Australia's Dangerous Stingers

Box jellyfish - Chironex fleckeri

Known for lurking off the coast of Darwin and northern Queensland, the box jellyfish is one of the most potent stingers in Australia. It has been responsible for 70 deaths in the country and takes victims by wrapping its 3m tentacles around the unsuspecting prey. This translucent marine stinger is most prevalent during the summer months and all recorded deaths have occurred between October and May.

Venom is injected through small receptors along the tentacles and so the severity of the sting correlates to the amount of the tentacle that touches the skin. In addition to being very painful, the venom attacks the muscles around the lungs and heart. As a result, paralysis of both these organs is the main cause of death in untreated cases.

European wasp - Vespula germanica

Located along the east coast of Australia, European wasps were discovered in Australia in 1959 in Tasmania, and by the late 1970s had migrated to the mainland. Naturally dormant in the European winters, these insects have a particularly long lifecycle in Australia because of the relatively warm temperature. They pack a serious sting when angered. Nesting underground and in the walls of houses, they have been known establish colonies of up to 100,000. Their sting, while painful, is not deadly unless the recipient is allergic to their venom. In these cases, hospitalisation and fatalities are possible.

Honey Bee - Apis mellifera

As with European wasps, the 1.5cm European honey bee, as unassuming as its seems, is highly dangerous to those who have allergies to their venom. Unlike wasps, however, bees leave their stinging barb inserted in their victim, along with a sack of venom. This detaches from the bee, killing it. Native Australian bees are much smaller and often don't sting unlike the introduced species. Allergies to the venom are responsible for more annual average deaths than sharks, spiders or snakes separately. Less than three per cent of Australians are allergic to bee or wasp venom.

Bull Ants - Myrmecia spp.

At nearly 2.5cm long, bull ants are a part of the Australian stinging genus Myrmecia and use their large, pincer-like jaws to clamp onto their target and then repeatedly inject their venom with their small stinger. While the venom itself is only painful and not fatal, the allergies of some bite victims require immediate medical attention.

Approximately one per cent of the global population is allergic to ant venom. These stingers are more dangerous than others not because of the toxicity of the venom, but because of the aggression of Bull ants and how frequently they come in contact with people.

Bluebottle - Physalia physalis

Commonly known as the bluebottle because of the indigo balloon that carries them across the ocean, the Portuguese man-of-war are known for being some of the peskiest stingers in Australia. The individual 'zooids' are a part of a large colony that makes up one gigantic organism. Each individual has an allocated task for survival and collectively the full colony floats around the ocean, carried by the wind. Like ants, the venom is painful but not usually fatal, unless a severe allergic reaction occurs. Their stinging tails are roughly 15cm long and they cause approximately 10,000 stings every summer.

Stingrays - Dasyatididae, Gymnuridae, Myliobatidae and Urolophidae families

Generally docile and complacent, stingrays are armed with a rarely used but dangerous probe at the end of their tail. When stepped on, threatened or if their vertebral column is touched, stingrays tend to thrust their spine into the perceived attacker. This spine releases painful venom and causes deep lacerations that often lead to infection from bacteria.

Stonefish - genus: Synanaceja

Blending in seemlessly with their rocky, watery surroundings, stonefish carry some of the most potent venom known to finned creatures. At about 30cm long and covering the coastline from Brisbane to Broome, the stonefish hides among coral and rock reefs, immaculately camouflaged with its coarse and textured skin. The spines on its back have been known to pierce the rubber sole of a shoe and the foot within.

Stonefish contain highly toxic venom, with the resulting pain being recorded as feeling excruciating and is not much lessened by pain killers including morphine. These fish can survive for hours in small pools when the tide goes out and are encountered most commonly when trodden on by unsuspecting people wading in shallow water. The severity of the venom is relative to the number of punctures made by the 13 infectious spines as the venom is most dangerous at the conception of the injury.

Cone snail - Conus spp

Seeping along the bottom of the ocean is the venomous, predatory snail, colloquially known as the cone snail. This unique snail hunts fish by extending its proboscis, shaped like a harpoon when viewed under a microscope, to temp its prey. When the fish come close enough, the snail strikes them with venom 1000 times stronger than morphine, causing paralyses. It then extends its mouth and consumes its prey. 

Cone snail venom is now used in a drug called Ziconotide to relieve chronic pain. In a single sting from one of these mollusks there is enough venom to kill 15 healthy adults. Only one death, however, has been recorded in Australia - in 1935.

Platypus - Ornithorhynchus anatinus

The ever-mysterious monotreme, the platypus, is yet another Australian animal to be armed with a dangerous stinging apparatus. Used mostly during mating season, the barb of the male platypus is located above its rear feet. The male injects painful venom commonly in fights against other males. Accounts of human stings have been recorded and, while not fatal, have been known to cause severe pain and permanent handicaps around the affected area.

In animal tests, the venom has injected enzymes causing severe pain, paralysis and respiratory failure. Research on platypus venom is difficult to conduct as the animals have been found not to produce venom in captivity and more than the 100 microliters of venom from field research is needed to establish sound results.

Centipedes - Class: Chilopoda

Fast, agile and a little bit creepy, Australian centipedes are known for packing a powerful punch. Centipedes use their abbreviated arms, called forcipules, to kill prey and for defense. Injecting small amounts of highly toxic venom, the stings can be persistent for up to a week. No deaths have been recorded in Australia but other species of centipedes overseas have been known to cause renal failure and be fatal to children and the elderly. Papua New Guinea, Brazil, Turkey and other less developed countries have reported numerous mortalities from centipede stings.

Poisonous Spiders in Australia

Australia gets a pretty common worldwide view of being that country with heaps of dangerous animals. While living here is nowhere near as threatening as other countries make it out to be, that doesn't mean that we don’t have our fair share of threatening creatures - especially spiders.

Whether they’re just venomous or deadly as well, the following five spiders are best avoided. We will be listing them in an ascending order from venomous but not life threatening to those that could kill you.


1. Wolf spider

What you have going for you if you come up against a wolf spider is that they’re not really aggressive. They’d be more likely to flee than fight, but if cornered and feeling threatened, they won’t have any qualms about digging their fangs in.

Typically burrowed down in the earth, these nocturnal spiders bite will hurt, possibly even extremely painful. If you do find yourself being bitten by one, seek medical attention immediately. We mean an ambulance.


2. Black house spider

The black house spider likes to call your house home (in window frames, under eaves, hiding in brickwork and even setting up shop in your toilet) but they also enjoy rocks and bark. As the name also suggests, they’re typically a velvety black colour.

While their bite isn’t fatal, it is known to cause pain around the bite, headaches, heavy sweating, vomiting, muscle pains and dizziness/giddiness. Much like a wolf spider bite, seek medical attention ASAP.




3. Mouse spiders

A mouse spider can cause severe illness and deep pain around the bite wound due to its large fangs that can penetrate deep into the skin. They live underground in deep burrows and have a tendency to come out during the day. If bitten, apply first aid and seek medical attention immediately.




4. Red back spider

The red back spider has a powerful nerve poison that ultimately impacts on the nervous system of someone who is bitten. Symptoms include vomiting, headaches, abdominal pain and, in severe cases paralysis or even death. An anti-venom has existed since 1956, so be sure to seek medical attention immediately after you’ve been bitten. They like dark areas including letter boxes or residing on the underside of chairs.



5. Funnel web spider

Last but not least but not surprisingly the funnel web spider is considered one of the most dangerous - if not the most dangerous - spiders in Australia. Regardless of whether it’s the male or female or varying types of the funnel web spider, all of them are extremely dangerous and very aggressive.

Their venom is known as atraxotoxin, which is one of the world’s most deadly toxins. If threatened, the funnel web spider will attack and bite its victims multiple times. If not treated ASAP, a bite victim will die. They tend to hang out in gardens and move into houses during hot humid nights. The good news is an anti-venom does exist, so immediate medical attention is absolutely vital.

Animals in Australia

Our unique animals are one of the many reasons people visit our country. Australia has more than 378 mammal species, 828 bird species, 4000 fish species, 300 species of lizards, 140 snake species, two crocodile species and around 50 types of marine mammal.

More than 80 per cent of our plants, mammals, reptiles and frogs are unique to Australia and are found no-where else. Some of our best-known animals are the kangaroo, koala, echidna, dingo, platypus, wallaby and wombat.

Australia’s native animals can often be difficult to spot in the wild, but you are guaranteed to see them in our world-class zoos and wildlife parks across our major cities and regional areas. These include Sydney’s Taronga Zoo, the Rainforest Habitat in Port Douglas, Victoria’s Healesville Sanctuary, South Australia’s Cleland Wildlife Park and Queensland’s Australia Zoo, amongst others.

       Mammals

Australia doesn’t have large predatory animals, the dingo, or wild dog, is our largest carnivorous mammal. Other unique carnivorous animals include the Numbat, Quoll and Tasmanian Devil, but none of these are larger than the size of an average house cat.
Dingoes are found all across Australia, except for Tasmania. Best places to see them are Queensland’s Fraser Island, Western Australia’s Kimberley and across the deserts of the Northern Territory and South Australia. Numbats are only found in Western Australia; and apart from wildlife parks, you can only see Tasmanian Devils in the wild in Tasmania. Endangered Quolls are also difficult to spot in the wild, but inhabit the wet forests of southeastern Australia and Tasmania, and a small area of northern Queensland. The bilby, a member of the bandicoot family, may be seen in Francois Peron National Park in Western Australia.

Marsupials

Australia has more than 140 species of marsupials, including kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, and wombats.

We have 55 different native species of kangaroos and wallabies. Kangaroos and wallabies vary greatly in size and weight, ranging from half a kilogram to 90 kilograms. The main difference between them is size — wallabies tend to be smaller. Estimates of Australia’s kangaroo population vary between 30 and 60 million. You should easily be able to see kangaroos in the wild in most rural parts of Australia. In Victoria see them in Anglesea on the Great Ocean Road and in the Grampians. Spot them in South Australia’s Kangaroo Island and Flinders Ranges. Get up close in Namadgi and Kosciuszko National Parks in the Australian Alps, in Pebbly Beach in New South Wales and Tasmania’s Maria Island. In outback regions, you will often see them as they bound across the road. Wallabies are widespread across Australia, particularly in more remote, rocky and rugged areas. Spot them in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges, Tasmania’sFreycinet National Park and in Namadgi and Kosciuszko National Parks in the Australian Alps.

The koala is everyone’s favourite, but be aware – it’s not a bear. You can spot koalas all along Australia’s temperate eastern coast. Some of their top hangouts includeTidbinbilla Nature Reserve, near Canberra; Port Stephens in New South Wales and the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Queensland. Observe them in the wild on Victoria’s Phillip Island and Yanchep National Park in Western Australia.

The wombat is another creature you’ll find here – stout, burrowing animals that can weigh up to 36 kilograms. Again they are difficult to see in the wild, but some of the best places are the Blue Mountains National Park and Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales, Wilsons Promontory in Victoria, Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair in Tasmania, and in national parks in South Australia.

Monotremes

Another animal group only found in Australia is the monotremes, or egg-laying mammals. The most distinctive is the platypus, a river-dwelling animal with a bill like a duck, a furry waterproof body and webbed feet. Platypuses live in burrows which they dig into the banks of rivers. They are very shy and difficult to spot, but your best chances are in the eastern coastal areas in small streams and quiet rivers. Good places to see them are in the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve near Canberra, on Lake Elizabeth in Victoria’s Great Otway National Park, Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park and in northern New South Wales and Queensland.

The echidna, or spiny ant-eater, is another monotreme, which has a long sticky tongue and a prickly coat like a hedgehog or porcupine – so don’t try and pick one up! Kangaroo Island is one of the best places to spot them in the wild.

Birds

Of the 828 bird species listed in Australia, about half are found nowhere else. They range from tiny honeyeaters to the large, flightless emu, which stands nearly two metres tall. The best chances of seeing emus in the wild is in grasslands, sclerophyll forests and savannah woodlands.

A vast array of waterbirds, seabirds and birds dwell in our open woodlands and forests. Examples include cassowaries, black swans, fairy penguins, kookaburras, lyrebirds and currawongs. You can easily see penguins on Kangaroo Island in South Australia and Philip Island in Victoria.

The Albert's Lyrebird can be seen in Mt Warning National Park and in the Gondwana rainforest around the Gold Coast hinterland. See the more common superb lyrebird in Dandenong Ranges and Kinglake National Parks around Melbourne and the Royal National Park and Illawarra region south of Sydney. You’ll also find them in Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, near Canberra, Tower Hill in Victoria and a number of national parks along Australia’s east coast.

Kookaburras, best known for their hysterical, human-sounding laughter at dusk and dawn, are common, and you’ll most likely spot (or hear) them in the countryside and often in city suburbs. 

The Broome Bird Observatory and Kakadu National Park are both excellent place to view many species of wetland and migratory birds.

There are 55 species of parrots in Australia, as numerous as they are colourful, including a spectacular variety of cockatoos, rosellas, lorikeets, cockatiels, parakeets and budgerigars. They are commonly seen in rural and urban areas.

Reptiles

Australia has more species of venomous snakes than any other continent, 21 of the world’s 25 deadliest in fact. But not all are poisonous; we also have some stunning pythons and tree snakes.

We are also famous for our crocodiles, both freshwater and saltwater varieties. Both the Kimberley and Kakadu National Park are excellent places to see crocodiles in their natural habitat.

There are five species of endangered sea turtles which nest and lay eggs on certain beaches in season; and eight species of freshwater turtle. Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia and Eco Beach in Broome are ideals place to see turtles.

We also have an amazing array of lizards, ‘dragons’ and goannas (monitor lizards), including the spectacular Frilled Lizard and Bearded Dragon. The Kimberley has some 178 species of reptiles with the more notable ones being the Frilled Neck Lizard and the ubiquitous ‘ta ta’ Lizard. Thorny devils can be found in desert habitats including Shark Bay, Carnarvon and Exmouth in Western Australia.

A variety of reptiles including bearded dragons, perenties and blue tongue lizards can be seen in Central Australia and Flinders Ranges in South Australia.

Marine animals

Our marine environments support around 4000 of the world’s 22000 types of fish, as well as 30 of the world’s 58 seagrass species. We also have the world’s largest coral reef system, the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef, where there are so many species of colourful fish, including the beautiful clown fish, that you’ll need more than one visit to try and count them all. We also have around 1700 different species of coral.

Larger marine species include the migratory gentle whale shark, humpback, southern right and orca whales, the dugong, numerous dolphin species and a number of shark species. Whales can be seen along the east and west coastlines from May to November. Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia is one of the most reliable places in the world to see whale sharks and a number of operators run tours to swim with these gentle giants. Kangaroo Island is one of the best places to see Australian fur seals in the wild

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