The Most Dangerous Animals on Earth Ever

What’s the difference between a house cat and a lion? The number of humans it kills each year. If you weren’t expecting that answer, then buckle up. We’re interested in learning about the world’s deadliest animals. These creatures come in all shapes and sizes. Who knew something as small as a rock could wipe out a group of adults?

We’re ranking the most dangerous animals based on how many human attacks or deaths per year they cause. We want to know what features make the animal so dangerous: Is it a venomous poison? A sharp sting? Or piercing fangs? Here are the 35 deadliest animals on the planet.

And watch out: Humans encounter these creatures more often than they think!

Humans Killed Per Year: 0

Where They Can Be Found: Warm waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans

Notable Features: Long bodies without scales

Note: Some of the animals on this list are dangerous for attacking humans, not necessarily killing them. While that information is difficult to find for each animal, we included the number of attacks or deaths per year that each individual animal caused when we could find that information.

The moray eel tends to hang out in tropical seas. They have thick, scaleless skin and sharp teeth that enable them to inflict serious wounds on their prey, including humans, when disturbed. People eat Moray eels in some areas of the world, but their flesh can be toxic and cause illness or death if not prepared properly.

Its cousin, the electric eel, discharges 300 to 650 volts when it feels threatened. Human deaths by both eels are extremely rare but can happen.

34. Golden Poison Frog

Humans Killed Per Year: Unclear

Where They Can Be Found: Colombia

Notable Features: Bright yellow coloring

What Makes Them So Dangerous

The golden poison frog is considered one of the most toxic animals on Earth. To put it in perspective, it packs enough venom to kill 10 adults. It’s unclear how many humans have died from an encounter with a poison dart frog. But its venomous characteristics make it one of the world’s deadliest animals.

It gets its name from the indigenous people of Colombia who tipped their darts and blowguns with its venom before hunting. For an animal to be considered poisonous, it must be toxic to eat. The golden poison frog keeps its toxins in glands beneath its skin, so any human or animal that takes a bite would be in serious trouble.

33. Stonefish

Humans Killed Per Year: 0

Where They Can Be Found: Coastal waters of Australia, Indonesia and India as well as a few species in the Caribbean and Florida Keys

Notable Features: Have similar looks to a rock or part of a reef

What Makes Them So Dangerous

Stonefish are the world’s most venomous fish. They fool their prey (humans included) by camouflage as they blend in with reefs and the bottom of the ocean floor. They have 13 spines along their back, and each spine has a gland that holds venom.

If a person steps on or kicks a stonefish, the venom is released, and the person (or other aquatic enemies) is up for a painful and sometimes fatal ride. Stonefish are particularly dangerous to divers and swimmers in Australia. These days, there is a stonefish anti-venom, so there haven’t been many deaths per se by stonefish in recent years.

32. Blue-Ringed Octopus

Humans Killed: 3 people (in total that have ever been recorded)

Where They Can Be Found: Australia, Japan, Philippines and India

Notable Features: Blue rings on its body

What Makes Them So Dangerous

While most octopus squirt ink as their line of defense, the blue-ringed octopus dispenses a deadly poison — enough to kill 26 humans within minutes. Despite its power, this marine creature is only the size of a pencil and can be spotted by the noticeable blue rings on its body.

If you were to hold it in the palm of your hand (please don’t!), it would bite you and inject tetrodotoxin, a deadly toxin also found in pufferfish. It’s unlikely that you’ll encounter these killers as they tend to hide in dark crevices about 165 feet underwater.