Dangerous Australians

Australia is known world-wide for its dangerous animals. On average, all the people killed each year by snakes, crocs or sharks can be counted on just one hand. Is our dangerous reputation really fair?

DangerOz - the App!

Our brand new App about dangerous Australian animals has arrived.

DangerOz App

Mammals

Some of Australia's mammals can be dangerous.

Dingo
Common Wombat
Platypus

Marine Invertebrates

Sea Jellies can deliver a painful sting, but other marine animals can kill.

Bluebottle
Box Jellyfish

Blue-lined Octopus

Reputed to be among the most dangerous animals in the sea.

Blue-lined Octopus

Birds

Birds can be defensive, and some are known to attack humans.

Southern Cassowary
Australian Magpie

Spiders and more

Learn about the effects of venom and how bites are treated.

Sydney Funnel-web Spider, Atrax robustus
Redback Spider, Latrodectus hasselti
Sydney Brown Trapdoor Spider, Misgolas villosus
Australian Paralysis Tick
Giant Centipede, Ethmostigmus rubripes

Fish

Fish are usually seen as a food source, but they can be dangerous...

Reef Stonefish, Synanceia verrucosa (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Smooth Toadfish, Tetractenos glaber (Fréminville, 1813)
Common Lionfish, Pterois volitans (Linnaeus, 1758)
Bull Shark, Carcharhinus leucas Valenciennes, 1839
White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758)
Tiger Shark, Galeocerdo cuvier (Péron & Lesueur, 1822)
Smooth Stingray, Dasyatis brevicaudata (Hutton, 1875)

Cane Toad

Poisonous throughout its life cycle, it has few predators in Australia.

Cane Toad

Reptiles

20 of the world's 25 most venomous snakes are Australian.

Common Death Adder
Eastern Brown Snake
Red-bellied Black Snake
Tiger Snake
Copperhead
Mulga Snake
Yellow-bellied Sea Snake
Coastal Taipan
Inland Taipan
Collett’s Snake
Blue-bellied Black Snake
Estuarine Crocodile
Dugite

Insects

Mosquitoes can be more than just a pest.

Mosquitoes
Honey Bee
Bull ants