9781422278642

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Mason Crest 450 Parkway Drive, Suite D Broomall, Pennsylvania 19008 (866) MCP-BOOK (toll free)

Copyright © 2018 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher. First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ISBN (hardback) 978-1-4222-3927-8 ISBN (series) 978-1-4222-3923-0 ISBN (ebook) 978-1-4222-7864-2 Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file with the Library of Congress Lethal Animals Text copyright © 2015 Pascal Press Written by Stella Tarakson First published 2015 by Pascal Press PO Box 250, Glebe, NSW 2037 Australia Publisher: Lynn Dickinson Principal Photographer: Steve Parish © Nature-Connect Pty Ltd Additional Photography: See p. 48 Researcher: Clare Thomson, Wild Card Media Editor: Vanessa Barker

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contents

❶ Causes of Death

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❷ Crocodiles ❸ Sharks ❹ Fangs ❺ Stingers ❻ Harpoons

12 16 28 30 32 34 36 40 46

❼ Spines

❽ Venom Surprises

❾ Disease

Chapters ❿ Poison Glossary

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CHAPTER 1

CAUSES of DEATH Of all the countries in the world, Australia is the most dangerous in terms of animals. Savage spiders, criminal crocodiles, serial killer snakes—they’ve got them all! No one knows why so many of the world’s most dangerous animals live there. Some scientists think it’s the climate. Some think it’s an accident of evolution.They might just be unlucky!

Australia is famous for having more deadly species per 0.4 square mile (1 square kilometer) than any other continent. But it’s important to keep this in perspective. As the bar chart shows, very few people are actually

killed by these animals. In fact, ladders are far more dangerous! Watch out—there might be one hiding in your garage!

I probably won’t kill you...today!

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FIGURES BASED ON STATISTICS FROM 2010–2013

heart disease

32,000

accidental fall

1845

121

drowning

falling from a ladder

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Australia has 21 of the world’s 25 deadliest snakes.

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lightning

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snakes

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sharks

it wasn’t a spider

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crocodiles

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spiders

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CHAPTER 1 CAUSES of DEATH

who’s a pretty boy?

1. PHYSICAL ATTACK

by biting, kicking and squeezing

2. POISONING

when a toxic animal is touched or eaten

3. VENOM

injecting with fangs or stingers 4. SPREADING DISEASE passing lethal germs onto humans

I’ll rip his arm off...

People use these words interchangeably, but they’re not the same thing! Venom is injected by fangs, spines or stingers. Poison, however, only makes you sick if you touch or eat it. Poisonous plants and animals aren’t always an obvious danger—but they’re still deadly! Oleander plants are common, and eating any part of them can be fatal. Even honey made from bees that feed on oleander is poisonous!

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Did you know Australia was once populated by carnivorous kangaroos? Fortunately, these meat-eaters have been replaced by the iconic critters we know and love. But even modern kangaroos can be dangerous! They have enlarged toes and nails on their back feet, perfect for delivering killer kicks. Normally, male kangaroos fight each other—but they sometimes take their aggression out on people!

They might look like family pets—but don’t play fetch with them! Dingoes have been known to attack and even kill people. Usually they’re wary and keep their distance, but they become bolder once they get used to receiving food from people. So don’t offer them any snacks!

I also kick sand in your face!

These huge flightless birds are usually shy and retiring. But that doesn’t mean they don’t know how to defend themselves when they feel threatened. They have a powerful kick and sharp claws that can cause serious damage when used. Though known to sometimes kill dogs, a cassowary has only ever killed one person, and the bird was acting in self-defence.

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CHAPTER 2

Come on in, the water’s fine!

CROCODILES

What looks like a sunken branch and has eyes, ears and a nose? If you don’t know the answer, you’re in trouble! When hunting, crocodiles hide in shallow water with only their nostrils, ears and eyes poking out.This allows them to detect approaching prey while remaining hidden. Crocs can look like bits of rotting timber—until they suddenly launch themselves at lunch.They can rush several yards (meters) to snap at prey. Pray that it isn’t you!

It’s like a spa in here!

Australia has the highest river densities of saltwater crocodiles in the world. Considering this, the number of deaths isn’t as high as you might expect. There have been 99 attacks on people since 1971 and only about a quarter of these were fatal.

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Look out behind you! Crocodiles stalk their prey and are experts at creeping up behind their victims. They can move with surprising speed and agility. In their own environment, they are easily faster than humans! They have 64 large teeth that they use to crush small prey and swallow it whole. But don’t feel too secure. Larger prey is shaken to pieces first! ✔

Ever heard of the death roll? No, not the

moldy bread roll still sitting in your schoolbag! It’s the violent way that crocodiles kill large prey. The croc bites its victim and hangs on tight. It drags it into the water and spins rapidly to drown the unfortunate prey.

✗

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CHAPTER 2 CROCODILES

Gotcha!

CROCODILES CAN’T OPEN THEIR MOUTHS UNDERWATER. Some people believe they’re safe as long as the croc stays submerged, but that’s WRONG! Crocodiles have a special valve at the back of their throat that stops water getting in. They can, in fact, open their mouths and bite when submerged. It might surprise you, but most attacks happen this way!

fresh water... no crocs...

SALTWATER CROCODILES DO NOT ENTER FRESHWATER. If anyone tells you it’s safe to swim in freshwater areas because saltwater crocs won’t go there, they’re WRONG! All

crocodiles are freshwater animals. Saltwater crocs only enter saline areas because of the food. They like their salty snacks!

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CROCODILES HIDE THEIR PREY TO LET IT ROT. There’s an idea that

crocs store fresh kills for several days under logs because they can’t eat meat unless it has started decomposing. This is WRONG! There is no proof of this. Crocodiles are perfectly capable of tearing off chunks of meat from a fresh kill. Most food is at least partially gobbled down straight after it’s been caught!

Let’s see what we have today... arm, hand, head or bottom?

How can you stay safe in crocodile-infested habitats? Simple! Stay well away from the water! But if you do decide to venture in, you MUST assume that crocs could be lurking there, hidden from view. Remember, you don’t need to

provoke a crocodile for it to attack you. Simply being there is enough!

Just a bit closer...

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CHAPTER 3

SHARKS

Over the last two decades, there have been more than 200 unprovoked shark attacks in Australia.More than half of these attacks occurred in the last decade. Are sharks becoming more violent? Or are we just getting in their way more often?

Great white shark

Of the 170 species of sharks in Australian waters, only three types are people killers: the bull shark, tiger shark and great white shark.

hey guys...I just wanted to play!

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This map shows where shark attacks have taken place between 1791 and 2009. Each red dot represents an attack!

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On any summer’s day, there are literally thousands of people taking a dip at beautiful Australian beaches. It’s been estimated that around 100 million people pop down to the beach each year. Not everyone ends up as shark food, though! But as the population continues to grow and spread, the occasional deadly encounter becomes inevitable!

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10

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0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Shark attacks

Fatalities

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CHAPTER 3 SHARKS

After being bitten once, most people taken by sharks are released. Maybe the shark mistook a human for its usual prey. The shark may be backing off when it realizes the flavor’s all wrong— perhaps sharks don’t find us too tasty! Around 30 percent of all recorded attacks don’t result in any injury to the victim. Better for them to snack on surfboards than humans!

Shark teeth

Don’t spit out your food, son!

Shark attacks aren’t always fatal, and many victims survive. Bethany Hamilton, an American surfer, lost her arm when attacked by a shark. But she hasn’t let it scare her off. She continues to surf—and even still competes!

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