The World's Most Dangerous Animals Quiz

Answer: bears

When bears are hungry, they will go anywhere for food and eat just about anything from blueberries and fish to rotting garbage and yes, people too. According to a well-researched list by animal scientists, bears are responsible for 5 - 10 fatalities a year.

Answer: sharks

Did my "Jaws" music scare you? Contrary to popular belief, sharks are not brainless eating machines. They live in all seas and oceans of the world and there are also a few varieties that can also survive in freshwater. Only four of the 360+ species, the great white, oceanic whitetip, tiger, and bull sharks, are known to be truly dangerous to man. in 2008 they were responsible for approximately 100 deaths.

Answer: jellyfish

Peanut butter and jellyfish anybody? YUK! Stings from their tentacles ranges from no effect to fatal, depending on one's tolerance to venom. Vinegar(3-10%) helps neutralize all jellyfish stings except for the Portuguese Man-of-War variety. If no vinegar is available, then pray someone you know well is nearby as the next best thing is human urine.(Excuse me ma'am? I've been stung on the head by a jellyfish and don't have any vinegar!) Over 100 deaths a year result from jellyfish stings.

Answer: hippopotamus

Also known as a "river horse", the hippopotamus has earned its reputation for being a ruthless killer. Known to be the most temperamental creature on earth, it's wise for humans to give them a wide berth because despite being big and bulky, hippos can reach speeds of between 30 and 50kmh over short distances. Over 150 fatalities were attributed to hippos in 2008 which is a lot considering they now live only on the African continent and are suffering ever-dwindling numbers.

Answer: elephant

They say that elephants never forget and after many studies it's been found that they do indeed have an excellent memory. Not aggressive in nature, when they do go on a rampage, it's often discovered later on that the animal had been provoked in some way.

It's usually too late though as they often have to be killed because of their size and the destruction this largest living land animal can cause.

Answer: crocodile

"Crocodiles"..YUK! On average, nearly 800 people a year die in the jaws of this disgusting looking beast. The Egyptian Plover bird isn't afraid of the big reptile because it serves the purpose of picking the food debris from the croc's teeth, giving the lizard it's own personal dental worker. On February 19th, 1945, 900 Japanese soldiers in Burma tried to escape advancing allied forces by retreating through 10 miles of Mangrove swamps. About 500 escaped, with 20 being captured alive.

It's uncertain as to how many died from bullets, but the remaining 380 were never found, likely becoming a smorgasbord for hungry crocs.

Answer: big cats

With the fastest land animal being the cheetah and pro teams such as the Tigers, Jaguars, and Lions(pride), this group has to be "big cats". With almost 1,000 deaths a year attributed to these beautiful creatures, they're considered the 4th most dangerous animals on earth. Regarding the last sentence of the question, I'm personally "owned" by a domestic feline, but I'd much rather be owned by a housecat than an angry tiger!

Answer: scorpions

Scorpions, the creature, not the rock band, were known to cause an average of almost 2,000 deaths a year in the mid 2000's. Mostly an isolated animal, and rarely bothersome to humans, they will quickly sting if provoked in any way. Found mostly south of the 49th parallel in hot, humid, countries, they're a well engineered specimen with a small, but very strong set of front claws, a body with two parts, six sets of appendages (including front claws), and probably the most efficient stinging machine of any arachnid species.

Answer: venomous snakes

Upwards of 125,000 deaths were caused by "venomous snakes" in 2004 alone, as per combined reports by wildlife/animals groups, as well as hospital and medical establishments worldwide. This doesn't include fatalities from the non-venomous variety such as boa constrictors and pythons.

The Australian serpent called the Inland Taipan(Fierce Snake), has the dubious distinction of possessing the deadliest venom of any snake, with the poison from one bite having the capacity to kill 100 humans!

Answer: mosquitoes

Thanks to its ability to deliver deadly disease directly to the bloodstream, the ever-pestering "mosquito" is the clear winner (winner?) as the "World's Most Dangerous Animal". Known mostly for passing on malaria, it also is responsible for elephantiasis, yellow fever, West Nile virus, dengue fever, and some other fevers and diseases that don't even have names as yet. I'm no animal activist and I love and respect all life, but when it comes to the pesky skeeter, I say swat 'em, smoosh 'em, spray 'em, squash 'em, and mash 'em every chance you get.