The world is a big and vast place.
Conversely, as the song goes, “It’s a small world, after all.”
Well. I don’t know which it is. But I do know that there are a lot of things on this planet that we will never come in contact with. Or know about. Or see. Or hear.
Unfortunately. Or maybe, fortunately.
Like this. I recently came across an article naming the eight most venomous animals in the world. These are things we don’t often see here in Ohio. But they are treacherous. And deadly.
So here they are. The deadliest of the venomous.
1. Inland Taipan (Snake – Australia)
2. Black Mamba (Snake – Africa)
3. Box Jellyfish (Jellyfish – Northern Australia)
4. Cone Snail (Snail – Pacific, Atlantic Oceans, Caribbean)
5. Stonefish (Fish – Pacific Ocean)
6. Gila Monster (Lizard – United States, Mexico)
7. Platypus (Platypus – Australia)
8. Komodo Dragon (Lizard – Indonesia)
All of these are scary and lethal. It doesn’t matter who they bite.
From an elephant to a mouse to a human.
But the one I want to focus on is the Cone Snail.
You see. These things are charmers. People are always hunting for beautiful shells on those beaches and shores. And the Cone Snail is a pretty one.
Because people are so used to sea snail shells washing up on the beach, they are not considered deadly. However, in the case of the Cone Snail, it’s a different story. After Box Jellyfish, Cone Snails come in second as the most dangerous animals in the ocean.
The snail attacks people who come close to the cone and its venom can lead to severe paralysis, impaired vision, respiratory failure, and sometimes death. Divers are the most common victims of cone snail bites.
So be careful when you go to reach for one. Make sure the snail is long gone from the shell. Otherwise…
Da. Da. Da. Daaaaaaah.
But. Get this. Despite being highly lethal, the venom from cone snails can be used as a painkiller. Further research is still ongoing to figure out whether its venom can treat epilepsy, cancer, and Alzheimer’s.
Now there’s a double life for you.
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“It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.” — Marcus Aurelius
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“Sometimes the greatest danger comes from within.” — Bruce White
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“It is not the fear of danger that prevents people from living, but rather the fear of the unknown.” — James Berry
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Deadly. Pretty. That cone you reach for.
