We welcome all readers of our website “I and the World”. How many of you know the fastest animal in the world? Well, of course, you say: cheetah. And you'll be right! He is the fastest living on land. Today you will read about the top 10 fastest running land animals and we will touch a little on those representatives of the fauna that swim and fly quickly.
Leopard opens our top ten - 58 km/h
Yes, he definitely won’t catch up with the cheetah if they compete. When a Leopard pursues prey, it does not waste energy, but carefully lures it into ambush. Hunts antelopes, rodents, warthogs. Leopards live in Africa and Asia for 10-15 years, unless poachers kill them first because of their beautiful fur. In the 20th century, these big cats were included in the Red Book.
The size of forest leopards is smaller than those that live in open places, apparently making their way through the thickets is more difficult and big size It just gets in the way. The weight of the largest males reaches 75 kg. The coloration is very similar to the cheetah and jaguar, and the color varies from pale straw or gray to rusty brown. In Southeast Asia, there are completely black leopards called Panthers.
In 9th place – Coyote – 65 km/h
They are not only sprinters, but also excellent swimmers and fish hunters. They move interestingly, jumping up to 2 to 4 meters in length. In weight they are significantly inferior to real wolves and weigh up to 21 kg, while wolves weigh up to 60 kg. The fur is more brown, and the elongated muzzle resembles a fox. Maybe Coyotes are the children of wolves and foxes, and for some reason became related in ancient times?
Coyotes are inhabitants of the plains and try not to appear in forests. But on the outskirts of large cities they are periodically spotted, where they like to rummage through garbage. They hunt mainly at dusk for hares, marmots, gophers and other small animals. In autumn they like to eat berries and nuts.
Hyena Dog reached 8th place - 70 km/h
Its name translates as “painted wolf”. But there are also black dogs. They were once very common in the African steppes and savannas, but are now found mainly in national parks. And although it is a relative of the wolf, it is very similar to the hyena.
They are short, lean, and weigh up to 36 kg. They hunt during the day and always in packs of up to 15 individuals on ungulates: antelopes, old zebras, wildebeest, reed rats. They do not eat carrion. Everyone in the flock lives amicably, feeds and takes care of the old and sick.
7th place – Elk – 75 km/h
It’s hard to believe that this stately and rather heavy (up to 600 kg) forest beauty is capable of developing such high speed. But it is so! On the plains, Elks run fast, which may be why predators are not always too tough for them. They defend themselves with blows from their front legs, and even bears are afraid to attack Moose on open area– only among trees or bushes where Moose are limited in movement.
They live in the forests of the Northern Hemisphere, less often in the forest-tundra and forest-steppe. In total, about one and a half million individuals live on earth, 730,000 in Russia alone. Moose are quite tall, and their highly elongated legs do not allow them to drink water easily. They have to go deeper into the pond or kneel down to drink. Males grow large horns, spanning up to 180 cm and weighing up to 30 kg. In summer, due to the heat, they are nocturnal. They feed on plant foods, lichens and mushrooms, and in winter they nibble on tree branches.
In 6th place – Thomson’s Gazelle – up to 80 km/h
Gazelle is the most delicious prey fast cheetahs, but they can rarely catch up with her due to high jumps while running. Although after 4-6 km of constant running, the Gazelle gets very tired and at this time the cheetahs still easily attack. Gazelles live in the steppes of Kenya and Tanzania.
They live in herds of several hundred or thousand individuals, consisting either only of females or only of males. But there are also single males. They feed mainly on herbs, but can also eat tree shoots. The weight of large males reaches only 35 kg.
5th place goes to Leo - 80 km/h
These strong kings of nature are very mobile animals and at a distance of already 20 meters they develop the highest speed. The weight of some males reaches 250 kg. In captivity, lions reach large sizes, because There is no need to run after prey in a cage. In nature they live up to 14 years, and next to humans up to 20.
White lions are found in national parks. These are not albinos, just a subspecies of Lions. Differing from other cats, they do not live alone, but in families - prides. They feed, of course, on animal food. They hunt at night, sneaking up to prey at a distance of up to 30 meters, surrounding and attacking. Sometimes they attack a person and then become cannibals, trying to kill a person more often.
4th place – Gazelle Granta – 85 km/h
At a constant speed they can run quite for a long time without getting tired, weighing up to 65 kg. They live on the open plains of East Africa, avoiding high vegetation, where they cannot see predators in time.
They easily survive where there is almost no water, only on one, even sparse, vegetation. They move in herds, but some males prefer a permanent territory. In some areas the Gazelle has been completely eradicated, but in others it is quite common.
Third place goes to Pronghorn - 89 km/h
Although the normal speed of this Pronghorn Antelope ranges from 60 to 70 km/h, but the maximum speed has been recorded at 89. Therefore, it can easily escape from any predator because it does not need rest. A beautiful, slender animal reaches a weight of 60 kg. They live in the steppes of North America from Canada to Mexico.
In autumn and winter they gather in herds with a leader, and in the summer they are divided into pairs until the next winter. Old males usually live alone. They feed on herbaceous foods: ordinary and poisonous plants, cacti. They drink little, so if water becomes scarce, they survive on herbs.
2nd place belongs to Jaguar - 93 km/h
The beautiful, spotted cat cannot boast of endurance, and can only develop such high speed over short distances. If the prey notices a Jaguar at a great distance and runs away, the predator does not even try to catch it, because in a few minutes it will run out of steam.
It attacks only when it manages to get very close. Lives in Northern and South America. The Jaguar's weight reaches 113 kg. They live alone on their own territory of up to 50 square meters. km. They hunt small animals at dusk; they can eat snakes, turtles, and fish. They prefer not to attack ungulates.
And we rightfully give first place to Cheetah - 120 km/h
The fastest land animal is the Cheetah, which usually reaches speeds of up to 98 km/h and can run up to 400 m on flat terrain. But when catching up with prey, it can develop in 3 seconds. maximum speed up to 120 km/h, which is almost 2 times the speed of its victims. But he is not able to run long distances.
The weight of an adult male reaches 65 kg. During the day they hunt medium-sized ungulates: gazelles, wildebeest calves, as well as hares or ostriches. They catch up with prey by jumping 6-8 meters. They do not attack from an ambush, because where they live there is simply no place to hide. Lives in Africa and the Middle East.
I would like to dwell on the fastest animals in water and in the air. What place do they occupy among their own? Of course the first!
The fastest sea animal - reaches speeds of up to 130 km/h
Research has shown that the fish's jaw contains oil, which it releases into the water. By spreading around the head, the oil reduces friction with the water.
There is another fast sea animal with the same speed - Black Marlin.
Who is the fastest bird? The handsome Sapsan, accelerating after prey and diving, is capable of accelerating to 390 km/h
When struck with claws at such a speed, it can tear off the head of the prey.
We showed photos and descriptions of the fastest animals on the planet. There are others, but we won’t dwell on them today. Did you like the article? Share information with your friends. In the meantime, we say goodbye until the next entertaining articles.
You don’t often see a badger, a predatory animal of the mustelid family, as it likes to sleep, hidden from prying eyes. In summer he sleeps around the clock, and in winter - day and night. In his rare waking hours, he begins to wander through the forest in search of food. This mainly happens during periods of heavy rainfall, when water begins to flood his burrow.
The noble couch potato, even after waking up, does not like to go far from his home. The badger is a very neat and clean animal.. Remains of melted snow, mud and puddles are not conducive to long-distance excursions.
At the very beginning of spring, the badger is ready to feast on almost any food. He is content with various roots pulled out of the ground with his strong and tenacious paws. Also, a lot of edible food can be found in the soil and rotten stumps. For example, mice, snails, worms and various larvae are for the badger. The predator easily digs up the ground with its tenacious claws in search of food. Its claws also serve it for defensive purposes, but the badger rarely enters into fights with other animals. His character is peaceful and calm.
The badger's body length is about a meter and is considered quite large. The long neck ends with a small head, and the powerful and short legs end with sharp claws. In quiet times, the badger is very slow, however, if necessary, it can run quickly and deftly grab its prey. The badger is also distinguished by its digging qualities; in pursuit of a field mouse or mole, it can dig a tunnel at a speed of more than a meter per minute.
Only at the end of spring, when the badger has accumulated strength, is it ready to move 5-6 km away from its hole. The animal returns home from hunting, usually at dawn. It is rare to see a badger making its way to its hole in daytime, only if something delays him. In such rare cases, the badger can find a temporary home where it spends daylight hours.
The badger is considered one of the cleanest and neat animals. There is always order around his hole, he takes branches and garbage away. Several times a year, the badger digs new passages in its hole, so it is deep and has many branches. The badger has been preparing for winter since the fall; it eats and accumulates a lot of fat. Its food is beetles, larvae, worms, lizards, frogs, that is, everything that comes across, just like in the spring.
The animal world is rich and diverse, and each species strives to survive in it. Not many animals pose a great danger to humans, and most of these species live far from people. However, there are animals that are not so scary at first glance, but in fact are fraught with mortal danger. This ranking of the most dangerous animals on the planet includes both fairly small poisonous animals and large and strong animals.
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The list opens with an animal that lives almost as close to humans as cats, but is less friendly and more dangerous. The rat is a genus of rodents in the mouse family. There are about 70 species in the genus. Two synanthropic species are widespread: gray and black rats. The body length of rats is from 8 to 30 centimeters, the length of the tail is equal to the length of the body or even longer, the weight is from 37 to 420. The body color is dominated by dark gray or gray-brown tones, but yellow, red and orange shades are also found. The toes are movable - this compensates for the insufficient development of calluses necessary for climbing.
Rats are a natural reservoir of many zoonotic and anthropozoonotic infections. They carry pathogens of plague, tularemia, rabies, typhoid, toxoplasmosis, leptospirosis, rickettsiosis, sodoku and other diseases. In the United States, at least 14,000 people are bitten by rats each year. According to the City Disinfection Center, 506 people were bitten by rats in Moscow in 2008, so these babies are quite dangerous animals for humans. Rats also cause great economic damage by eating and spoiling food and non-food products, and sometimes damaging electrical networks, which can lead to fires. Also, some types of rats cause damage agriculture, eating crops.
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The Komodo dragon is a species of lizard from the monitor lizard family. largest representative lizards Komodo dragons live on several islands of Indonesia, located in the Lesser Sunda Islands group. Wild adult Komodo dragons weigh about 70 kilograms, but in captivity they can reach larger sizes. The length of the tail is about half of the total body length. The color of adult monitor lizards is dark brown, usually with small yellowish spots and specks; on their backs there are rows of reddish-orange and yellowish eye-shaped spots, merging into stripes on the neck and tail. The teeth of the Komodo dragon are compressed laterally and have serrated cutting edges. Such teeth are well suited for tearing the meat of large prey into pieces.
Animals of this species reach sexual maturity approximately in the tenth year of life, to which only a small part of the born monitor lizards survive. Monitor lizards feed on a wide variety of animals - both vertebrates and invertebrates. Cannibalism is also common among them, especially in years of famine. It has been proven that Komodo dragons have poisonous bite, they have two poison glands in the lower jaw. The functions of the venom include inhibiting blood clotting, lowering blood pressure, paralyzing muscles and causing hypothermia, leading to shock and loss of consciousness in the bitten victim.
Komodo dragons are one of the planet's potentially dangerous animals to humans, although they do not pose a direct danger to adults. After being bitten, you should consult a doctor immediately. The number of deaths due to untimely provision of medical care reaches 99%. Children are especially vulnerable. Monitor lizards may well kill a child under 10 years of age or cause serious injury. Cases of monitor lizards digging up human corpses from shallow graves are well known. Monitor lizards can locate the source of the smell of blood at a distance of up to 5 km. Monitor lizards are endangered and it is illegal to kill them.
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Dart frogs are frogs from the family of tailless amphibians that secrete strong poison. This family unites about 130 species of frogs of four genera, living in South and Central America. These frogs have no teeth and no swimming membranes on their limbs. The terminal phalanges of the fingers are expanded into suction cups. These discs allow dart frogs to easily move along branches and leaves. The sizes of poison dart frogs range from 18 millimeters to 4 centimeters, only some species reach 7 centimeters. The coloring of poison dart frogs is very bright and contrasting, the most diverse in color range among amphibians. Dart frogs are colored red, blue, yellow, green, orange colors, a pattern of various stripes and spots can follow the overall tone. This type of frog may be an unexpected answer to the question of which animals are dangerous to humans.
Dart frog venom is cardiotoxic and causes cardiac arrest. The poison is contained in the skin secretions of dart frogs, thus protecting them from predators. Many native tribes of South America used this poison to lubricate hunting arrows. Most representatives of this family are arboreal, but there are also terrestrial species that live mainly along the banks of water bodies. Dart frogs feed on small creatures. All dart frogs are diurnal and therefore convenient for observation.
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The wolf is a predatory mammal of the canine family, which is the direct ancestor of the domestic dog. The wolf is the largest and most dangerous animal in its family: its body length (without tail) can reach 160 centimeters, tail up to 52 centimeters, height at the withers up to 90 centimeters; body weight up to 86 kilograms. In total, there are approximately 32 subspecies of wolves, differing in size and shades of fur. Previously, the wolf had much greater distribution in Eurasia and North America. In modern times, the total number of animals has decreased markedly, mainly due to urbanization and mass extermination.
The basis of wolves' diet is ungulates, and the behavior of these wild animals has not changed for hundreds of years. Wolves also attack domestic animals, gophers, foxes, mouse-like rodents, and do not miss the opportunity to eat a clutch of eggs, chicks or. They are active mainly at night. Of the external senses, the wolf has the best developed hearing, slightly worse - the sense of smell; vision is much weaker. Well-developed nervous activity in wolves is combined with strength, agility, speed and other physical characteristics. If necessary, the wolf reaches speeds of up to 60 km/h and is capable of traveling up to 80 kilometers per night.
When attacking a herd, wolves often kill several animals, tearing out their throats or ripping open their bellies. Wolves keep uneaten meat in reserve. There have been cases of wolf attacks on humans. Mentally, the wolf is highly developed. This is expressed in the ability to navigate the environment and avoid danger, as well as in hunting methods. There are known cases when a pack of wolves was divided, and one part remained in ambush, while the other caught prey. In a pack chasing an elk or deer, often some wolves run on the heels of the prey, while others run across them or run slowly and, having rested, replace the leaders until they starve out the prey.
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Hippopotamus or hippopotamus is a mammal from the order Artiodactyla, suborder Porciniformes, family Hippopotamus. One of the largest living land animals, sometimes weighing more than 4 tons. Currently, the hippopotamus lives only in Africa - about 140 thousand individuals. Previously, pigs were considered the closest relatives of hippopotamuses, but now scientists consider them to be whales. A characteristic feature of the hippopotamus is its semi-aquatic lifestyle - it spends most of its time in the water, coming onto land only at night for a few hours to feed.
Despite the wide popularity of the hippopotamus, in many respects this animal has not been studied enough. This applies to a number of features of his lifestyle and behavior, as well as genetic connections with other animals, physiology and much more. The behavior of these wild animals is characterized by pronounced aggressiveness. Fights between male hippos often result in the death of one of the participants. Cases of hippopotamus attacks on humans are also very common. The hippopotamus, according to some data, is the most dangerous animal in Africa - a significant number of people die from its attacks. more people than from attacks by lions, buffaloes or leopards.
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Rhinoceroses are a family of equid mammals containing five species distributed in Africa and Asia. Main hallmark Rhinoceroses have horns on their noses, the largest of which was 158 centimeters long. In rhinoceroses massive body and short, thick limbs. Each of them has three fingers, ending in wide hooves. Rhinoceroses have poor eyesight, but this deficiency is compensated by a sophisticated sense of smell and excellent hearing. Rhinoceroses live alone, but in savannas they can also unite in small groups.
Rhinoceroses sleep during the day; they can be found active at dusk and at night. These are very timid and cautious animals, avoiding closeness to humans. However, if they feel threatened, they attack. And although these attacks are poorly aimed due to poor vision, they can lead to severe injuries due to the enormous strength and sharp horn. Having accelerated, a rhinoceros can reach a speed of 45 km/h. Adult rhinoceroses have no enemies other than humans.
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The African elephant is the largest land animal on the planet, a genus of African mammals of the proboscis order. Includes two modern looking: savannah elephant and forest elephant. Recent research suggests that these two species formed 1.9 and 7.1 million years ago. The average weight of males is 5 tons, females - 2.5-3 tons, but among them there are also real giants up to 4 meters high and weighing 12 tons. The thickness of their skin reaches 2-4 cm. According to recent estimates, in wildlife There are about 500-600 thousand African elephants left. All species of the genus are listed in the Red Book. Of the predators, only humans hunt adult elephants, mainly for their tusks. Of the elephant's sense organs, smell and hearing are the most developed.
Apart from humans, the elephant has practically no enemies. At the moment of danger, the elephant represents a very formidable force. When attacking, he presses his ears to his neck, hides his trunk behind his tusks, which he brings forward with a sharp movement. At the same time, it makes a piercing, shrill sound, reminiscent of a hoarse bugle. Both males and females of the African elephant are armed with tusks. But females have small tusks. But the tusks of old males sometimes reached a length of 3-3.5 meters with a mass of about 100 kg each. An elephant reaches sexual maturity by 12-20 years, and old age and death by 60-70 years. These animals also have excellent memory. They perfectly remember all members of their family, offenders and those who do good for them. They can take revenge on the offender many years later, if they meet again, of course.
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The polar bear is the largest land mammal of the order of carnivores, a close relative of the brown bear. Lives in the polar regions in the northern hemisphere of the Earth. Its length reaches 3 meters, weight up to 1 ton. Typically, males weigh 400-450 kilograms, body length 200-250 centimeters, height at the withers up to 150 cm. Females are noticeably smaller - 200-300 kilograms. The polar bear is distinguished from other bears Long neck and a flat head. His skin is black. The soles of the feet are lined with wool to prevent slipping on ice and freezing. There is a swimming membrane between the toes, and the front part of the paws is lined with stiff bristles. Large claws can hold even strong prey.
These are very dangerous wild animals, as the animal runs very fast, and one blow of a powerful paw can kill anyone. It is strictly forbidden to even walk away with your back turned when meeting a polar bear. In a critical situation, experienced people always go towards the beast, showing with all their appearance that they are not afraid of it. At the same time, they make loud pinching sounds, which in bear language means a threat. Man, due to his structure, is of no interest to a powerful predator. Therefore, the bear never hunts two-legged animals, but prefers to leave if it sees them dangerously close. Cases of attack polar bear per person is the exception rather than the rule.
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The African buffalo is a species of bull widely distributed in Africa. This is the largest of the bulls. The weight of adult males sometimes exceeds 1000 kilograms, and specimens weighing 900 kg are not uncommon. The height at the withers in adult males is up to 1.8 meters with a body length of about 3 meters. The buffalo population in Africa has survived quite well compared to the population of other large animals on the continent, although it is under strong pressure from humans. The African buffalo is a herd animal. Usually there are groups of 20-30 animals that gather in herds during the dry season, but then the herds can number many hundreds of animals.
Buffaloes have few enemies in nature, since due to their large size and enormous strength, an adult buffalo is an unbearable prey for most predators. Cows and calves, however, often become prey to lions, who inflict significant damage on buffalo herds by attacking entire prides. When defending themselves from enemies, these wild animals of Africa usually show mutual assistance and act in friendly groups. Many cases have been described in which buffaloes not only drove lions away from the herd, but even killed them. It is curious that buffaloes have a sense of mutual assistance, which is clearly noticeable when enemies attack.
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The top three most dangerous animals in the world are revealed by the saltwater crocodile, a reptile of the family of true crocodiles. This is the largest species widely distributed among crocodiles. It is most often found on the coast of northern Australia on the islands of Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. Although crocodiles spend most of their time in water, we have added them to the list of land animals and not to the list. The ability to make long voyages in the open sea explains the wide distribution of this species. Males can reach a length of 7 meters, and females 3 meters. Adult males weigh up to 1000 kilograms. This crocodile received the name “combed” for a pair of powerful ridges running from the eyes almost to the front third of the muzzle.
The saltwater crocodile is an active predator. The main food of crocodiles are insects, amphibians, fish, and birds. Adults attack large animals: turtles, monkeys, wild boars, deer, etc. Meetings with other wild animals often occur at a watering hole, where the crocodile is looking for a victim. When hunting, the crocodile behaves quite cunningly. First, it tracks its prey while completely in the water. Only the nostrils, eyes and part of the back are visible on the surface. When the victim is nearby, the crocodile suddenly rushes, grabs it and drags it to the bottom. Crocodiles are also cannibals, but they rarely attack on land. Only when the person himself loses his vigilance. If a crocodile attacks a person, then the rest can only watch as the predator drags its victim to the bottom. There is nothing that can be done in this situation.
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Taipan is a genus of very poisonous snakes of the asp family. Large Australian snakes, whose bite is considered the most dangerous among modern snakes of the wild animal world - before the development of an antidote to it, people died from a taipan bite in more than 90% of cases. According to various estimates, it is the third most poisonous snake in the world and the largest poisonous snake in Australia, up to 3.3 meters long. Because of aggressive disposition, large size and speed, the taipan is considered the most dangerous of all poisonous snakes on the planet. It lives on the coast of Northern and Northeastern Australia and in the southeast of New Guinea. Leads a predominantly diurnal lifestyle. It feeds on frogs and small mammals, including mice and rats.
Poisonous teeth up to 13 mm in length. The taipan's venom glands contain up to 400 milligrams of poison, which it injects through its 12 mm teeth. Taipan venom primarily blocks muscle contractions, which causes paralysis of the respiratory muscles and disrupts blood clotting. The taipan is very aggressive and fast: when it sees danger, it raises its head, shaking it, then strikes the enemy several times in a row with lightning speed. A taipan bite can lead to death in 4-12 hours, while a bite from other poisonous snakes a person lives for about a day. In Queensland, where taipans are most common, every second person bitten dies.
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So we come to the first place in our ranking of the most dangerous animals in the world, on which sits the king of beasts - African lion. This animal is a representative of a species of predatory mammals, one of four representatives of the panther genus, belonging to the subfamily big cats as part of the cat family. It is the second largest living cat after the tiger. Previously lived throughout Africa, now only in sub-Saharan Africa and a small population in the Indian state of Gujarat. Who would have thought that the most terrible and dangerous animals in the world are big cats.
The appearance of a lion is very characteristic. This is one of the few predators with pronounced sexual dimorphism. Males are not only much larger than females, but have a mane, which in some subspecies reaches great development and covers the shoulders, part of the back and chest. The lion is the heaviest after the tiger; the weight of adult lions can reach 250 kilograms for males and 182 for females. Lions have powerful legs, strong jaws, and canines that are 8 cm long, so these predators are capable of killing quite large animals. The lion's body length reaches 250 centimeters in males and 175 in females. The height at the shoulders is about 123 centimeters for males and 107 for females.
Unlike other cats, they do not live alone, but in special family groups - prides. Lions hunt in coordinated groups and stalk their chosen prey. However, they are less resilient than, for example, hyenas, which means lions can only run quickly over short distances and must be close to their prey during an attack. Lions sneak up on a herd of ungulates until the distance is reduced to 30 meters or less.
In most cases, several lionesses surround him from different sides. As soon as the herd is surrounded, they pounce on the nearest animal. Then comes a fast and powerful attack. Predators try to catch their prey with a quick jump. An encounter with such wild animals usually ends in death. An animal pursued by lions usually dies from strangulation or suffocation. Small animals can be killed by a blow from a paw. Females do the bulk of the hunting. Males, as a rule, do not participate in it, except in cases where the victim is a large animal - for example, a giraffe or buffalo. In nature, lions live from ten to fourteen years; in captivity they can live longer than twenty years.
Tops are very popular today. We will present you the top dangerous predators of our planet.
10th place. Wolf
Species - Wolf, order - Predators. The animal's body length is on average 105-160 cm. Weight is 32-50 kg.
The best habitat for the predator is the tundra, semi-deserts, steppe and forest-steppe zones. The wolf is a characteristic representative of the Predator Squad. To get food for themselves, wolves hunt their victims. These are mainly ungulates: antelope, deer, wild boar, roe deer, elk. Also, if there are settlements nearby where people live, then they can attack livestock.
9th place. Leopard
- a type of predator, belongs to the cat family. The weight of the animal ranges from 32 to 40 kg, but occasionally can reach 100 kg. The leopard lives in all forests: tropical, subtropical and mixed. Also on mountain slopes, plains, savannas and in thickets along river banks. Mostly these animals live alone and go out hunting at night. The leopard feeds on deer, antelope, and roe deer, but can also hunt birds, rodents, and monkeys.
8th place. Jaguar
Jaguar is larger than a leopard. The weight of the animal can reach 136 kg. Jaguar lives in tropical forests, and most of them live in bushes that have dried out. The jaguar's prey includes ungulates such as deer. It can also feed on snakes, foxes, monkeys, birds, rodents and turtles. Willingly attack domestic animals.
7th place. a lion
The lion is second only to the tiger in size and is the second largest living cat on Earth.
The weight of the animal is 250 kg. These predators mainly live in savannas, but can sometimes also be found in shrubby areas and forests. They live in special so-called family groups - prides. This family usually includes related females, their offspring and several adult males. The main prey of lions are large ungulates, which they hunt in groups. It was also noted that lions attack people very often, but not purposefully.
6th place. Tiger
The tiger is the largest member of the cat family. The average weight of the animal is from 180 to 250 kg.
The tiger finds food by hunting ungulate animals: deer, roe deer, wild boar.
It can also feed on other animals, including crabs, fish, turtles, crocodiles and even insects. This animal has no difficulty in catching prey that lives in a pond, since it loves to swim and is an excellent swimmer. Currently, the species of these predators is preserved in the north of Iran, Afghanistan, Thailand, Indochina, Nepal, and Burma. In Russia they are only available on Far East, in Primorsky Krai.
5th place. The Bears
Bear - belongs to the family of the predatory order. At the moment they are the largest of the land predatory animals that live on Earth. For example, polar bears have a body length of about three meters and a weight of 725 to 1000 kg.
The most common habitats of these predators are dense forests, which alternate with swamps and ponds. In the forest, the bear feels safe and only there does it find refuge, and it goes out into open places to look for food. These animals feed mainly on berries, nuts, plants and fish. Hunting for large animals (boars, deer, elk and others) is carried out mainly by old males.
4th place. Crocodile
Crocodile belongs to the order of aquatic vertebrates. The average size of this animal is 4-5 m in length and reaches a weight of 400-500 kg. These animals live in all fresh water bodies of tropical countries. Crocodiles mainly go hunting in dark time days. Their prey is mainly fish, but they can also attack other prey, but only if they can handle it.
3rd place. Sharks
Shark is a type of cartilaginous fish. The largest predatory shark is the white one. Its dimensions are about six meters, and its weight reaches 1900 kg. Sharks live in all oceans of the Earth (except for the Arctic Ocean).
Sharks feed on fish, squid, and can also attack other sharks and dolphins. This type of predator is the most dangerous for humans.
2nd place. killer whale
The killer whale is the most dangerous marine predator. The second name is killer whale.
Marine mammal order Cetaceans, family Dolphins. Female killer whales reach seven to eight meters in size and weigh four to five tons. Males are much larger: up to ten meters and about eight tons.
None of known to science does not kill animals without reason or for fun. Only people do this.
If the mood of most animals can be determined by the movement of the ears, nose, tail, lips, wrinkles on the face, then the brown bear (Ursus arctos) is not like that - its facial expressions are extremely poor. Small narrowed eyes, motionless ears, a smooth nose - it is impossible to understand whether the bear is “smiling” or preparing to attack.
Scientists studying the movements of sharks in Arctic waters discovered the jaw of a young bear in the stomach of a Greenland shark this summer. Nothing like this had been found before, and therefore a dispute immediately arose: was the bear alive when the shark caught it, or did it eat carrion?
In the first case, the shark has every “right” to take away the title of “top predator” of the Arctic from the polar bear. And if this is so, then residents of cold regions should now fear sharks more than bears.
In reality, there is nothing strange about such a find. Sharks are always hungry and always in search, they “sweep” everything in their path, both living and dead. What was not found in their stomachs at one time - bags of gold, cages with the corpses of chickens, dogs in muzzles, human hands, legs, skulls and even explosives.
Oceanologist Harold McCormick and journalist Tom Allen talk about how easily sharks deal with prey in their book “Shadows in the Sea”:
In 1959, in Kenya, a thirsty elephant entered the sea, apparently heading for an island where it hoped to find water. But he did not swim to the island. He was surrounded by huge sharks and literally torn to shreds. The fishermen who witnessed this bloody feast could not identify the type of shark, but most likely they were great white sharks, never missing an opportunity to assert their superiority over any living creature that stood in their way.
Although the word “sharks” makes you think of carefree Australian or American surfers, “man-eating fish” live not only in warm seas. For example, the Pacific Arctic shark (Somniosus pacificus) is found in the Bering Sea, and the aforementioned Greenland Arctic shark (Somniosus microcephalus) enters the Barents Sea and White Sea. This large (up to 6.5 m) Arctic shark is related to the well-known Black Sea dogfish shark (Squalus acanthias, about 1 m long) - both of them belong to the family of spiny sharks. Moreover, with climate change, sharks, killer whales and some other predators are moving further north, where previously it was too cold for them.
Of course, white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) cannot be compared in size to the Katran - the body length of the “white death” reaches 8–12 m, which is why in various ratings of “the most dangerous animals in the world” it is put in first place. But now the white shark is quite rarely encountered by humans; it is much easier to meet another notorious “man-eater” - the tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvieri).
Poachers and spearfishers love to tell tall tales about attacks by “killer whales.” But if killer whales sometimes surround boats, it is only for fun, and not to hunt humans. Coaches use this love of games when teaching in aquariums. However, captivity greatly shortens their life: on average, killer whales live in aquariums for 6 years, and in nature, the average life expectancy of females is 70–90 years, and males - 60.
Deep blue Sea
The polar bear necessarily appears in such ratings, since it is a very strong predatory animal - it is capable of cutting off a person’s head with one swing of its paw. However, cases of polar bear attacks on humans are rare and are associated with the destruction of their habitat.
Usually, the first place among the most dangerous animals is... the mosquito. Malaria, yellow fever and other diseases carried by Anopheles mosquitoes kill two to three million people a year, while deaths from shark attacks are rare. Thus, in 2000, 79 shark attacks were recorded, 11 of them fatal. In 2005 and 2006, there were 61 and 62 attacks, respectively, and the total number of deaths over the two years was 4. Of these attacks, the majority occurred in the United States. By the way, people catch about 40 million sharks every year. Most sharks prefer to feed on fish, shellfish and other small items, but some species specialize in seals and will even attack surfboards, mistaking them for animals.
Who could deal with a person easily and quickly is the killer whale (Orcinus orca), but it is completely undeservedly called the “killer whale”. This highly developed mammal, unlike a shark fish (even if the length of this “fish” is 11 meters), not only easily distinguishes a fur seal from a human, but also teaches its cubs unusual hunting techniques. Thus, some killer whales, when hunting, are able to wash ashore after their prey. This is very dangerous and takes a lot of time for mother orcas to train their calves.
A shark is not able to jump ashore and grab a gaping animal (or person). It is interesting that in captivity, during a few incidents, killer whales did not use their sharp teeth, but maimed people simply by leaning on them with their weight. This happens when too frequent performances in the aquarium cause the animals to become tired and stressed.
In the seas, even supposedly infested with sharks, the real danger to a person does not come from a monster like the heroine of the film “Jaws”, but from small and beautiful creatures like jellyfish, physalia - “Portuguese man-of-war” (Physalia physalis), fish with poisonous spines and brightly colored blue ringed octopuses (Hapalochlaena lunulata). Before diving into this environment alien to humans, it is necessary to thoroughly study the marine animals or simply follow the rule - do not touch anyone, no matter how beautiful and friendly he looks.
Many jellyfish are completely harmless and can be touched in the water. But a person unfamiliar with marine biology must avoid contact with any living creatures. If touched by the tentacles of some box jellyfish (for example, a sea wasp), a person can die in a matter of seconds. Photo (VS Photo Library): Julia Smirnova
Deadly dangerous jellyfish- “sea wasps” (Chironex fleckeri, the poison of one jellyfish is enough to kill 60 people) - are found in Australia, but even when there are too many of them near the shore, people continue to swim. Why? They found a simple way to avoid fatal contact - you need to dress from head to toe in clothes made of the same material from which women's nylon tights with lycra are made - it will protect against poisonous tentacles sticking to the skin. Some craftsmen successfully sew such costumes from several pairs of tights.
Snakes also live in warm seas, the poison of which is many times higher stronger than poison terrestrial reptiles, which is why sea kraits, or swallowtails (Hydrophis belcheri) are often included in the ratings of the most dangerous. However, their teeth are located deep in the mouth, and in most cases, sea kraits are not able to bite a person. But if a diver tries to catch them with his fingers spread out, the skin between the fingers will serve as an excellent target for the teeth.
In any case, when falling into the sea, a person is much more likely to simply drown than to die from a snake bite or end up in the mouth of a shark.
Now let’s go ashore and see who the most terrible animal is there.
A man is no friend to a drunken elephant
Some put the lion first, others the buffalo, others the elephant, and each is right in his own way. Despite numerous books and films about cannibal cats, these animals are not so bloodthirsty. Movies like The Phantom and the Darkness, about man-eating lions, are based on real stories just a few crazed big cats disturbed by railroad construction workers.
Usually a healthy lion simply runs away when it sees a person. The leopard does the same, although the most famous cannibal of the last century is precisely a representative of this species. The leopard from India's Rudraprayag claimed 125 lives in 8 years until it was killed in 1926 by the famous hunter Jim Corbett (1875–1955), author of The Leopard from Rudraprayag. If a man-eating lion is usually quickly found and shot, then no one could track the leopard. This is such a smart and dexterous animal that you can live your whole life next to it in the jungle and never see it.
Unlike tigers, lions, leopards and pumas, Snow Leopard, or the snow leopard (Uncia uncia) almost never attacks humans. Even wounded and driven to the edge of a cliff, he would prefer to retreat back into the abyss rather than jump on the hunter. This timid animal is listed in the Red Book. There are about 4–7 thousand snow leopards left in the world (the mountains of Russia, Tibet, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan), and about 600 live in zoos.
In this regard, I would like to put the crown of the very best on him, but the ubiquitous statistics show that every year people die mainly from attacks by herbivores, and not at all by predators. Of course, these herbivores do not track people and do not hunt them, they are just defending themselves. A wounded buffalo is capable of trampling a hunter, leveling him to the ground, a hippopotamus mother, protecting her child, easily overturns a boat and pierces a person with its fangs, and a blind and extremely nervous rhinoceros attacks everything that seems suspicious to him - from a small frog (croaked too loudly!) to a big man with a gun.
But the most dangerous is, perhaps, the elephant. Although his eyesight is also poor, he has an unusually developed intellect and easily distinguishes humans from other creatures. There are legends about the mental abilities of elephants; I was especially struck at one time by the story of naturalist and expert on Africa Jean-Pierre Hallet (1927–2004) in the most interesting book “Kitabu about Animals”. Halle once saw a crippled elephant, without a trunk. With such a wound, any elephant has no life, but this elephant lived happily ever after:
At first, all the elephants approached their cripple friend in turn and handed him bunches of branches with leaves... He readily opened his mouth. Trying to feed him first, the two elephants even collided with each other... He swallowed greedily for a while, and then tightly clenched his mouth and refused the branches, shaking his head negatively. And only then did his friends begin to eat themselves.
It is clear that such a developed animal, if desired, is capable of coming up with a whole plan to kill the hunter. If the elephants entered the plantation at night to steal fruit (they are forced to do this by the destruction of their habitat), and the daring guards attacked them with sticks, the elephants will defend themselves. Accidents with elephants occur not only in the wild, but even in circuses and zoos.
This animal is simply too large and strong; one awkward movement is enough for it to kill a crocodile, lion or man. Thus, in India and Bangladesh, elephants have gotten into the habit of stealing rice beer from people; as a result, drunken animals trample from 10 to 100 people a year.
This young African elephant, when he saw the photographers, decided to scare them and rushed towards the car. However, about five meters later he changed his mind and came back. Typically, elephants do not attack a person if he behaves “modestly.” There are known cases when tourists literally waved cameras in front of an elephant’s nose, after which the insolent people ended up in the hospital.
Oddly enough, shoulder to shoulder with elephants on the lists of the most dangerous animals are monkeys - especially chimpanzees, macaques and baboons. In my opinion, this is incorrect, since monkeys, although they take away people’s bags, documents, food, and even bite at the same time, do not at all seek to kill a person. Monkey invasions in India, where people themselves fed them, cause many problems, but real tragedies happen extremely rarely. For example, two years ago, chimpanzees killed one person and injured several others while trying to escape from a nursery in Sierra Leone in West Africa.
There is no scarier beast than "Bambi"
Many call the crocodile the most dangerous land predator. To some extent, this is true - as if in retaliation for the fact that people kill several thousand crocodiles a year, the crocodiles themselves, on occasion, are also not averse to snacking on humans. So, this year forty people were killed by crocodiles on Lake Victoria in Africa, and last year thirty people died here. Most often this happens to unwary fishermen and children carelessly playing on the shore.
By the way, when in the last century in some areas of Africa they tried to exterminate crocodiles, predatory fish - the favorite dish of crocodiles - multiplied in incredible numbers and ate everyone small fish, which the aborigines are accustomed to eating. As a result, people suffered from hunger.
Interestingly, some cases of attack do not end in death, but only in injury. A clumsy crocodile is not suitable for hunting a person - if a person does not swim, but stands upright, it is not easy for the reptile to grab him, and if a crocodile catches a person, it cannot swallow it - you have to drag the victim to the bottom and wait for it to choke, after which you can slowly divide it into small pieces.
For all its clumsiness, the crocodile is capable of rapid lunges, reaching speeds of up to 30 km/h over short distances, so tourists in parks are not allowed to get too close to these “monsters.” In Sri Lanka I saw several marsh crocodiles (Crocodylus palustris kimbula) of such a size that they seemed to me like prehistoric monsters. My attempts to sneak closer to them were immediately stopped by the park workers, which is probably correct.
Here is, perhaps, the most recent example of what happens when a person himself climbs into the mouth of an animal: at the end of August, a crocodile living at the Khan Jahan Ali temple in Bangladesh and accustomed to feeding on sacrificial chickens, unexpectedly ate a young pilgrim, who specifically went into the pond to ask the sacred animal for a blessing.
Although in Moscow there are stories about giant crocodiles living in the city sewer, for us crocodiles, snakes and lions are clearly not a relevant danger (the exception is if a person lives in places where vipers are concentrated and is allergic to their poison, or the person tries to self-medicate after a snake bite). There are not even deadly poisonous spiders in central Russia, and you can safely launch any spider you meet in the forest onto your hand. Only in the Crimea and the Caucasus should you be more careful and not walk barefoot in the habitats of the karakurt (Latrodectus tredecimguttatus) - a black spider with red spots, whose venom can indeed be fatal if you do not immediately burn the bite site with a burning match and do not get serum.
Moose ( Alces alces) are so shy and cautious that it is almost impossible to get close to them in nature. But when the time comes for seasonal migration, moose boldly cross the tracks. Even if there is a sign on the road warning of wild animals, drivers rarely pay attention to it. The results of a collision with the largest modern deer (body length up to 3 m, weight up to 600 kg!) are often fatal.
Bears and wolves are not easy to find, so our main danger is wild boars and moose. It’s not for nothing that there used to be a saying in Rus': “If you go to a bear, take straws, if you go to a wild boar, drag a coffin,” and in some regions the word “boar” was replaced by “egged.” There are cases when a moose cow, protecting her calf, or an elk during the rutting period, chase a person until he climbs a tree, and then watch him all day.
In Canada, Finland and some states of the USA, the most dangerous animal is not the grizzly bear, but a herbivore - elk or deer. In Michigan alone, there are approximately 67,700 roadside deer collisions per year, some of which are fatal.
Of course, it is impossible to list all the dangers and predators that await humans in the wild - these include “killer bees” (Apis mellifera scutellata), which man himself brought from Africa, and mad foxes, and wounded tigers, and even crows protecting their chicks. However, all these attacks are ordinary accidents, because the animals do not have any special predilection for human blood and certainly do not kill for fun or to make fashionable shoes from the victim’s skin.
If you meet an animal in the evening in a forest park, then it will almost certainly run away, the main thing is not to provoke it and not to panic, because a fleeing object awakens the instinct of a predator (even a domestic dog) to “play catch-up.” If you meet a person in the same forest park in the evening, it is difficult to predict how it will end...
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