw-scaled viper.

7:Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)
Believe it or not, there are venomous mammals, and one surprising example is the duck-billed platypus. This remarkable creature, among the rare few that lay eggs, possesses the extraordinary ability to defend itself using venomous ankle spurs! While not lethal to humans, a platypus's venomous kick is reported to be intensely painful, with enough potency to paralyze and even kill smaller animals like dogs. It's no wonder why Winston Churchill found them so intriguing.

8:Slow loris (Nycticebus genus)
Despite its adorable appearance, the slow loris stands out as the only venomous primate known to us thus far. Intriguingly, its venom is activated by combining an oil secreted from the brachial gland on its upper arm with saliva. The loris then licks the gland, using the activated venom either as a chemical defense by rubbing it into its fur or deploying it through a bite. Scientists posit that its primary purpose is to deter parasites from infesting its fur, but it may also serve to repel predators and act as a weapon in intra-species conflicts during the breeding season.

Unfortunately, the slow loris's venomous nature contributes to its mistreatment in the illegal pet trade, where animal dealers frequently extract the animal's front teeth to conceal its painful and venomous bite.

9:Shrew (Soricidae family, including Blarina brevicauda)
Indeed, charming and seemingly harmless, shrews are yet another example of mammals possessing a potent and toxic bite. They utilize this venom to paralyze and incapacitate their prey, but unlike snakes, their venom isn't delivered through fangs; instead, it flows from a specialized duct at the base of their incisors and travels along grooves in their teeth.

Fascinatingly, the venom of the northern short-tailed shrew bears striking similarities to that of the Mexican beaded lizard, a close relative of the gila monster. This venom shares medical significance, as one of its components is currently under investigation for potential use in treating ovarian cancer.

10:European mole (Talpa europaea )
In keeping with the trend of petite and seemingly harmless mammals, we introduce the unassuming European mole. Despite its reputation for leaving unsightly mounds of soil on lawns, this elusive creature harbors a surprising secret: it's venomous! Similar to shrews, moles employ a toxic saliva to paralyze and capture their prey, primarily earthworms. This tactic allows them to preserve their food fresh and alive for future consumption.