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Deadly Animals

Guess these animals that have been known to cause human fatalities.
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: April 9, 2021
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First submittedDecember 12, 2012
Times taken104,406
Average score70.0%
Rating4.04
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Clue
Animal
This insect is probably the deadliest animal of all time, other than humans
Mosquito
The most venomous type of jellyfish
Box jellyfish
A pair of these hunted and killed 28 people near Tsavo
Lion
Arctic animal that, if hungry, will hunt humans
Polar bear
Mammal known to kill humans for revenge, or when drunk
Elephant
Most dangerous snake in Africa
Black mamba
About 200 Americans die each year after striking one of these with their car
Deer
Type of shark from "Jaws"
Great white shark
Animal that killed Steve Irwin
Stingray
Type of fly that spreads sleeping sickness
Tsetse fly
Most famous of the "Big 4" snakes that kill 15,000–20,000 people a year in India
Cobra
South American frog used to poison arrows
Poison dart frog
Big game animal that gores 200 people per year in Africa
Cape buffalo
Animal that hunts and kills up to 50 people per year in the Sundarbans
Tiger
One of these, named Gustave, is more than 5 meters long and has been rumored
to have killed as many as 300 people near Lake Tanganyika
Crocodile
Sharp-toothed, South American river fish
Piranha
Spider with an hourglass on its stomach
Black widow
Also known as Fugu
Pufferfish
In 2014, one of these capsized a river boat in Niger, killing 13 people
Hippopotamus
Dog breed responsible for 66% of dog bite deaths in the U.S.
Pit Bull
100 Recent Comments
+5
Level 33
Oct 8, 2015
Sad to see one of my most favorite animals the poison dart frog so low. They look so cool (and are deadly).
+4
Level 70
Oct 18, 2015
Cape Buffalo sounds so much like a rhino.
+3
Level 64
Apr 10, 2021
I first read of it in the short story 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑀𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝐷𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝐺𝑎𝑚𝑒 by Richard Connell.
+2
Level 76
Jul 1, 2016
Could you accept Puffa fish as well, got me confused for a second
+18
Level 73
Jan 11, 2019
Lol sounds like a gangsterfish smoking weed haha
+10
Level 82
Apr 11, 2021
They just go by Diddy Fish now.
+2
Level 66
Apr 14, 2025
i wouldn't anymore.
+1
Level 65
Apr 15, 2025
Now it works even better. You don't want them to touch. You don't want to be near them alive. They both can kill you or make your life miserable.
+1
Level 21
Jul 14, 2016
A mosquito is an insect not an animal...
+22
Level 70
Oct 7, 2016
1.ANIMAL:

a living organism which feeds on organic matter, typically having specialized sense organs and nervous system and able to respond rapidly to stimuli.

By your thinking a Cod is not an animal it's a fish etc.

+16
Level 73
Jan 11, 2019
Wow... and a snake isnt an animal because it is a reptile, a buffalo isnt because it is bovinae, ow and ofcourse a monkey isnt because thet are, primates...

where does this thinking come from, ive seen it too many times to be a fluke. Is it at the same places creationism is taught? (Not trying to be funny or rude, I just really wonder what the source of this is)

+4
Level 64
Apr 10, 2021
Enjoy eternity with your cacodemon.
+4
Level 73
Mar 26, 2024
What??? DId you just curse me?
+3
Level 79
Apr 13, 2021
The user made a quiz about "Deadliest Animals" and included mosquitos just a few months before making this comment. Hm...
+2
Level 32
May 10, 2023
braindead moment
+3
Level 30
Jan 20, 2017
Why isn't just White Shark accepted :(
+3
Level 89
Apr 9, 2021
Because white-tipped sharks aren't deadly.
+5
Level 50
Apr 12, 2021
Well, Oceanic White-tips are one of the most deadly species on the planet. However, neither they, nor White-tip Reef sharks are ever called White Sharks.
+3
Level 45
Apr 14, 2025
White Shark is what scientists call the Great White. The name “Great White” has fallen out of favour, partly because they get such bad (undeserved) press.
+1
Level 74
Apr 14, 2025
This is very much the case. Wikipedia is a decent guide to this sort of thing and given that it says "The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), also known as the white shark, white pointer, or simply great white" these should all be accepted.
+8
Level 12
May 14, 2017
Also, the deadliest black widow has a gun and a teammate called Hawkeye
+7
Level 67
Jun 12, 2017
The most dangerous game is jumanji
+13
Level 81
Oct 31, 2017
You haven't played Skipbo with my grandmother, then.
+2
Level 80
Apr 8, 2020
Game here refers to the sense wild mammals or birds hunted for sport or food.
+4
Level 75
Apr 12, 2021
Thanks for clearing that up
+2
Level 44
Nov 16, 2017
the crocodile is very very very deadly
+2
Level 89
Apr 9, 2021
You don't want to mess with alligators either.
+2
Level 45
Apr 14, 2025
Steve Irwin described alligators as “frogs with teeth”. They’re dangerous, but don’t even come close to a saltwater crocodile.
+4
Level 23
Nov 20, 2017
I wouldn’t believe that of the elephant 🤔
+12
Level 70
Feb 2, 2018
Can you please remove the sting ray question because the whole point of Steve Irwin's show when he died was to prove they're not a threat. They have killed almost noone ever. He accidentally stepped on the stingray I think provoking the sting to happen. He died from a freak and incredibly unlikely accident and it kind of insults his memory to put stingrays on a list of deadly animals. This is coming from a true blue Australian who has swum with stingrays.
+6
Level 70
Feb 12, 2018
I am against people who, to make a television program or to promote themselves, handle and intervene with animals. To handle wild creatures and to have them in zoos and then handle them for the amusement of audiences is to my mind the very opposite of what we as a human race should do. The less interaction that wild animals have with humans the better for them.
+17
Level 64
Apr 10, 2021
Zoos are terrific. There are species that have been saved by zoos.
+9
Level 83
Apr 21, 2021
I'm with cooldrive, while certain zoos around the world still have issues, thinking that zoos are wholly or even mostly bad for animal conservation and welfare is an extremely outdated view now.
+2
Level 73
Jan 14, 2023
Clearly, zoo promotional campaigns are doing a good job miseducating the public. I don't know where to begin with the irony of defending zoos by calling actual conservation best-practices outdated.

Effective wildlife conservation means conserving habitat and sanctuaries, not keeping wildlife in prisons in perpetuity. People can learn to support conservation efforts in ways that don't involve animal objectification and cruelty. Backyard zoos and breeding programs do little to nothing to preserve species. (As a side note, providing rehab and care for injured/permanently disabled wildlife is different from permanently interned animals on display.)

There are lots of online articles and data articulating how zoos do more harm than good -- I recommend checking them out if you're on the fence :)

(I'm with Malbaby, if it wasn't obvious :)

+1
Level 86
Apr 14, 2025
If an animal isn't a threat but kills you if you provoke it the wrong way... it's a threat. That line of reasoning is like saying a gorilla or a knife isn't a threat, because if you don't go near it it won't hurt you. It's true, but only in the least helpful way imaginable.
+1
Level 74
Apr 14, 2025
Understood, though there have been a handful of fatal stingray accidents, Irwin's just happens to be the most famous. And stingrays have defenses that must be respected, even if they rarely prove fatal. By numbers, they have probably killed more people than piranha, but this quiz is about perception, not numbers anyway.

I don't think a quiz like this needs to particularly endorse or condemn Irwin the man, and I don't think the question really does. It remains possible for the reader to decide if his actions were laudable or not, but the quiz isn't misleading.

+4
Level 44
Feb 12, 2018
As of this moment today, "hungry, hungry African river animal" is my favorite hint XD
+4
Level 62
Mar 21, 2018
Ok, couple things: first off, I was confused about whether you meant the deadliest, 2nd-deadliest, and 3rd-deadliest snake in the US, or the deadliest animals overall. I kept trying to type coral snake, diamondback rattler, etc. Second, "the most dangerous game" is a misleading clue. I thought you were asking us to name the most dangerous game animal, so I kept trying moose, elk, bison, etc.
+2
Level 23
Jun 26, 2018
Really surprised that the most dangerous animal ever is the mosquito! It makes me think a bit!
+7
Level 87
Jul 22, 2018
Wikipedia: "Although often described as extremely dangerous in the media, piranhas typically do not represent a serious risk to humans."
+2
Level 79
Oct 30, 2018
Very true, but there ARE recorded fatalities due to piranhas, so they still fit the quiz.
+11
Level 44
Feb 17, 2019
Poison dart frogs are not venomous. Venom requires a delivery system such as fangs. They secret toxins in their skin. So that makes them poisonous. If you want to avoid the word "poisonous" you could use "toxic" as a replacement.
+9
Level 69
Sep 2, 2019
Piranhas are not deadly. There are almost no evidence for them killing people.
+5
Level 89
Apr 9, 2021
Except in James Bond movies that don't have sharks with lasers.
+3
Level 61
Oct 20, 2019
So you're saying Indians have to deal with King Cobras and freaking tigers while the US suffers most from bees, dogs and horses.
+13
Level 85
Apr 9, 2021
"Mammal known to kill humans for revenge, or when drunk" - Humans fit that description, no?
+2
Level 86
Apr 9, 2021
Good catch. Though for humans, maybe: "Mammal known to kill humans for revenge, especially when drunk."
+5
Level 89
Apr 9, 2021
Could you accept Nile Crocodile, since that's the specific species of Gustav?
+3
Level 89
Apr 9, 2021
Cleanup: "Jaws" didn't have an exclamation mark in its name, and no one killed "the" Steve Irwin, unless you're differentiating him from all those other Steve Irwins.
+6
Level 86
Apr 9, 2021
Went on a "swimming with dolphins" trip in a tributary of the Amazon once, but never saw any. The next day though we went "fishing for piranhas" and caught a bunch of them very easily.

I was expecting it to be in a different river, but no... same river, same spot, same time of day. I asked the guide whether it might have been a bit dangerous swimming in a river full of piranhas. He said, "No, they only eat you if they are hungry."

+4
Level 79
Apr 9, 2021
they'll only eat you if you're already dead. there's no evidence of piranhas ever killing a live human
+9
Level 86
Apr 9, 2021
So if the guide knew the piranhas weren't hungry....that makes me wonder what the body count was for the group that went swimming just before yours.
+2
Level 76
Apr 9, 2021
Black widow spider picture, but no black widow spider answer!
+4
Level 71
Apr 9, 2021
"Spider with an hourglass on its stomach"
+2
Level 80
Apr 11, 2021
You probably missed the clue.
+2
Level 68
Apr 11, 2021
Dang it, I had always thought tsitsi was the spelling
+3
Level 91
Apr 11, 2021
"Mammal known to kill humans for revenge, or when drunk." Human is an animal that fits this clue.
+3
Level 64
Apr 11, 2021
Pitbull is typically spelled in 1 word. Please accept that!!
+7
Level 87
Apr 11, 2021
Shouldn't make any difference - spaces are ignored in the JetPunk universe.
+2
Level 71
Apr 14, 2021
Sad to say it did. Was caught by the same problem.
+2
Level 59
Apr 11, 2021
No Blue-ringed Octopus?
+1
Level 28
May 3, 2022
no i gues not. probabl as they dont kill many ppl, only the stupid ones who pick them up
+3
Level 62
Apr 11, 2021
Elephants do not get drunk and kill people:

"There are YouTube videos claiming to show drunk elephants destroying villages after eating fermented marula fruit.

But, here's the thing: According to the BBC, elephants are so huge that it would take massive amounts of marula fruit to get them drunk. In order to actually become inebriated, an elephant would have to eat 400% more fruit than it normally does, without drinking any water.

While they may be way too big to get wasted, a 1984 study in the Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society found that elephants could eat enough fruit to become slightly "buzzed." In that state they became lazier when eating and bathing – not exactly rampaging behavior."

https://www.buzzfeed.com/natashaumer/9-animals-that-could-teach-us-something-about-drugs-and-alco

+2
Level 57
Apr 12, 2021
Ohh!!! I totally misread the musquito answer...
+10
Level 88
Apr 13, 2021
get Pit Bulls off this list, it is irresponsible, disingenuous, and frankly pathetic to include them. The rest of these animals are inherently deadly, a pitbull is only violent when a dirtbag human trains them to be that way. Look at their history, they're some of the most gentle breeds out there - used to watch over children, protect families, etc. You're enforcing negative stereotypes, which leads to dogs being put to sleep because no one will adopt them. This is disgusting.
+17
Level ∞
Apr 13, 2021
66% of fatal dog bites in the U.S. are caused by pit bulls. This is not a "negative stereotype". It's a fact. And while I agree that it is the owners of pit bulls who are to blame, there is something else which you haven't considered. When pit bulls bite, they are more likely to kill their victim. This is a trait inherent to the breed, which is one reason that pit bulls are banned in England and Wales. I'm sorry this makes you uncomfortable. It's sad when unwanted pets are killed. It's much worse when a child is killed by a dog.
+8
Level 58
Oct 29, 2021
No kidding. Stay strong quizmaster. Pitbulls are much more deadly than most of the animals on the list so it makes no sense to take them off.
+4
Level 70
Mar 21, 2022
It isn't inherent in the breed, what's inherent in the breed is that they are more likely to be used in illegal dogfights and therefore more likely to be raised violently. That's not the fault of their genetics.
+1
Level 65
Sep 7, 2022
Is a childs life worth more than a dogs live? You are saying it is as a fact but it isnt a fact but your opinion
+7
Level 68
Sep 29, 2024
Yes, a child's life is worth infinitely more than a dog's life.
+2
Level 70
Apr 14, 2025
It is absolutely not a fact that 66% of fatal dog bites in the US are from pit bulls. This is a stat that's been spread around the news so much everyone just "knows" it, but it's just not true and has been debunked a million times (most thoroughly in Bronwen Dickey's book Pit Bull: The Battle Over an American Icon.

Besides it just being unlikely on its face, do a little research into how data on fatal dog bites are collected, including breed-specific data (almost always just reported by a witness), and how bad people are at identifying breeds.

This "inherent in the breed" thing is just stupid and has, over the centuries, been used to describe German shepherd dogs, Cuban bloodhounds and even the "Spitz", a breed group that includes Pomeranians.

+5
Level ∞
Apr 14, 2025
Yes, it's a breed trait. Pit bulls are bred to fight. Bloodhounds are bred to smell. Pointers are bred to point.

Dogs are not blank slates, they have extremely strong breed traits as anyone who has ever owned a dog knows.

Don't let your love of dogs overrule common sense and never let your children anywhere near a pit bull. The stories of people (often children) being literally torn apart by their beloved pit bull pets are as common as they are tragic.

Here's one from just yesterday.

"This was the same dog who was side by side with my baby every single day."

This is a common refrain of people whose children are killed by pit bulls. One moment they are loving, happy. Then they get triggered by something and become extremely aggressive.

+1
Level 85
Apr 14, 2025
In fairness, there's also a good amount of research showing that pitbulls are frequently misidentified, even by trained professionals. Without genetic testing, the statistics can be very misleading indeed.
+3
Level 59
Apr 13, 2021
Could 'redback' or at least 'redback spider' be accepted for black widow (that's what we call them Down Under)?
+2
Level ∞
Apr 13, 2021
Okay.
+2
Level 59
Apr 14, 2025
They're a different (but related) species, the red mark is rectangular not hour glass shaped.
+2
Level 41
Apr 13, 2021
It said Piranha and I'm brazillian. Should I be worried? lol
+4
Level 58
Apr 17, 2021
Suggested type ins- bull terrier for pit bull and white pointer for great white shark.
+2
Level 87
Jul 7, 2021
Could you please accept poison arrow frog for the curare one? Many thanks!
+2
Level 65
Feb 2, 2022
Please accept bill terriër for pitbull since that is the name of the breed also Brazilian wandering spider is much more dangerous than the Blackwidow and although the blackmamba is really venomous they rarely have contact with humans on the contrary the puff adder is less venomous but comes more in contact with humans and there is no cure for the venom
+1
Level 28
May 3, 2022
hmm i feel if it was that plasmodium - protisists, the thing that cause malria - was considered then ohter microrganisms can also be consideredd, liek viri and bactria. and they arnt realy animals. ther ar so many actual animals that ar dealy, such as monkys dolphins crocidilains panthers casuriforms even mustelidas (oters honey bagers), but they dont kil ppl. at least not enoug to make this list. however, almoost evrything has the capacity of murder, so that would end up making the list assez longe.

aslo it would be much funi if human ( liek mi ) w as on this list.

+1
Level 67
Jun 7, 2022
I've seen poison dart frogs referred to as poison arrow frogs, so maybe this answer should be allowed?
+1
Level 65
Sep 7, 2022
Poison dart frogs do not only live in south america but also in some north american countries like costa rica
+1
Level 44
Jan 20, 2023
No candiru?
+1
Level 74
Apr 18, 2023
Didn't realize pufferfish were considered deadly, they just look kind of funny
+1
Level 59
Apr 14, 2025
They're only deadly when eaten and you eat a poisonous bit.
+1
Level 66
Aug 11, 2023
How about the Mexican staring frog of southern Sri Lanka?
+1
Level 70
Oct 24, 2023
suggest accepting Anopheles or Aedes...I must have misspelled mosquito, then tried those!
+1
Level 43
Apr 11, 2025
Why would u ever say the genus name?
+1
Level 43
Apr 11, 2025
You should add:

Chimpanzees

Scorpions

Stonefish

+1
Level 62
Apr 14, 2025
Shouldn't "moose" or "elk" work for deer? Because, well they are a type of deer?
+1
Level 66
Apr 14, 2025
I tried moose, elk, roe deer and cottontail 😫
+1
Level 86
Apr 14, 2025
200 Americans do not die every year from hitting a moose, elk, or roe deer, so none of those are acceptable. I've never heard of a cottontail referring to anything other than a rabbit, which, although unpleasant to hit with your car, is probably a fair bit off from lethal.
+1
Level 44
Apr 14, 2025
Please add pitbull for pit bull...

I dont think anyone will be referring to Mr.WorldWide here.

+1
Level 59
Apr 14, 2025
Jetpunk ignores spaces so pitbull works just as well as pit bull.
+2
Level 62
Apr 14, 2025
Just to clear something up, box jellyfish are not the same as actual jellyfish. Jellyfish are scyphozoans, while box jellyfish are cubozoans. Box jellyfish have eyes and can actively swim, while jellyfish are a kind of plankton and don't have eyes.
+1
Level 46
Apr 16, 2025
Despite only making up 5.8% of domestic dogs, pitbulls commit 66% of dog murders
+1
Level 50
Apr 17, 2025
Uhh puff adders are far more dangerous then black mamba in Africa. Kill a lot more people also they often kill inocent people while most people bitten by mambas were messing with one unnecessarily
+1
Level 35
Jun 5, 2025
Um actually mosquitos are the deadliest animal
+1
Level 35
Jun 5, 2025
And also Piranhas kill like 1 person a year