Colors of indication

Creator has given every animal its own color. We do have our own colors. The colors help us to identify climate he/she lives, race etc. But, for animals colors are given for various purposes which can be really good indicators of many things which this post illustrates.

In case of some animals, the color on its body is an indicator of how much amount of food does it get which is with flamingos. They are born white. This makes people wonder how these birds which are born white get pink in color. Well, it is an indicator for how much shrimps they have eaten. Those who feed on more shrimps get pink in color but individuals who are malnourished or who get less shrimps remain as white as snow.

Age is another indicator of colors. Wondered why some giraffes have darker spots and some lions have darker manes. It isn't because of the area where scorching heat prevails or subspecies, but of age. As they get older and older
these body parts darken. 


Gender is also determined by colors. It is widely known that males of many species of birds have bright colors on their bodies to impress the mates. But,some mammals do boast them too for the same purpose. Two species of baboon are known for this quality. As naturalist Charles Darwin once proudly quoted ' No other animal in the whole class of mammals is colored in so extraordinary manner as adult male mandrills', male mandrills truly boast this quality. Another one is a male Gelada baboon which is a resident of Ethiopian highlands.

The kind of habitat where one lives is also determined on the basis of colors which is found in leopards and others. Leopards inhabiting forests boast bright yellowish orange and darker spots than those inhabiting open woodlands or plains.

The kind of genes which the animal boasts or has received also determines the color it will have. Melanin gene is responsible for black color which is the reason why an animal called panther is derived. In fact, there is no such animal called panther. Black panthers are actually leopards. Black form of leopards are like white tigers. They are only black instead of yellowish orange due to those black genes. Not only leopards, but even jaguars, pumas and surprisingly tigers do have black forms. White tigers are born if white genes are passed from their parents.

Getting rid of

Just as we get rid of many kinds of things from nature like insects,climate etc. ; we protect ourselves from such things like putting on the mosquito repellent for guarding from mosquitoes,wearing sweaters during winter etc. Like that many animals are also known to get rid of many natural agents and also insects and other animals by using varieties of techniques.

When it rains we open up our umbrellas or wear our raincoats (wind-cheaters). Forget about raincoats, since animals do not wear anything, they have to get rid of rains by taking a shed or using some smart methods. Orangutans are one of those who use these methods and they do it by taking large leaves or a branch of tree with leaves and covering the top of their heads akin to usage of umbrellas. Yes, it gives quite a resemblance to humans way of thinking.

For getting rid of insects like flies,mites animals have adapted their own ways of keeping them at bay. One of these methods is by dust bathing. Many animals which include zebras and bison do by rolling in dust. Elephants do so by spraying mud on their backs by their trunks and even wallowing in sticky mud. The latter method is done even by rhinos.
Grooming is another method of removing tiny insects like fleas from the hair/fur which is a reason for monkeys checking each others hairs or even cats licking their bodies by using rough part on their tongue.

Animals usually get rid of bad weather, insects and other animals (prey from predator). But, here is a predatory animal which gets rid of other predators just to shield its prey(carcass). Post catching its prey, a leopard will scale up a tree with its carcass getting rid of robbers like lions and hyenas who are strong enough to fight and rob it. Really nice opportunity for these spotted beasts to eat in peace up there. But for the other spotted beast i.e. the cheetah, such opportunities are absent as they aren't adept climbers and no other place to hide and eat in their open habitat i.e. savannas. Due to this, their prey carcasses are often lost to these robbers. How sad! Thus, it is a matter of luck for them while feeding.

It's sleeping time

We are sometimes told for being lazy as we keep on resting in our beds. But, we need not be as this post will tell about animals and their sleep duration and also reveal who are the real sleeping masters.

The large terrestrial herbivores namely elephants, giraffes, horses  aren't the longest sleepers as they require only 2-3 hrs of sleep. Large and tall statures but less sleep. Odd combination!

We (Homo sapiens) require only 7-8 hrs of sleep but sometimes vary depending on our lifestyles and schedules.

 Now, comes the list of those animals who are little lazy and who are the laziest. 

Giant pandas,squirrels, hippopotamuses are known to be little lazy resting in the range of 10-14 hrs a day.

Now comes the laziest animals in the range from 15-20 hrs a day. Yes, it is true that all nocturnal animals like bats,bush babies, slender lorises etc. are known to sleep in this duration thus making them the owners of the night.

But, there are some occasionally diurnal ones who are in this duration category. Large wild cats are the ones. Lions sleep for up to 20 hrs a day but here is a real catch which is going to leave you baffled. Lionesses are more active opting to sleep only for up to 16 hrs a day but it is the males who prefer to rest for full 20 hrs  making him one of the laziest beasts. Its no wonder that the king of the beasts is known for being so sleepy.

Image courtesy of [by Rob D] at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Finally, the laziest animal in the world is Australia's lovely koala bear resting up to 22 hrs. Really cuddly scene when we see them busy lost in sleep on the branches of the Eucalyptus tree. 

Tales of booby birds

One of the readers has requested to throw some insight on booby birds. These birds are sea birds like gulls, albatrosses, gannets etc. But gannets are their closest relatives.


Being coastal residents of Pacific ocean, blue footed boobies boast brightly blue colored feet implying their name. When night falls, they nest on land and spend rest of their day flying and looking for fishes like anchovies etc. Along with their brightly blue foot, other remarkable qualities include ability to dive not only from great heights around 80 ft (24 meters) but even do so from sitting position.





Like that, the red-footed booby does boast various similar lifestyles which its cousin (blue-foot) boasts. They too dive from towering heights to scoop out fish nesting on land etc. Being agile flyers by flying up to 150 kilometers in quest for meal, nesting on other places like coastal trees and nearby bushes and of course red color are their distinguishing factors from its cousin.

Their colored feet seem to be of some relevance to their mating habit. Blue-footed boobies shake their legs as a part of their mating ritual while red-footed boobies emit shrill squawks during mating along with performing rituals like dancing, showing brighter body parts including its feet.

Memory power

It is true that humans have really amazing memories. We can remember and recall almost anything. But, we aren't the only animals with such amazing memories. Other animals with this characteristic are illustrated in this post.

Lets start with our relatives- the primates. Apes notably gorillas and orangutans have memories akin to humans. They do can form long lasting bonds.

Our faithful best friends- dogs have known to remember people like who treated them nicely keeping the negative ones at bay.
The same is true for horses too.

Elephants do boast one of the strongest memories. They are known to remember up to 60 commands and even people too as they boast a special skill of recognizing people from far away by their voices.For instance, an elephant will really get angry if a person who used to treat it cruelly arrives in its domain.

The taller beasts like giraffes (female cows) have been known to remember certain things like the place where they were born to give birth.

Now, friendliest marine mammals dolphins have the best memory span in the entire animal kingdom. Not only they have names for each other but also remember their pals even after seeing each other for a long time.

Shields of survival

In the world of animals, there are animals who have certain features to withstand from the nature's harsh features or conditions. This post will tell about animals with their amazing shields.

As we all know, that camels are known as the ships of the desert for the right reason. Along with its ability to go for longer periods without water, ability to feed on rough vegetation, hooves to even carry over rough terrains, they possess three eyelashes to shield their eyes and keep the blowing desert sand at bay.

Towering beasts- giraffes do boast one of the toughest skins in the animal kingdom which shields them from the sharp Acacia tree's thorns while feeding on its leaves.

 











Along with camel, there is another xerocole (desert resident) which does have other shielding features.. One of these is the Fennec fox. This fox has the largest ears which enable to release lot of heat. Also, its feet have thick fur around their paws to shield is feet from the warm desert sand from burns.


Blubber is an ideal element that is found to keep warm in polar marine animals like walruses,whales,seals,penguins and even polar bears. It is weird to mention a bear in this category, but polar bears  are both bears as well as marine mammals depending much on ice floes and spend lot of duration of their time swimming.

Similarly, the terrestrial polar animals like polar bears, foxes,
wolves, hares have fur in between their toes to shield from the frosty grounds. Without this fur, they would become victims to frostbite (a medical condition affecting skin and tissues which are far from heart due to freezing).

Time to express- 2 (Meanings in the sounds)

To continue from where I stopped my last post, let's talk about how do animals express their feelings or generally communicate in terms of their sounds. It is true that just as we talk for a reason, animals do make sounds which have many purposes. 

Big cats like lions roar not only to shield their territory from other lions but also to communicate and bring back the scattered members of the pride. But, when these predators roar, they can even extend their duration and this voice can be heard far away.In case of tigers, roaring duration is shorter compared to lions. They roar to communicate with other  tigers, after bringing down their prey and even during mating. Also, these pantherines (big cats) have a wider vocal repertoire compared to other wild cats. They make sounds like  'prusten' or chuffing' which sounds like a rattling snort through the nose. Other sounds used are grunt while charging, woof when startled, hiss when getting in an attack mode etc.

Elephants usually make low rumbles to communicate within the herd. They trumpet when they are surprised or excited. Quite surprisingly, giraffes too aren't silent actors in the animal kingdom. These towering giants do make sounds and some voices vary among sexes for different purposes like bulls ( males ) will cough while courting whereas does ( females ) will bellow to call their calves back and calves will bleat and moo for simply communicating. In 2014, scientists have revealed in their research that giraffes do make a strange humming sound at night which is akin to motor bike's engine and the purpose is still a puzzle for scientists whether they are communicating with other giraffes or in their dreams.

Image courtesy of [Humpata1] at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

For some animals, their vocalizing time comes only during the mating season to attract females. Like deer species like moose, red deer, fallow deer during the rut where the males bellow loudly to attract females. The same is evident even in reptiles like crocodiles, alligators where the bulls (males) also bellow to attract cows(females)  as well as to convey sexual readiness. Even, the largest species of birds, ostriches follows the same ritual where the males make booming sounds akin to lion's roar to impress the mates. 

But, some make sound for their meal quest. It is evident in micro (small) bats and only one species of mega (big) bat- the Egyptian fruit bat, dolphins, sperm whales where this process called echolocation is used.

Time to express-1

Animals express themselves by sounds, gestures, facial expressions and other body language. Let's talk about how animal express themselves to their own members as well to humans in case of some animals.

Pets like dogs and cats are known to humans and they do have their own sets of amazing body languages for expressing. It is often told that when dogs wag their tails they say hello or greet. But, don't get fooled by all types of wagging as greets. When it wags to the left it is scared or frightened, slow tail wagging expressing insecurity and rapid ones express aggression. Only when it wags to the right, it is really greeting. When it lies on its back, with paws bent and raised, it says 'You' re my love bug'. Even, when they sneeze they let known other dogs that they are aren't being aggressive but playful.

Cats are no less in body languages They make 100 different sounds while dogs can make only 10. When these felines make a meowing sound they aren't communicating with other cats, but with humans as mewing refers to humans or something to humans in their language. As they are capable of meowing, they are also known to imitate the sound of crying babies if they know that their owners have babies to know that they too are hungry.Also, when these felines are pets they rub their heads on their owners so that to convey their trust.

Apart from dogs and cats, even other animals have been known to express themselves by their own means. Rubbing and holding body parts are two most important expressing methods. Elephants are known to hold each other's trunk not only to greet but also to console other individuals. Polar bears rub each others noses so as to get what they want. In a pride, lions rub each others heads for greeting etc.

This type of behavior holds true for chameleons where they change their colors not only for camouflage but also for indicating moods, temperature changes etc. Brighter colors signify aggression whereas dull or pale colors signify submission.

Accents

It is true that humans have accents based on different regions where they are found like English language accent of U.S. is different from that of U.K. and other countries.

But, this post will reveal that even animals have accents based on regions they are found. 

In the animal kingdom, domestic animals are documented to have accents. Goats have different accents on regions in which they are found. Even, cows have been reported of mooing in different accents. The presence of accents is evident even in birds. Sparrows and many song birds do boast this quality.

It is not only the domestic ones which are found to have accents. Even, the wild ones have them too. Japanese macaques (snow monkeys) boast different accents on the basis of  geographical region of troops where they are found. By the way, these primates are known to buy eatables from vending machines by using thrown coins. And, while playing in the snow they do make snowballs like us for the same purpose - for fun. 

 Even, cetaceans (sea mammals that resemble fish) like whales and dolphins are also reported to have accents. Scientists believe that blue whales of nine different regions have different accents.

Watch your tongue

It is true that a person who sticks out his/her tongue is considered to be immature,childish etc. But in case of some animals, it is a matter of  their survival.

The reptiles, like snakes, who frequently flicker their tongue, are doing it for the reason of smelling (to capture scent particles) and not because they are hungry.

Image courtesy of [by africa] at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Chameleons do have their own uniqueness about their tongues. Their chief weapon which they use for hunting is not the tongue but the sticky adhesive on their tongue which helps them in catching insects. Also, there are species of chameleons whose tongues are longer than their bodies giving them enough flexibility to catch far away insects.Again in this list, amphibians are no exception. Batrachians ( frogs and toads) use tongues only single utility- for catching their prey.
 Moving now from amphibians and reptiles, there are some mammals who use their tongues for even better purposes. Towering beasts - giraffes extend their black colored, prehensile tongues from their mouth for plucking the Acacia leaves from the tree.Also, they use their 18-20 inches long tongue to clean their ears.


Scaly anteaters called pangolins have incredibly long tongue to feed on ants and termites and they can stretch their thin, long tongues into very narrow lanes of termite mounds. No need to use its claws to break open the termite mounds. This makes them one of the animals with longest tongues.

Both domestic and wild cats do have another rough feature on their tongues called as horny papillae used for grooming and rasping the liquid part of the flesh.

Leave the baby alone!

This post is on request from one of my blog readers. The question was whether animal's parents reject their young ones if touched by humans.

The answer is - in general, no. It is common in rodents but rarely a case occurs in large animals. Yes, they will reject only if too much human handling is done.

I recently read about this incident that happened in Yellowstone national park of US. A young bison calf was rejected by the entire herd after some silly tourists picked it up and stored at the back of their vehicle thinking to protect it from cold. But, when the park rangers were reuniting the animal back with the herd, very sadly the herd rejected it. Later, park rangers euthanized the poor animal as it would have had come in contact with vehicles on the road. How sad!!

In all national parks and sanctuaries people are prohibited to not only hunt wildlife, but to touch and feed also. However, licensed (controlled hunting) is allowed in specific countries.

But, being touched by humans cannot be the only reason why female animals reject their young ones. Other reasons could be undernourished young ones or lazy to be a mother etc.

The female leaders

There is talk of स्‍त्री शक्‍ति all around. As such it is Devi's Navaratri too. Even, USA is  gearing up to have their first female president.  So, why not talk about how females fare in animal world! To begin with, the saying goes by- " The female of the species is more deadlier than the male".

A hyena's group is called as clan.  The leader of clan of spotted hyenas is always a female hyena. Interestingly, a female hyena is larger than the male. What is even more amazing is that they can lock (proverbial) horns with the top predator in their habitat- the lion. Truly, they aren't scared of lions as they are even famed for stealing prey from a pride of lion. When the female hyena arrives with her entire clan, the pride will usually give up.


There are several other critters where the females outweigh the males. The Great horned owl (inset) is a famous example where the females are larger than males and have a deeper hooting call than males. Also, great horned owls aren't named because they have horns. They are called so as they boast tufts of feathers on the top of their head.

The female green anacondas, also outweigh their male counterparts. These bulky ophidians inhabit near swamps of rainforests and wetlands lurking for prey like capybara (world's largest rodent),deer, tapirs, caiman alligators and even surprisingly jaguars. But, aren't much aggressive towards humans.

The oldest cow elephant is the leader of the herd. However a herd of elephants does not have older male elephants (bulls) as they tend to lead solitary lives after the age of 13 years.  

So that's my tribute to the female fraternity, er... sorority!

We can easily catch you-1

Not all the animals are said to be the fastest runners, but they are crafty enough to catch you. 

Today, I will list animals, running against whom is useless.

Not all the wild cats, but many of them are said to be deadly to humans. All the large, wild cats like tiger, lion, leopard and, of course, cheetah  are capable of bursting at fast speeds. They do have other perfect senses like acute vision, smell and hearing.
Even though tigers are the heavy weights, their speeds are clocked at (35-40 mph) 49-65 kmph.


Puma and snow leopard shouldn't be challenged by running away. Do it and they are just close to you with their paws with claws opened ready to strike as they are known to be the highest jumpers in the animal kingdom. So, running away from them means you are still inviting death. Staying away from them is the only way to stay safe.

It is not only the light to medium weighing animals that are capable of zooming fast, but we shouldn't feel free even to stay near wild, bulky ones.

The large species of bears come under this group. A brown bear can reach even close to a running horse. Even though, polar bears use striking strategy to catch their prey like seals, they too are faster with their speed being as fast as an Olympic sprinter.

The same goes for the bulky herbivores (rhinos, hippos). They are surprisingly faster than a human being.

So, don't get fooled by bulk of these heavy weights!

Off Beat

Some animals have been noted for their off beat characteristic features and behaviors. This blog illustrates some examples of this topic.
Small,cute mouse like Arctic rodents known as lemmings are known to commit mass suicide by jumping off high clips into the waters. Don't get horrified as this is a part of their migratory behavior.  If you are curious about how they do, click this link and watch them in action https://youtu.be/AOOs8MaR1YM 


One of those species of mountain vultures, the lammergeier (bearded vulture) has a weird habit of dropping bones from massive heights.They aren't playing any game. When a bone is dropped and it cracks open, their diet emerges - the bone marrow. 

Crocodiles too are known to produce tears just like us.Don't get emotional as it happens naturally to them when they swallow too much air while eating. 

The lumberjacks of the animal kingdom, beavers are known for their behavior of cutting trees and building their homes, the lodge with them. The lodge almost looks like a cave made from collection of straw, logs ,mud etc. Nice, cozy homes for them to guard from predators. They are also known for the dams built by them.

We do have the right to thank God for creating such animals which can benefit the ecosystem. See below, serially, Beaver, Beaver dam and Beaver's lodge.


 
 

Frogs

Darren Sammy had said this before the ICC World T20 2016 semifinal, "The guys who predict the results, I think they say it's 80-20 to India, so it feels like a David and Goliath. But people tend to forget that David won the fight."  
Well, people might have had different reactions to it, but I possibly had unique reaction - I was thinking of Goliath frog!!  
The largest specie of frogs is the Goliath frog, native to Africa.  Remarkable feature is that it has webbed feet! It is also the rarest species of frogs, thanks to the habitat destruction and collection for exotic pet trade.

There are many large number of species of frogs available all over the world. But, for now, let's talk of a couple of them here.
 
The  rare Indian purple frog of forests of Sahyadris looks gross with its weird characteristics. It is also rare and endangered by habitat loss. Look at its picture at your own risk. I will give you the link here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_frog

Poison frogs are again remarkable for boasting venom on their skin. Inhabiting the dense rainforests of Neotropic regions (Central and South America). There are many species that fall under this category and colors range from red to larger blue ones. So, don't dare to get close to these beautiful and cute amphibians.

Together, we are called...

We have often heard about collective names given to animals. Few things are simple.
 
Herd is used for deer, antelopes, zebras, giraffes etc.
Pack is used for wolves, jackals, dogs etc. 
Pod is used for whales, dolphins etc. 

Things start getting bizarre, now

Dinosaurs get two different nouns - herd is used for herbivores and pack is used for carnivores.

Crocodile's and alligator's groups have got different names. Crocodile's group is called as bask, whereas alligator's group is called as congregation.  And a group of calf alligator is not congregation but a pod!

Image courtesy of [njaj] 
at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Apes are tailless primates like, gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, gibbons and orangutans. Group of apes is called shrewdness. But no ape species use shrewdness as collective noun. 

For ex. band of gorillas, cartload of chimpanzees and bonobos, buffoonery of orangutans!!

Well, if this not enough, imagine an animal using several collective nouns. Yes there are few of those oddities. 

A group of zebra can be called a herd, crossing, zeal or a dazzle.

A group of elephants can be called a herd, parade, memory or even a crash.  

Introductions of disasters-2

Jumping to the second part, another killer introduction is that of the Cane toad in Australia. This amphibian has been the cause of deaths of several freshies, the fresh -water crocodiles of Australia. Actually, the toad's venom kills them after the freshies consume them. Luckily, Salties, the salt water crocodiles aren't get affected by their venom.

But, freshies aren't only victims of the Cane toads. Other victims  include three species of Varanid lizards, two venomous snakes (Death adder and Mulga snake).

Burmese pythons who have been introduced in Everglade swamps habitat (largely in Florida) are spoiling that ecosystem. These pythons prey on many native animals including the top predator of that ecosystem, the alligators. You could imagine how damaging it could be to the ecosystem. These bulky serpents were initially pets, whom people brought them from east Asia. They were later released into the wild by the ignorant pet owners who didn't know how they are harming the ecosystem. Now, many programs are launched to remove these large serpents for the ecosystem's wellness.

Introductions of disasters-1

Man can cause disturbance to wildlife through activities like deforestation, poaching, climate change etc. But, there is another way in which he can destroy the wildlife population of species i.e. introduction of non- native species. While introducing, he should be careful about how this animal can harm the ecosystem.

There are many cases in which he introduced many non-native species.  Let me discuss two popular cases. 

Dating back to 19th century, when the Australian outback(semi-desert plains) was filled with many native marsupials, man introduced non-native species like camels(Most are Arabian but some are Bactrian) which were previously domesticated and then turned wild. Now, these animals have grown in giant numbers that people are finding it impossible to control their numbers. They have already eaten in such a way which caused native plant species to become threatened. Nearby infrastructure is also destroyed by them. Also, they drink tons of water.

Image courtesy of [by photokanok] 
at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Other animals introduced in Australian wildlife habitats are cats,red foxes,rabbits, Indonesian water buffaloes, donkeys,horses, pigs which are now feral (wild). Both red foxes and feral cats also ruin by preying on smaller marsupials which are now threatened whereas rabbits like camels also eat so much plants that not only those plants are threatened but another  vegetarian marsupial i.e. the wombat has to compete with them. 

Image courtesy of [ by tungphoto] 
at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

St Helena island was discovered by Portuguese in 1902. They brought the goats to provide vital provisions for the passing ships. As their population became gigantic, they feasted on plants of the island. The island had a unique flora of 49 species of plants and 6 of them were not to be found anywhere else in the world. Many plants entered into list of extinct flora like String wood, Burchell's bellflower, St.Helena ebony etc. 

How sad that these plants no longer exist. If they had, they could have had some value to us or for the ecosystem.

Deadliest of Australia-3

Image courtesy of [by M-Pics] 
at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Here is the third list of the deadliest who we need to be careful of!

The dingoes,  Australia's wild dog, found in the Australian outback are no doubt the deadliest as people get deceived by their appearance and behavior like a tame dog. Campers who go into their habitat feed them treating like pet ones. Not safe! Dingoes are large, impressive predators who hunt, in packs like the Grey wolves and African wild dogs. They hunt kangaroos,wallabies and other smaller marsupials.  To say, they are the  only largest terrestrial predator in Australia. There have been incidents of dingoes injuring and killing humans. Don't get deceived by their physical characteristic features.

The Tasmanian devil, having a small bear like appearance,  is honored as the largest carnivorous marsupial. Highly nocturnal, they feast on small marsupials, wallabies etc. Again popular for being a nasty predator as they are kleptoparasitical, i.e. who rob meals from other, predatory marsupials like quolls. Another deadly characteristic is their terrifying, threatening growl which can be heard from a distance only when the night sets in.
Beware, sea divers!! The cone snail shouldn't be taken for granted as it is another deadly killer. The bigger species of this snail are more brutal. Venom is lethal to humans. When this tiny killer stings with its long proboscis being its deadly weapon, the effect won't be noticed but see after one or two minutes, the victim will receive symptoms like muscle paralysis,vision impairment, respiratory failure  and can be fatal. Immediate medical care is a must.

So, I conclude that whatever creatures I have mentioned in Australia's deadliest blogs (1-3) are no docile by any means and so shouldn't be underestimated. 

The macropods like kangaroos and wallabies can kick, box in defense and not to forget their sharp clawed feet and their sharp nailed hands. They are also great vehicle destroyers. Even ,the cute and cuddly koala bears and wombats can deliver powerful, wounding scratches from their sharp claws. So, even, these most known Australian animals shouldn't be taken for granted, although they are not the deadliest.

Deadliest of Australia- 2 (Killer seas)

Image courtesy of [by digitalart]
at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 But, if you are under impression that Australia's seas aren't dangerous and you can freely venture on those islands having a great time, think again.
The largest in the world, majestic, island of Australia boasts not only deadly terrestrial creatures, but also vicious marine killers. 




The biggest among carnivorous sharks- the great white shark is one among the deadliest sharks which we should avoid.There were large no. of reports of sharks injuring and even killing humans near to them, but the truth is that these marine killers confused humans as their prey like dolphins or seals.

Beautiful in appearance but vicious by nature,the blue-ringed octopus is another deadly killer characterized by blue- rings on its white body. 

We can even get a nasty sting if we step on the particular stones which are found in Australia's underwater. Don't mistake them for stones; they are the stone fishes, most venomous fish.

Same is true, for those surprise stingers found on Australia's beaches, the box jellyfish is no exception in being the deadliest known for many injuries and fatalities.

Deadliest of Australia - 1

Image courtesy of [by digitalart]
at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The smallest continent and the largest of the islands- Australia is known for its rich wildlife. But the key ones are marsupials- kangaroos, koalas, wombats etc. Even, there are other remarkable reptile species like the frilled lizard which is found only in this country, nowhere else.

But, be careful. Not to worry of crime rates, as they are low, but its vicious  wildlife which are daringly lurking around even in human settlements. So, a person visiting Australia should be careful of these deadly ones.

Image courtesy of [by M-Pics] at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The largest reptile Salt- water crocodile (Estuarine crocodile) or salties called in short in Australia are actually one of the top predators in the Australia's riparian(rivers, billabongs, brackish waters) ecosystems.  
These reptiles are superstars in ambush attack. Any animal walking beside them, they come out of the water with great force and brings it down. They are also masters in jumping out of the water and snapping with their jaws in the cases when they are coerced with baits.
Infact, there are two species of crocodiles in Australia- Salties and the smaller freshies (fresh-water crocodile). Freshies too are dangerous but less harmful to us, but salties are deadly vicious.

Not to forget, even the slithering, scaly creatures like snakes are deadly killers as this country boasts many species of venomous serpents like Eastern brown snake, Inland taipan, Tiger snake etc. 

Don't underestimate spiders as they too are another group of deadly killers and are not smaller harmless ones.They are medium sized ones capable of inflicting pains to humans causing nausea and other feelings which require medical help. But, fatalities are rare.