PAINFUL BITES AND STINGS

COMMON HONEYBEE

Don’t dismiss the sting of the common honeybee. The toxic cocktail

of militating and other amines acts on the heart and restricts

the blood vessels. The pain is hot and messy and familiar to almost

everyone, which is why Schmidt placed the honeybee sting

in the centre of the pain index.

AMAZON GIANT CENTIPEDE

These carnivorous centipedes, which can grow up to a foot long,

need a potent bite to kill large prey such as mice and bats

(that’s right, bats). It’s estimated that the pain associated with

their bite is on the upper level of the Schmidt pain index and

the burning pain lasts for a long time (people are usually

whining and limping around a good twelve hours later).

FIRE ANT

A single fire ant sting is not particularly painful but twenty bites

from fire ants will certainly elevate the pain factor significantly.

For such small creatures, they’re quite toxic. Their toxin has

been used to cause pain (and eventually death) similar to that

experienced by Socrates when he was forced to drink

hemlock in ancient Greece.

GERMAN YELLOW JACKET

The common yellow jacket packs a mighty punch, and the German

variety, introduced accidentally to the United States in 1975,

even more so. Its aggressive manner has usurped the native

yellow jacket to such an extent that many other insects mimic

the German type in an effort to be mistaken for a bully. As with

many wasps, bees, and hornets, these insects mark their victims

with a scent so that other yellow jackets can locate the intruders

and sting them repeatedly.

HOBO SPIDER

The hobo spider is a member of the genus of spiders known

colloquially as funnel-web spiders (not to be confused with the

Australian funnel-web spider). The medical significance of its bite

is still poorly understood and debated, but the only certain thing

is that the pain and horrifying wound it causes its victim is

considered one of the most severe in the world.

GOLDEN POISON DART FROG

The golden poison dart frog is considered one of the most toxic

animals on Earth. A single specimen measuring two inches

(five centimetres) has enough venom to kill ten grown men.

The indigenous Emberá of Colombia have used its powerful

venom for centuries to tip their blowgun darts when hunting,

hence the species’ name. This creature’s bite won’t only kill you

but will make you suffer extreme pain along the way.

YAK-KILLER HORNET

The yak-killer toxin can cause severe allergic reactions.  In fact,

the death toll in Japan from yak-killers is reputedly greater than

that from all other wild animals in the country combined.

According to some survivors, it feels like “a hot nail

being driven into the leg.”

EUROPEAN HORNET

In spite of their tiny size, European hornets are generally far

less aggressive than wasps. Of course, that doesn’t stop them

from stinging when provoked. The sting from a European hornet

compares to that of honeybees and feels like a match that

flips out and burns on your skin.