Box Jellyfish
Beyond the fact that they appear stately and graceful when in the water, and a complete mess when on dry ground, the box jellyfish hides a dangerous secret: one sting and you might be in serious trouble. This form of jellyfish, so named because of its box-shaped bell, contains a number of small ‘pedaliums’ and hollow tentacles that hang from each of the four corners of its box, allowing it to move more quickly than most other jellyfish species. The Indo-Pacific Ocean is home to these jellyfish, which are most usually seen in the tropical sections of the ocean. However, they can be found in the waters of many tropical and subtropical locations across the world. The box jellyfish, which is frequently referred to as “the world’s most dangerous species,” has been responsible for the deaths of 79 individuals in Australia alone (since records began), with approximately 20-40 box jellyfish-related deaths occurring each year in the Philippines. The box jellyfish kills by injecting venom into the victim’s skin, which causes all of the body’s cells to become permeable, causing the delicate balance of fluids within the body to shift dangerously out of balance. This causes potassium to leak from the cellular fluid into the bloodstream, resulting in a condition known as hyperleukaemia. Hyperleukaemia subsequently causes the cardiovascular system to collapse, which can result in death within two to five minutes of the onset of symptoms.
Box Jellyfish
Black Widow Spiders
The black widow spider is one of the most well-known and feared of all the spider species, and it is also one of the most dangerous. The red hourglass markings on the spherical, shiny black abdomen of this spider, which can be found in temperate zones all around the world, distinguish it from others. This species’ female is more lethal than its male, which follows a pattern seen frequently in the natural world (as the song goes). They have venom that is extremely toxic, and if you are bitten, you may expect to endure nausea, muscle aches, weakness, chills, a fever, and the most terrible of all, a paralysis of the diaphragm, which will make breathing extremely difficult. They rarely bite humans unless they are provoked to do so. Provoking, on the other hand, can be as simple as putting on your shoe, which happens to have served as a bed and breakfast for a black widow spider overnight. Alternatively, you could be moving old furniture you’ve been storing in your garage and unsettling a black widow spider nest. So be on the lookout! Surprisingly, despite popular belief, a bite from a black widow spider is unlikely to be fatal unless you are extremely young, extremely elderly, or extremely unwell. However, it is true that the female black widow spider will kill and consume her male spouse after mating with him, and that this will happen on accession.
Black Widow Spiders
