These Things'll Kill You! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Funnel-web spider

This spider is often called the Sydney funnel-web as it is found around that city and within a radius of around 60 miles (100 km). It comes in shades of brown, plum and black and has venom which can cause serious illness or even death, especially to children. The male's venom is deadlier than that of the female.

Fortunately, an effective antivenom is available and early medical intervention means that deaths are rare. Victims know they have been bitten as the bite is described as extremely painful, meaning that they are likely to head for hospital immediately.

Answer: Fierce snake

The venom of the inland taipan is believed to be among the most toxic of any snake as its main prey is mammals. It especially favours rats, and is known to strike repeatedly - as many as eight bites can be inflicted in one attack. Despite this, the coastal taipan is more dangerous to humans - the inland taipan is more likely to evade a human than attack.

Its habitat is the central regions of eastern Australia, mostly away from the more populated coastal areas. As well as being called the fierce snake, it is known as the small-scaled snake and the western taipan.

Answer: Paralysis

The blue-ringed octopus is a small, but deadly, creature found mostly in rocky areas or coral reefs of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. They are small in size and tend to hunt at night, looking for crustaceans to eat. The blue rings only show up in their bright, iridescent, colours when the octopus is alarmed and are a warning not to touch it.

The one found in Australia is Hapalochlaena maculosa, mostly along the southern coast and Tasmania. The venom it produces is called tetrodotoxin (TTX), the same as that in pufferfish, which paralyses the muscles. The victim may remain conscious for a while, unable to move, with death by respiratory failure occurring when the diaphragm stops working. There is no antitoxin available, but victims can be saved if placed on a ventilator until the venom leaves the body.

Answer: Sea

The elegant sea snake is found in the coastal waters around Queensland, Western Australia, New South Wales and Northern Territory and is also known as the bar-bellied sea snake. It is classed as highly venomous, although attacks on humans are rare.

It lives in shallow, muddy water and can grow as long as two metres - over six feet. It feeds on eels and other slim fish.

Answer: Saltwater crocodile

Crocodylus porosus is the scientific name for the saltwater crocodile, the largest extant crocodilian and a fearsome creature. It is found in the northern areas of Australia, and in southeast Asia. The male saltie, as the Australians refer to it, can be as big as six metres (nearly twenty feet) in length and, as the name suggests, prefers salty and brackish water as its habitat.

Saltwater crocodiles are aggressive animals and view humans as prey. Because of the size and strength of these animals, surviving a direct attack is unlikely and avoidance is the best option.

The other crocodile to avoid is the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus), from Africa.

Answer: Box jellyfish

Also known as the sea wasp, or fire Medusa, this is one of the deadliest venomous creatures Australia has in store for you. Because of their colouring, they are very hard to see and swimmers are advised to wear protective clothing as well as avoiding being alone. The sting from one of these is described as 'excruciating' with victims rendered unable to swim and drowning. Even if they manage to reach shore, victims are likely to die from cardiac arrest.

Box jellyfish are found in seas around Western Australia, the northern coast and Queensland, during the east, during Australia's rainy season - October to April or November to March depending on location.

Answer: Sea snail

How lovely is that shell? You'd better make sure that the cone snail that occupies it has departed, though. There are nearly 600 different types of cone snails, with over 150 of them living around Australia, especially in the Queensland region. There are two general species, the worm eating and the fish eating, both of which inject venom into their prey.

The fish eating variety is the most dangerous to humans, as its venom (a neurotoxin) is stronger. Fatalities are extremely rare, but injuries are more common. The advice is not to be tempted by the beauty of the shells, which come in many different patterns and are all attractive. Even those found on a beach may have a live snail inside and any found in rock pools are nearly always going to be occupied.

Answer: Stepping on one

Often described as the world's most venomous fish, stonefish are found in rock pools or coral and, rather more dangerously, hidden in sand. They are able to live out of water for as much as twenty-four hours. Australia boasts two species of stonefish - Synanceia verrucosa, known as the reef stonefish, and Synanceia horrida, the estuary stonefish.

The venom is found in spines running along the stonefish's back, so treading on one accidentally is the most common way humans find themselves in trouble. The stonefish venom can affect both the nerves and cardiovascular system. Deaths are rare, but the main impact on anyone unfortunate to tread on one of these is the severe pain caused, described as 'agonising'. The reef stonefish is found primarily, although not exclusively, along the coast of Queensland due to its proximity to the Great Barrier Reef.

Answer: False

It seems nowhere in Australia is safe from the redback spider, which is widespread in populated regions of the southeast and elsewhere, including the interior. So long as it can can find food, usually insects, and a safe place to build a web, a redback will move in. It has even moved to surrounding island nations, including New Zealand.

Only the female is dangerous to humans, producing a venom which affects the nervous system. As the spiders don't often leave their webs, victims tend to be bitten on the hand by disturbing the nest. Symptoms can be mild and an effective antivenom is available, so deaths are rare.

Answer: Great white shark

In Australia, great white sharks, or white pointers, are mostly found on the eastern coast of Queensland, but also around the south and as far north as the northwestern region of Western Australia.

Although it is a fearsome predator, attacks on humans are relatively rare and the great white is actually a protected species in all states of Australia, with numbers decreasing. Attacks on humans are less common than many think, but they are widely reported and the effects can be horrific. Deaths do occur, but loss of limbs is more common and victims can be left with scars. Bull sharks are usually considered to be a bigger danger to humans and cause just as much damage to the body for those unfortunate enough to encounter one.