Naive Looking Creatures that Can Actually Kill You

It’s not incorrect to quote that Australia is the land where everything that walks, crawls or flies has the potential to kill you. Along with you, animals like great white sharks, crocodiles, some of the most dangerous species of spiders and world’s most poisonous snakes too call Australia their beloved home. But besides these popular killer machines, the country is the home to a number of assassins in disguise. We are talking about a few naïve or even ‘cute’ looking creatures that can actually send you to another dimension in a matter of just a few minutes.
Cone Shells – Cone snails or cone shells are predatory sea creatures (snails and molluscs) which are found on almost all the beaches of Australia. Some of the commonly found shells include the razor shells, limpets, abalones, turban shells, top shells and periwinkles. All of these are known to be toxic, but some of these are extremely venomous. Their pretty looking shells attract you towards them and once you make the mistake of touching them, they release neurotoxic peptides causing you pain, numbness, swelling and in worst case scenario, death!
Magpies – These pretty black and white birds are harmless during most time of the year, but come August and they suddenly turn into evil, blood drawing aggressors. Mid August to October is their nesting season, during which these birds become quite aggressive. Males, in particular start swooping down on people, trying to protect their young ones from a possible threat. People have incurred serious injuries during such attacks, in the past. Some even lost their eyes!
Honey Bees – Most people don’t need to worry about these bees as their venom only causes mild pain and swelling. But for those who are allergic to apitoxin venom produced by these bees, a sting can cause an anaphylactic shock that can result in death. About three percent of the Australian population is allergic to this venom. In a study it was revealed that honey bees cause more deaths in Australia than venomous spiders.
Wombats – These furry little creatures are nocturnal marsupials that don’t really look like much of a danger, but you need to remember that wombats are extremely agile (they can move at a speed of over 40 kilometres per hour) and they have been known to attack humans. In one instance a man from Victoria lost his leg as he was attacked by a wombat. Also, these animals bolt onto the roads at night and if you are not careful, a collision with a wombat can turn into an ugly accident.
Kangaroos and Wallabies – These animals do not really attack humans unless they are provoked, but each year they cause a large number of road accidents. Half of the collision accidents that occur on the roads of Australia involve kangaroos and wallabies. Since these animals are nocturnal, most number of mishaps occur during the night.