The World's Dangerous Animal In Japan

 

THE WORLD'S DANGEROUS ANIMAL  IN JAPAN

92.

Tanuki

Wild Tanuki on Sensuijima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture. Tanuki are a kind of raccoon dog that can be found throughout most of Japan. Folklore has it that they can shape-change to take on human form, or to disguise themselves as everyday objects. They’re reputed to be mischievous and jolly, though also a bit forgetful, and not very trustworthy. Despite this, most Japanese regard them fondly, and their statues are often placed by the entrances to temples to bring good luck.

This tanuki is living wild in Tokyo’s densely populated Koenji district, so you have a chance of seeing one even if you don’t venture out of the major cities.

93.

Wild Boar

Wild boar occur throughout all of Japan, except for the northern island of Hokkaido. This one is a small subspecies from the Okinawa Islands in Japan’s far south west.

94.

Squirrels

A red squirrel on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido. This is the same species of red squirrel found in Europe – it’s range stretches all the way across Asia, but as you can see from the photo, Japan’s ‘red’ squirrels are more grey than red.

A baby red squirrel in Hokkaido

This Siberian flying squirrel was photographed in Higashikawa in Hokkaido. Other species of flying squirrel occur on the Japanese mainland, including the Japanese giant flying squirrel which can glide more than 160 metres between trees. Although they’re quite common, you’ll be lucky to see one as they only come out at night. They spend the day hiding in trees in order to avoid predators.

95.

Bears

Japan’s largest wild animals are bears. This Asian black bear is on Mount Kurai in Gifu Prefecture, but black bears can be found in mountainous areas throughout most of Japan, even around the fringes of Tokyo.

Japan’s other species of bear is the brown bear, found only on the northern island of Hokkaido. This bear was seen crossing the road in Shiretoko, a World Heritage Area in Japan’s far north east.

It may not look it, but this is a baby brown (not black) bear, seen crossing an ordinary road in Hokkaido. Its mother was nowhere to be seen.

 

96.

Wild Cats

The Tsushima leopard cat is found only on Tsushima Island in western Japan. It’s critically endangered, so you’ll be very lucky to spot one in the wild. This is a captive-bred Tsushima cat at Fukuoka Zoo.

The Iriomote cat is another species of wildcat, this time found only on the very remote island of Iriomote, south west of Okinawa. It’s also critically endangered with, less than 250 remaining in the wild. This road sign, warns drivers of the presence of Iriomote cats, but they are nocturnal and rarely seen.

 

97.

Sable

A Japanese sable in Shintoku, Hokkaido. Sables were once found throughout Hokkaido, but now live only in forested areas in the north and east of the island.

98.

Red Fox

A red fox in Hokkaido in winter. Japanese folklore ascribes great wisdom and powerful magic to foxes, in particular the ability to take on human form. Sometimes they are devious, but more often they are faithful friends, or even lovers. If you think someone you meet might be a fox in disguise, you might be able to see their true form by looking either at their reflection in a mirror, or at their shadow. They also often don’t always manage to transform their tails, so keep your eyes out for people sporting big bushy tails.

Another red fox in Hokkaido, this time in the spring

99.

Serow

The Japanese serow is found in dense forest throughout most of Japan. It usually lives alone in or in pairs, and is distantly related to domestic sheep and goats. This serow is crossing a river in Norikura, a mountain plateau in Nagano Prefecture.

 

100.

Marten

Japanese Marten are relatives of the sable, and are found all over Japan, except for the north of Hokkaido and on some of the smaller islands. This one was spotted on Mount Tanzawa, just west of Yokohama.

101.

Deer

The sika deer is native to Japan other parts of east Asia, but it will be familiar to many visitors as it’s been introduced to many other parts of the world, including Europe, the USA and Australia. Since the extinction of its main predator, the wolf, more than a hundred years ago, its numbers have risen sharply, and there are now around a hundred thousand living in the wild. This deer is seen by a river in Hokkaido’s Shiretoko Peninsulaworld heritage area.

While it might not look much like the one in the photo above, this is also a sika deer, but it’s grown a longer and darker coat in preparation for the winter. It was photographed in Hokkaido in the autumn.

In several places in Japan, tame deer wander into urban areas, so they’re one of the easiest of Japan’s native animals to see in the wild. This deer is roaming the streets of Miyajima, a popular tourist destination in Hiroshima Prefecture.

102.

Snow Monkeys

The Japanese Macaque, or Snow Monkey, is native to Japan, and lives further north and in a colder climate than any other primate except for us humans. Here we see a mother and her baby on Mount Arashiyama, with the city of Kyoto in the background.

This monkey is sitting on an information board that explains how to approach wild monkeys. It’s in Jigokudani Yaenkoen, an area of the Joshin-Etsu Kogen National Park that is frequented by wild monkeys. The national park encompasses parts of three prefectures: Gunma, Niigata and Nagano, but Jigokudani Yaenkoen is in Nagano Prefecture.

These monkeys are bathing in an onsen (a natural hot spring) within Jigokudani Yaenkoen. If you can’t make it there in person, you just might be able to see some monkeys bathing using this live webcam.

103.

Weasel

Two kinds of weasel inhabit Japan. The native Japanese weasel is found nationwide, while the closely related Siberian weasel has been introduced, and is now found throughout western Japan. This photo shows a Siberian weasel at a house in Nara Prefecture.

104.

Birds

This is a green pheasant, a bird found only in Japan. In 1947 the Ornithological Society of Japan declared it to be Japan’s national bird, but this designation has never been officially recognised.

Another bird often regarded as Japan’s national bird is the red crowned crane, seen here in Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo. It’s an endangered species, with only about one thousand birds remaining in the wild in Japan, and another two thousand or so in China and Korea.

105.

Giant Hornets

This Japanese Giant Hornet was photographed on a balcony in Tokyo. They are the world’s largest hornets, and can be more than four centimetres long, with a wingspan of over six centimetres. Statistically it’s Japan’s most dangerous wild animal, as around forty people each year die of anaphylactic shock after being stung. But please don’t let this put you off visiting Japan – you’re very unlikely to come across one, and even if you do, they rarely sting unless you do something to annoy them.

106.

Snakes

The most common snake in Japan is the venomous mamushi, whose bite is occasionally fatal. The yamakagashi is also venomous, but it’s more likely to run away or hide when confronted by humans, so it’s not much of a danger. The really dangerous snakes are the highly venomous habu, but thankfully they live only in Japan’s south west islands. The snake seen here is an Okinawa habu. It likes to hide in caves and old tombs, but also enters houses in search of mice and rats. Unlike the yamakagashi, it’s not scared of humans, and may attack with lightning speed if disturbed. If medical treatment is received promptly, the bites aren’t usually life-threatening, but they can still cause permanent injury. Bizarrely, Okinawan habu are hunted for use in making a rice-based spirit called habushu, which is reputed to have medicinal properties. Some manufacturers sell this in bottles with whole intact habu inside!

The World's Dangerous Animal In british

                        The World's Dangerous Animal  In British

84.

Adder

The adder (Vipera berus) is the only venomous snake in the British Isles. Reaching almost a meter (30 ins) in length the adder is widespread and fairly common throughout the UK. Adders generally feed on small mammals, lizards, amphibians and birds but have been recorded to take on weasels.
To take on this sort of prey the snake must be able to disable its prey rapidly. As a species of viper the adder will recoil into the characteristic S-shape before launching forwards at speed and sinking its 1cm fangs in, injecting venom.

The bite of an adder is not generally considered dangerous with the venom around 40 times less potent that the most deadly snakes.  However, it is often extremely painful and can on rare occasions be fatal. In Britain there have been 14 recorded deaths from adder bites since 1876 with the last one nearly 40 years ago. Besides acute local pain symptoms involve the pain spreading up the limb along with bruising which may turn the whole limb black. Extreme complications involve necrosis or an allergic reaction which can be deadly.

As a rule adders are not aggressive and will attempt to avoid humans. It is only in situations where they cannot they will emit a hiss followed by adopting the striking position. I don’t know the figures for the UK but around 1,300 people a year are bitten by adders in Sweden.

85.

Cows

When people think of cows they tend to think of rather docile animals that are possibly a little too dim or unimaginative to be of any danger. Unfortunately the statistics show another side to the gentle giant of the British countryside with on average 1 person a year being killed by cows. They evenattacked one of the UK’s top politicians once – may be they aren’t quite so dim…

Before we go on I’d like to get it straight that we are talking about cows here and not bulls. It seems whilst bulls pack more punch per pound they don’t have the strength in numbers that a herd of killer cows do.

With cow herds in many fields with public footpaths running through them people are bound to come into contact with cows. I have walked in fields full of cows myself on any number of occasions. That said, there was the one time when they seemed to follow me around in a big group and then stop every time I turned around.
Given a field full of cows with each one weighing well over half a ton you can see the potential for danger even if they were just clumsy. But this doesn’t appear to be what happens. In the reported cases the cows have really gone on the attack. Victims have described how the cows rolled them along the ground, kicking and stamping on them. They have even said there seemed to be leaders in the herd.

It seems that there are 2 common factors in most of these cases. Dogs are present and the attacks occur in spring or early summer which is around calving season. The advice if the situation starts turning a little ugly is to let go of your dog as this is what will be bothering the cows. And don’t worry the cows won’t be able to catch a dog.

86.

Spiders

Unlike Australia, for example, the UK is not known for its plethora of deadly biting spiders. In fact there isn’t a single record of anyone dying from a spider bite in Britain. But, that isn’t to say we don’t have a fair few eight-legged critters that are capable of giving a quite nasty nip.

There are around 15 British spiders that are on record as having bitten anyone. The severity varies from barely noticeable and a bit itchy to about as bad as a wasp sting. Anyone in the UK who hasn’t been living under a rock will probably have heard of the False Widow spider (Steatoda nobilis). This is the most venomous British spider and is becoming increasingly common. It’s related to the notorious Black Widow spiders and is kind of a watered down version. As well as a painful bite there can be a few system-wide symptoms like feeling unwell and even heart palpitations.

87.

Killer Whale / Orca

Maybe this shouldn’t be on the list but then again this is possibly the most powerful predator on the planet. They are also known to commonly frequent the waters around the UK. Now, I know there aren’t any recorded unprovoked killer whale attacks but imagine if one of these monsters did turn bad…

At up to 35 ft (10m) in length, weighing 10 tons and capable of swimming nearly 40 mph (60 km/h) the killer whale has little trouble tackling any size of prey. They have been known to take on sperm whales, blue whales and even great white sharks which they dispatch with little trouble. More commonly they prey on seals and sea lions which they kill with a headbut or a blow from the tail.

With those credentials I figured I had to include the killer whale on this list – even though you are much more likely to be chased by a seal.

88.

Jellyfish

Virtually all jellyfish can sting to some degree. They do this with specialised stinger cells on their tentacles which fire out tiny envenomated harpoons at incredible speed.
There are several jellyfish considered native to British waters and a few frequent visitors. Of these two are particularly worthy of mention and can both be considered dangerous.

The Lion’s Mane jellyfish (Cyanea capillata) is the world’s largest. Its bell can reach 2 metres (7ft) across and its tentacles can stretch for over 40 metres (120ft). It is capable of delivering a particularly severe sting which may result in blisters, muscle cramps and even impaired respiratory and heart function. The stinging cells also remain active long after the animal has died so washed up specimens can still give a nasty sting.

One of the most infamous of all jellyfish is a not uncommon summer visitor to Britain’s coast. The Portuguese Man o’ War (Physalia physalis) whilst not a true jellyfish certainly looks and stings like one. Whilst a single sting is not serious getting one of these tentacles tangled around you can be. The venom of the Man o’ War can cause nausea, convulsions and very rarely death (although never in the UK).

89.

Red Deer

Weighing in at around 100kg (220lbs), measuring 2 metres (6.6 ft) in length and armed with a formidable set of antlers red deer are Britain’s biggest wild animal. Forget Bambi, these animals can be highly aggressive at certain times of year and look anything but cute when reared up on their hind legs ready to bear down with their hooves.

Autumn is the breeding (or rutting) season for red deer in Britain. During the run up to rutting the male deer get a huge boost in testosterone levels which makes them more aggressive, causes there antlers to grow and even increases muscle size, particularly in the neck region. These modifications are primarily intended for fighting other stags but it also makes them unpredictable and potentially dangerous to humans.

In a recent case a deer farmer was killed by one of his own stags during the rutting season in Wales. Whilst fatalities are rare this is by no means an isolated incident and deer of all types should be avoided at this time of year.

Of course these numbers pale into insignificance when compared to the number of people killed on the roads by deer related crashes. Around 50,000 dear are hit by cars every year in the UK resulting in 450 injuries to people and several fatalities.

90.

Fox

Given the fact all the big wild animals were pretty much wiped out by hunting we’re only left with the fox and badger as wild carnivores. If I had the choice of being locked in a room with an angry badger or an angry fox I’d take the fox any day. The point is though that a badger wouldn’t end up in a room with me as they are shy and retiring creatures. Foxes, however, often come into contact with humans. It used to just be angry chicken farmers or that wonderful upper class British establishment “the hunt”. Now-a-days there are urban foxes; the sort of fox that probably doesn’t even know where milk comes from.

The concept of a fox attack was pretty alien to most people until June 2010 when nine-month-old twins were savaged by a fox that had crept into their house in London. Whilst the injuries didn’t prove life-threatening it showed that foxes were willing and able to attack humans. Whilst rare this is not the only documented fox attack. There have been at least two other attacks over the last several years

91.

Seagulls

Whilst many people retain a romantic view of seagulls following fishing boats into quaint harbours, their distinctive cries a defining feature of the seaside, the reality is they are a growing menace. Now this isn’t necessarily the seagull’s fault. They have been lured more and more into contact with humans by the easy pickings offered from overflowing bins to tourists leaving food lying around.

Whatever the cause they are becoming bolder and more aggressive. Affectionately known as “sky rats” eating anything outside in a British seaside town has become a sure fire invitation to be dive bombed. The prime culprit is the Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) which can weigh up to 1.5kg (3.5 lbs). Fortunately unprovoked attacks from the significantly bigger Black-backed Gull (pictured) are less common.

The standard modus operandi of the seagull is to make a couple of low passes which might involve emptying its bowels or stomach on you. Following this, if you haven’t run for cover, the gull will gain altitude and dive, approaching its target from behind. Hitting a top speed of around 40 mph (60 km/h) the gull drags its claws across the victims head often resulting in a deep cut.

In recent attacks one woman was hospitalised, a dog pecked to death and a Welsh pensioner died of a heart attack during an attack.

92.

Wasps and Bees

Yes, I know it isn’t the most exciting choice on the list but the insects of the suborder Apocrita are responsible for more deaths in the UK than any other type of animal. Apocrita  includes the bees, wasps, hornets and ants. Although capable of giving a sometimes painful sting, the UK’s ants are not dangerous. Wasps and bees though are responsible for around 5 deaths in Britain every year; a figure that was recently quoted to illustrate you have the same chance of dying from a sting as from a terrorist attack.

What makes this an even less exciting number one deadliest animal in the UK is the fact that it isn’t the sting directly that causes death. It is actually the result of an allergic reaction to the venom in which the body’s immune system goes into overdrive or anaphylactic shock as it is known.
But there are two alarming features about these allergic responses. Firstly, they are more common than you would imagine. It is estimated that around 30% of the population have some degree of allergy to stings. This figure is even higher in children and appears to be growing along with the general level of allergies.
Another worry is that people won’t necessarily have an allergic response the first or even second time they are stung – it can occur after a later sting.

The warning signs that can highlight an allergic response are anything outside of the ordinary pain and localised swelling. This includes feelings of nausea, faintness or tingling. If any of these symptoms are experienced then medical assistance should be sought.

The World's Dangerous Animal In Brazil

                   The World's Dangerous Animal In Brazil

74.

PUFFER FISH

They belong to the family of Tetraodontiformes. They may look cute but there is reason these guys made the number ten spot on our list. There are many different species of these fish and you really might want to stay away from every single one of those. The species include balloonfish, blowfish, bubblefish, globefish, swellfish, toadfish, honey toads, sugar toads and sea squab. The one we are talking about has four large teeth that crush the shells of crustaceans and mollusks; their natural prey.  

75.

POISON DART FROG

This guy is also known as poison frog. You have to agree, they look absolutely fantastic with their sharp colorings and beautiful textures but they are horrifyingly dangerous. They belong to the family of Dendrobatidae and are native to Central and South America. They have many difference species but of course the levels of toxicity differ. Most of these beautiful dangerous creatures are actually endangered. They have around 175 different species.

76.

BRAZILIAN WANDERING SPIDER

They belong to the family of Ctenidae. Before compiling this list, I was under the impression that the Black Widow is perhaps the most poisonous and dangerous spider there is but I was wrong. These guys are commonly known as armed spiders or banana spiders. You can find these bad boys in South and Central America. They have been featured in the Guinness Book of World Records since 2010 as the most venomous spiders.

77

STONEFISH

They belong to the family of Synanceiidae. These guys are heavily armed with poison and are very dangerous for humans. Their venom can prove fatal for our poor souls. According to current knowledge, this is one of the most venomous fish present in the waters around the world. They are native to the coastal regions of Indo-Pacific oceans.

78.

DEATHSTALKER SCORPION

I absolutely adore the name. These guys belong to the Buthidae family and are a species of scorpion. It is also called the Palestine Yellow Scorpion and Israeli Desert Scorpion. The species is referred to by many different names which is why this particular one is mostly known by its scientific name by researchers which is Leiurus quinquestriatus. It translates to ‘five-striped smooth-tail’. I seriously wonder how they come up with these names. Anyway, please do not play with this guy; he can and will sting!

79.

EASTERN BROWN SNAKE

This one was another wake-up call. I used to think that the King Cobra is the most poisonous snake in the world. This baby belongs to the family of Elapidae. It is referred to by the name ‘common brown snake’ most of the times. When it comes to venomous and poisonous snakes, this particular one takes the second spot (the first is discussed below). The common brown snake is native to Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.

80.

BLUE-RINGED OCTOPUS

The rings on its body are actually very vibrant and they look beautiful. This guy belongs to the family of Octopodidae. They can be found in the tide pools and coral reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans from Japan to Australia. These are considered to be one of the most venomous water creatures in the world. If you are in these areas and are looking to take a dip in the ocean and you see one of these, please do not even think of stopping and admiring it. They are considerably smaller in size but they are very harmful to humans and especially so when you try to communicate. They get agitated really quickly and the brown patches on their body darken. That’s when you know you need to get away from it. They usually hunt hermit crabs and shrimps.

81.

MARBLED CONE SNAIL

Now who would expect a snail to actually take the third spot in this particular list? It’s hard to imagine but it is true. They belong to the family of Conidae and they are referred to as Conus Marmoreus. There are many predatory sea snails in the water and this happens to be one of the species of those guys. They usually feed on other cone snails and marine molluscs. You should know that all the cone snails are actually venomous but this beats every single one of them. They are not exactly harmful to humans but it’s always good to know whose bite to avoid right?

82.

INLAND TAIPAN

While the common brown snake is the second most poisonous snake in the world, this guy happens to be the first one. It belongs to the family of Elapidae and is also called Small Scaled Snake or Fierce Snake. If you are not living in Australia then you really don’t have a lot to worry about because these guys are native to that country. They are very shy though, so chances are that they will just slither away at your very sight. I know I said Fierce Snake in the beginning but that name actually describes the venom and not the behavior. At any rate, please know that the bite can prove fatal so whatever happens, if it slithers away, let it!

83.

BOX JELLYFISH

If you ask me, these are by far the most beautiful water creatures that I know of. It is such a pity that they are also the most poisonous creatures in the world. There are many species that come under Box Jellyfish of which three are known to be really dangerous; Chironex Fleckeri, Carukia Barnesi and Malo Kingi. If you are stung by one of these, be prepared for a lot of pain and in many cases, the venom can end of killing you. They are very attractive so if you see them in water, please do not go near them and I don’t only mean these species; any jellyfish for that matter.