Not all animals are cute and cuddly, especially in Australia. The country is home to 66 venomous species, making it the third country with the most dangerous wildlife in the world. It’s not unusual to meet a deadly fellow on your way to the shop or even the bathroom.
Sure, it sounds scary to live there, but don’t worry; the locals have totally mastered how to stay safe around scary creatures, armed with an array of sticks and sometimes a potato sack or a pillowcase.
While the locals have grown to feel relatively safe, our Bored Panda team’s collection of terrifying animals from the Land Down Under will make you appreciate the comfort of your own home. Warning: They’re guaranteed to send a few shivers down your spine.
#1 Come To Australia. It’s Safe, Mate
Image credits: bodahn
#2 Why You Must Check Your Shoes In Australia. Second Most Venomous Land Snake
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#3 Nothing To See Here, Just Keep Moving
Image credits: EmptySpaceForAHeart
The plethora of scary animals in Australia is mainly a consequence of geographical placement and evolution. 180 million years ago, Africa, South America, India, Australia and Antarctica were all joined together, and as they split apart, the venomous creatures were divided. Australia, the most isolated continent, was an encouraging ground for animals to become more dangerous.
Take snakes, for example. If all of them had venom of identical strength, they could only kill prey of one size, and eventually there wouldn’t be enough food. That’s why their venom usually differs in potency, allowing them to feed on different victims. Then, snakes are able to eat more food, survive, and pass toxicity on to future generations. This way, they become more and more common and significantly more venomous. Boom, evolution.
#4 The Morning Shoe Check (Before We Put Them On) Saved My Wife A Bit Of Pain Today
Image credits: ozmatterhorn
#5 Woke Up To A Snake In My Drawer (Australia)
Image credits: Aus_Scott
#6 Spider Takes On Snake And Wins
Image credits: The Aussie Farmer
Australia is also home to one of the most venomous creatures on the surface of the earth – box jellyfish. The sting is unbelievably painful and may cause paralysis, cardiac arrest, and death within five minutes. Survivors experience pain for weeks and often have scarring where the tentacles touched the skin. It doesn’t help that the deadliest animal is see-through and pale blue—perfectly disguised in the background of marines.
#7 It’s So Hot Here In Australia At The Moment, And I Wondered Why Birds Weren’t Using Our Bird Bath
Image credits: whitecollarzomb13
#8 Got Home From Work To Find This Tarantula Hawk Wasp Draging A Huntsman Spider (Sydney, Australia)
Image credits: space_monster
#9 Bunnings Really Does Sell Everything
Image credits: Red-Engineer
#10 Female Golden Orb Weaver On A Mate’s Hat. Australia
Image credits: reddit.com
Obviously, not all information circulating online about the mythical Australian wildlife is true. In reality, not all venomous creatures are going to kill you. They live in outback bushland areas, and the chances of meeting them are very slim. For instance, only two people per year die in Australia from snakebite, and it often happens due to people’s recklessness, like handling them or reaching into holes. Snakes are shy, retreating creatures, and they’ll slither away when approached.
There are a ton of species that look like bad news but are actually harmless. The common Australian Huntsman spider is just about the most terrifying looking thing, but it actually is a friend. They’re quite useful to keep around because they eat a lot of creatures that you truly don’t want to come across.
#11 Not Cleaning Myself With This
Image credits: DrCorona365
#12 Watch Out For These Guys As You Travel Up The Peninsula, Forming A Line A Few Meters In Length
Image credits: gumbananwildernessretreat
#13 I Love Australia
Image credits: RPA031
#14 Spider Webs Covering A Street Light. Yes Australia
Image credits: Michael_Snowy
Contrary to popular belief, most aquatic species in Australia are harmless to humans. Venomous sea animals like stingrays, stonefish, and marine snails are perfectly safe when they are left alone, as none are aggressive by nature.
Steve Irwin (the famous crocodile hunter) was very unfortunate to die in an accident involving a stingray. Their deadly attacks on humans are exceedingly rare, but because he was stabbed right in the heart, he died almost instantly. If Steve had been injured anywhere else, he probably would’ve survived to tell the tale.
#15 Just Another Day Down Under. My Mum’s Partner Found This Brown Snake Under His Toilet Lid
Image credits: whatisuniqueusername
#16 Spider In Our Pantry
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#17 Nope
Image credits: RealJakeyPooV
#18 That’s Why I Check My Earphones Every Time Before I Put Them On, The Same Goes For My Shoes
Image credits: ARussianAndHisBike
If scrolling through these pictures brought you intense anxiety, you might suffer from zoophobia—a fear of animals. It’s estimated that more than 12% of adults in the US have this fright. Most of the time, it’s directed at a specific kind of animal, like snakes, spiders, or rats. While a person with zoophobia knows that their fear is likely irrational, they can’t really control it. A fear of frogs might seem silly, but to some, they bring a sense of dread even just thinking about them.
This phobia may develop due to negative experiences with animals. For example, someone who’s been attacked by a dog may become terrified of them. Additionally, we may learn such behavior from a parent or a sibling, and genetics may influence us to be more anxious around wildlife than others.
#19 Unexpected Passenger Riding With My Hubby
Image credits: reddit.com
#20 Carpet Python Coming Out To Say Hello At A Service Station, Australia
Image credits: T_Raite
#21 Bull Shark At The Back Fence Due To Recent Flooding, Gold Coast, Australia
Image credits: AtomicCypher
#22 About To Start My Home Workout And Saw This Guy Hanging Out On My Ball (Australia)
Image credits: Mentiroso1
However, you shouldn’t worry. Australia is very aware that there are a lot of dangerous species around, so they take precautions to ensure that everyone remains safe. Most populated beaches have lifeguards who announce when it’s risky to go in the water, and helicopters monitor for any shark activity. Lifeguards are also on the lookout for dangerous jellyfish in the water and will ensure that no one stays in the water when they are spotted. For extra safety, many beaches have underwater netting to detect sharks, and some have enclosed ocean pools ideal for swimming.
Additionally, if you aren’t allowed to go or take a dip somewhere, there will be signs prohibiting you from doing so. A beach that might seem perfectly good to swim in for a tourist may have saltwater crocodiles inhabiting it. So, if you’re not supposed to go anywhere, there will be a sign for it, or you can ask a local just in case.
See, not everything in Australia is out to get you; most of it is incredibly exaggerated or created to spook you.
#23 Morning Commute In Australia
Image credits: Gryphon0468
#24 Reason #47 Why Australia Is Not Messing Around
Fun Australian fact – this kangaroo is waiting for pursuers to come into the water with him, where he will try to drown them. They are extremely good at it. Never, ever go into water with a kangaroo. Everything has lots of innovative ways to attack you here.
Image credits: RayMondeDeux
#25 Just A Huntsman That Crawled Out Of My Kettle This Morning
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#26 Forget Fluffy Dice. Only In Australia Would You Come Back To Your Car To See A Coastal Carpet Python Wrapped Around The Mirror
Image credits: josh_castle_snake_catcher
#27 We Just Found This Massive Stick Insect On Our Bins This Morning
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#28 So Much For Changing The Battery
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#29 A Friend Woke Up To Find This Little Guy Had Crawled Up Their Toilet. Just Another Day On Christmas Island
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#30 Scary Find In The Car
Image credits: AndrewHewat
#31 Okay, Who Had Spider Invasion For March? New South Wales, Australia. After 26″ Of Rain In 5 Days, Some Locals Are Looking For A New Home. (Everything Brown In This Pic Has 8 Legs)
Image credits: reddit.com
#32 Found This Fella Stuck In The Middle Of The Road, Took Him To Safety Behind A Tree
Image credits: JoJoPanda
#33 The New Child Safety Lock Works Great
Image credits: -rock-bobster-
#34 This Is The Largest Huntsman Spider In Australia But Also A Very Docile Species
Image credits: Bugs_and_Biology
#35 Only In Australia, Just A Few Spiders Escaping The 45 Degree Heat
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#36 Classic Australia. A Wasp Eating A Huntsman Spider. What A Nice Thing To Wake Up To
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#37 See Even Shopping In Australia Has Its Challenges
Image credits: reddit.com
#38 Thorny Devil, Found In Central Australia
Image credits: Bush Heritage Australia
#39 A Wasp Fights With A Huntsman At My Window. I’ll Never Go Outside Again
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#40 The Annual Red Crab Mass Migration To The Sea To Spawn
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#41 Went To Go Open My Garage Door, And Now I Have To Burn It To The Ground
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#42 Living Room Was Super Hot This Morning
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#43 A Night Full Of Mosquitoes In Mildura, Australia
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#44 Golden Orb Spider Eating A Micro Bat In Australia
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#45 This Strange Insect Was Sitting On A Mandarin Tree In Central Queensland, Australia
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#46 It’s 3:20 AM, This Was Crawling Right Next To My Face On My Pillow
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#47 Only In Australia
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#48 Yes It’s In Australia
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#49 I Thought It’d Be Nice To Appreciate A Truly Wonderful Aussie Creature, The Macropanesthia Rhinoceros
Image credits: AD_Kosmos
#50 Spider Hiding In My Apartment’s Peephole
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#51 Carpet Python Nice And Cosy On A Chair
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#52 We Initially Thought There Was Only 1 Snake, 2 Minutes After Leaving, We Received Another Call From The Same Lady Stating There Was Another Carpet Python In A Different Spot
Image credits: josh_castle_snake_catcher
#53 You Shouldn’t Leave A Small Dog Chained Up In Rural Australia, Otherwise, The Local Carpet Python Might Find It
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#54 I Almost Walked Into This Guy Until My Phone Light Illuminated It On My House
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#55 I Was Mowing The Lawn And Discovered This 35 Cm Long Stick Insect
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#56 Ah, Australia. Remember To Always Check Your Shoes
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#57 Centipede
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#58 There’s A Toad In My Boot
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#59 Always Remember To Check Your Shoes Before Wearing Them
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#60 Camping In Queensland, Australia
Image credits: Browndog888
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