9781422278642

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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