Over the years, Australia has become notorious for being home to some of the deadliest creatures on the planet. It is quite amazing how most of their population can be so laid-back while everything around them is infested with creatures that are out to kill. While a big portion of this can be attributed to internet hype and as Martyn Robinson, a naturalist at the Australian Museum puts it, “The most dangerous thing you can do is probably just crossing the road”, the fact still remains that there are some pretty deadly creatures present in the land Down Under.

This can be confirmed from the Australian Museum in Sydney where they currently maintain a list of some of the most dangerous creatures in Australia and your odds of running into one of them. Though we certainly hope that something like that never happens, it can still be a good thing to be aware of some the threats that you could come across if you plan on visiting the continent, which is why we have put together a list of the 15 deadliest creatures that you can encounter while on your trip to Australia.

15. Cassowary

You can only expect Australia to be the country that is home to a bird capable of killing a human. The Cassowary is a man-sized bird which is only smaller than the ostrich when it comes to size. Since they are not capable of flying, they end up relying on their powerful legs to haul them around instead.

Unfortunately, at the end of these legs is the one and truly powerful weapon of the Cassowary; a 5-inch-long middle toe that is shaped like a dagger. They can also run at an amazing 30 mph so good luck trying to outrun one of these. According to ornithologist E T Gilliard, “The inner or second of the three toes is fitted with a long, straight, murderous nail which can sever an arm or eviscerate an abdomen with ease.”

14. Eastern Brown Snake

There are many species of snakes around the world, some are venomous while others not so much. It is no surprise, however, that Australia is home to some of the most venomous species of snakes in the world.

One of these is the eastern brown snake which is responsible for causing the largest number of snake related fatalities in all of Australia. One of the biggest reasons behind this is that these creatures are spread all over the continent. They can easily grow longer than one meter in length and are known to strike humans when startled. The bite is often times painless and difficult to detect until paralysis sets in which also results in uncontrollable bleeding.

13. Redback Spider

It can be quite easy to confuse this one with the infamous black widow but those only live in areas of the United States. The redback is primarily found across Australia and its name comes from the bright red stripe that is present on the abdomen of the females.

A bite from one of these can result in various symptoms ranging from excess sweating and weakness to hypertension and shortness of breath. These can also eventually lead to death if an anti-venom isn’t administered on time. Make sure to check each and every corner in your room the next time you visit Australia since you never know where these eight-legged freaks might be lurking.

12. Common Death Adder

A lot of you might already be familiar with this particular name for two reasons, one because it is often times used in cool product names and two because it is the most common type of snake species found in the Sydney bushland.

While most other snakes are known to run away when faced with a threat, the death adder will stay and freeze instead. This is because it relies on camouflage rather than simply making a run for it. For humans, this can be quite dangerous since you’re bound to get bitten if you accidentally step on one when walking through an area with a lot of bushes. The most common symptoms associated with a death adder’s bite are the loss of motor functions and difficulty breathing after which paralysis can set in eventually leading to death.

11. Saltwater Crocodile

Crocodiles are not very friendly creatures by any means and so the Saltwater crocodiles which are also known as the estuarine crocodiles easily make their way on this list. Similar to the box jellyfish, these are also found in the northern coastal regions of Australia.

With an average length of more than 7 meters and weighing almost 1,000 kg, these creatures are excellent predators and are known to ambush their prey. If they end up biting a large animal then they are known to thrash it around wildly until small chunks of meat break off. Normally this plus the force of the bite should be enough to kill any animal. Also, their skin is extremely tough so there isn’t much that can be done to fend them off or hurt them.

10. Box Jellyfish

Pull up any list about the most dangerous creatures on this planet and you’re bound to see the box jellyfish. They get their name from the box-like shape of their bell (top of the jellyfish) and not only that, they also have numerous tentacles that can grow out to be almost two meters in length.

These contain numerous stings that are capable of paralyzing fish so humans normally don’t stand a chance either. A large dose of this can affect breathing and cause cardiac arrest which leads to death in mere minutes. These are usually found in coastal waters of Australia during the summer which is the perfect time for people to go out and take a swim.

9. Kangaroo

Why is the Kangaroo on this list you ask, isn’t it a cute and cuddly animal? Most definitely not as their appearance can be quite deceiving. Have you ever seen two kangaroos fight? They’re some of the most vicious fighters on this planet.

In a shocking incident that happened in Melbourne, a huge kangaroo ended up severely injuring a man after mauling his Pomeranian puppy to death. The family woke up to screams of their dog as the owner tried to make the kangaroo flee but it ended up attacking him as well. This is the only way that they prove to be deadly, however, as kangaroos also contribute to 5.5% of the road deaths that occur across Australia.

8. Irukandji Jellyfish

The Irukandji jellyfish perfectly symbolizes the phrase that big things come in small packages, if you replaced the word big with deadly that is. This particular jellyfish is quite small, in fact, it is the size of a human fingernail but don’t let its tiny appearance fool you.

The venom that this creature is capable of injecting is considered to be 100 times stronger than that of a cobra. If you’re unfortunate enough of being stung by one of these, you will start experiencing the Irukandji syndrome which is basically a combination of vomiting, extreme muscle pain, and difficulty in breathing. All of this usually happens within 20 minutes so it can be quite late by the time you reach the hospital.

7. Australian Paralysis Tick

Ticks are nasty little critters with almost 800 different species spread across the entire world. Out of those, 75 can be found in Australia but the deadliest among these is the Australian paralysis tick.

If an adult female tick is able to remain attached to the host, which can often time be humans for several days then this can sometimes result in a systematic paralysis. Up until 1989, twenty human deaths had been confirmed in Australia that were directly caused by the paralysis tick. The tick larvae are also capable of causing a reaction known as the “scrub itch” which can result in the swelling of the face and throat, making it difficult for the affected person to breathe.

6. Sydney Funnel Web Spider

Spiders are nasty little creatures that exist all over the world and a lot of people, including us absolutely hate them. The Sydney Funnel Web Spider is a particularly nasty one that is native to the northern shores of Sydney, hence the name.

It has been responsible for the deaths of 14 people since 1927 and only the males are known to deliver the fatal bite, however, that doesn’t make it any less scary. The bite is quite painful and it severely affects the nervous system eventually leading to death. Since direct UV light can hurt them, they tend to find shelter inside shoes or places without much light.

5. Blue ringed Octopus

If there is anything that we learned about wild creatures as kids in school, it was that we should avoid the brightly colored ones at all costs. They’re normally the deadliest of the bunch. The blue-ringed octopus is no exception to this rule.

As you can probably guess from the name by now, it is covered in blue rings that light up like the Fourth of July when threatened. If this isn’t enough to scare you away then you’re purposefully asking for trouble. A venomous bite from one of these can result in respiratory failure which eventually leads to death. The worst part is that there is no known antivenom either so good luck with that.

4. Inland Taipan

You’re probably going to see quite a few snakes on this list. One of them is the inland taipan, which similar to the eastern brown snake is also quite a venomous one. They can easily blend in with the environment where they live which are usually desert areas and can grow over to be more than 2.5 meters in length.

Only a single drop of its venom is known to be powerful enough to easily kill a hundred grown men. The only reason why they don’t cause a lot of deaths in Australia is because they’re usually found in areas with a scarce human population. A bite from one of these will result in a stroke which can cause death within minutes.

3. Red Bellied Black Snake

Another snake that successfully ended up on our list is the red bellied black snake. It should be no surprise by this point that bright and flashy colors on any creature in Australia simply means that you should stay the hell away from it.

The black exterior on the top allows it to perfectly blend in with the environment at night while its red belly can glow under a UV light. They are mostly found on the eastern coast of Australia and can easily grow up to be more than 2 meters in length. Their venom can be quite deadly, leading to kidney failure and sometimes even death if an anti-venom isn’t administered on time.

2. Stonefish

The water in Australia is no different than the land when it comes to harboring all sorts of deadly creatures. One of these is the stonefish, which, as it is quite evident from the name, resembles a piece of rock.

Because of this excellent camouflage, they can be extremely difficult to spot even when put inside aquariums. This ends up in a situation where some poor soul accidentally steps on one of these, receiving a painful dose of neurotoxin as a result. It is said that the pain from this sting is so excruciating that many of the victims are willing to have their limbs amputated. It can also be potentially life threatening if an anti-venom isn’t administered on time.

1. Cone shells

Even the snails in Australia are deadly. The coneshells, often times also referred to as textile cones because of their colorful patterns are capable of delivering a neurotoxin that can kill a human. You also don’t need to step on one of these for that to happen.

They are equipped with a tiny harpoon that can be fired in any direction and some of these are so powerful that they can easily penetrate gloves or a wetsuit. They have been responsible for a number of deaths around the world but the symptoms of their sting can take several days to show at which point it is already too late.