PAINFUL BITES AND STINGS YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO HANDLE
Added on: 21st Apr 2016
BRAZILIAN WANDERING SPIDER
These species are sometimes also referred to as banana spiders
because they are frequently found on banana leaves. They have an
aggressive defence posture, in which they raise their front legs
straight up in the air. They are extremely poisonous to humans
and they are considered to be the deadliest of the world’s spiders.
Their venom is toxic to the nervous system, causing symptoms
such as extreme pain, salivation, irregular heartbeat, and prolonged
painful erections (known as priapism).
CANDIRU FISH
These tiny creatures feed mainly on blood, can often be found inside
the gills of other fish, and have been known to swim up a human’s
urethra. Once they wiggle their way inside, they expand, nestle in
and send you to the emergency room in need of an invasive medical
extraction. Though sometimes considered an urban legend, the
candiru is a real threat to unknowing swimmers and the pain their
bite causes has been described as unrealistically horrible.
ARIZONA BARK SCORPION
These are the most venomous scorpions in North America—a
frightening fact considering that this is the most commonly
encountered house scorpion in Arizona. The venom causes
acute pain and can lead to frothing at the mouth, breathing
difficulties, and muscle convulsions. Limbs may become
immobilized. Though the venom is rarely fatal, its effects can last
for as long as seventy-two excruciating hours.
THE VIPER
There are more deadly snakebites than those delivered by a viper,
but viper bites are reputed to be the most painful. Van Wallach of
the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology describes his worst
encounter with a viper as follows: “It felt like somebody had a
blowtorch and was burning the inside of your arm. It went on for
three straight days before I had any relief.” Of course,
envenomation from a viper can also kill you, so it’s best to
avoid these slithery serpents at all costs.
STONEFISH
Not every creature on this list is capable of delivering a painful sting
that can kill you, but the stonefish is one of the exceptions. Stonefish
are the most venomous fish in the world, delivering often-fatal
stings to humans as well. An ancient dance ritual performed by
Australian Aborigines is a lesson in the dangers of the stonefish:
the dancer displays terrible agony, writhing on the ground until
finally succumbing to a death song. Needless to say, this is one
fish you don’t want to accidentally step on while walking
on the beach.
BLACK WIDOW
One of the world’s most notorious spiders, the black widow lives
up to its reputation and is capable of delivering a bite that
ranks among the most painful in nature. Interestingly, bites from
small black widows are benign because the smaller spiders
aren’t capable of delivering much venom. But if you’re unlucky
enough to get bitten by a larger one, get ready for a rough ride.
Envenomation from a black widow can cause a condition called
latrodectism, which involves constant, strong, painful muscle
contractions that seem never-ending.
SWEAT BEE
The Halictidae, better known as sweat bees, are a very large and
nearly cosmopolitan family of the order Hymenoptera consisting
of small to midsize bees that are usually dark-coloured and often
metallic in appearance. Their sting is considered one of the most
painful among insects and according to those who have suffered
one, it feels like it burns and hurts like hell at the same time.
BULLHORN ACACIA ANT
The bullhorn acacia ant is a species of ant of the genus Pseudomyrmex.
These arboreal, wasp-like ants have an orange-brown body around
three millimetres in length and very large eyes. The acacia ant is
best known and named for living in symbiosis with the bullhorn
acacia (Acacia cornigera) throughout Central America. If you
have the bad luck to be bitten by it, you will feel a rare, piercing,
elevated sort of pain like someone has fired a staple into your cheek.
BALD-FACED HORNET
The bald-faced hornet is a eusocial wasp of the cosmopolitan
Vespidae family. Its colloquial names include the bald-faced
hornet, bald hornet, white-faced hornet, white-tailed hornet,
black jacket, and bull wasp. Its sting is considered to be super rich,
hearty, slightly crunchy, and if you get bitten, the bite has been
described as similar to getting your hand smashed in a
revolving door.
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