PAINFUL BITES AND STINGS
Added on: 3rd Jul 2016
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.
Comment on this