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BITES AND STINGS THAT ARE REALLY PAINFUL

Added on: 24th Sep 2016

 

BOX JELLYFISH

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These gelatinous sea creatures, sometimes referred to as

“painful stingers” in Australia, are among the most feared

animals in the ocean. You might have a better chance of

escaping a shark attack unscathed than surviving a swim

through a box jellyfish’s tentacles. The venom is so toxic

that they are reputed to be some of the most venomous

creatures in the world. Adding to their nightmarish mystique,

box jellyfish are nearly invisible to unsuspecting swimmers.

 

 

STINGRAY

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The creature that killed Steve Irwin isn’t usually a threat to

humans, but it won’t hesitate to strike with a painful, serrated

barb if threatened. Aside from being laced with venom, the

barbs are also known to break off in the wound, occasionally

requiring surgery to remove. It doesn’t help that the barbs are

most often delivered to the sensitive underside of a person’s

foot while wading along in the ocean. This is one sting you

won’t soon forget.

 

 

PAPER WASP

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These inch-long wasps create magnificent curvy, detailed nests

from wood fibre and saliva and for the most part, are very placid.

It pays to not get too close, though. According to the Schmidt

Pain Index, their sting is “caustic and burning with a distinctly

bitter aftertaste. Like spilling a beaker of hydrochloric acid

on a paper cut.”

 

 

RED HARVESTER ANT

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Red harvester ants are adorably industrious, foraging for

seeds on the forest floor and hoarding them in underground

larders. However, they can be downright aggressive when

defending their stash. Their sting ranks alongside paper wasps

in intensity and is “bold and unrelenting, like somebody using a

drill to excavate your ingrown toenail,”

says the Schmidt Pain Index.

 

 

GILA MONSTER

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Gila monsters are colourful lizards native to the American

Southwest that can deliver quite the wallop and their

neurotoxic venom is only the half of it. Since they lack the

musculature to forcibly inject the venom, they rely on

hard chewing with their sharp teeth to ensure the poison

gets implanted. Gila monsters can be so aggressive that they

have been known to flip over while biting, further opening

up the wound. Luckily, these creatures are mostly docile

toward humans so long as they are left alone.

 

 

PLATYPUS

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Considering the large number of venomous creatures that

inhabit Australia, the odd-looking, cute, and clumsy platypus

might seem like a safe option. Think again. A male platypus has

ankle spurs that are capable of delivering a wicked sting.

So wicked that the excruciating pain can incapacitate an

adult human. The pain is also long lasting and can even

turn into a condition called hyperalgesia, a heightened

sensitivity to pain that may last for weeks or months

following the initial sting.

 

 

TARANTULA HAWK WASP

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The tarantula hawk wasp is only two inches long and three

inches wide, looks totally harmless, but the damage its bite

can do is one of a kind. However, while it’s very close to the

most painful sting on Earth, the agony and pain lasts only

a few minutes.

 

 

BULLET ANT

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This not so intimidating-looking ant is capable of inflicting the

most agonizing sting in the insect world. The Schmidt Pain

Index describes it as “pure, intense, brilliant pain. Like

Fire walking over flaming charcoal with a three inch rusty

nail in your heel.” According to victims who have suffered

both the misfortune of being stung by a bullet ant and

being shot with a firearm, the feeling is similar (hence

the name). And the pain can last for twelve hours.

 


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