Monstrous Mammals
The African species responsible for killing an estimated 500 people each year, more than any other mammal in Africa
Hippopotamus
The ant species with the most painful sting in the world
Bullet ant
The bird featured in a famous poem containing this line: "What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore meant in croaking 'Nevermore'"
Raven
A real-life Godzilla--this enormous reptile has a dangerously venomous bite, cannibalistic tendencies, and the ability to take down prey as large as a water buffalo.
Komodo dragon
If ocean life were a horror film, one may imagine this member of the Delphinidae with a villainous name as the serial killer--it is highly intelligent and isn't afraid to resort to creative means of taking down prey
Orca/killer whale
The unusual weapon possessed by male Chinese water deer
Tusks/fangs
Large wasps that paralyze tarantulas and lay their eggs on them so that the larva may use the still-living spider as a food source
Tarantula hawk
A bird believed by the Romans to be an omen of death, a belief displayed in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar when one appears as a foretelling of the Caesar's demise
Owl
The animal with the strongest bite force on earth, estimated at 3700PSI
Saltwater crocodile
The fish from which fugu, one of the most dangerous delicacy foods in the world due to potent toxins in the organs, is made
Pufferfish
Monotreme species capable of inflicting an immensely painful sting through spurs on the males' hind legs
Platypus
The spider with the fastest-acting, most dangerous venom of any spider in the world
Sydney funnel web spider
Primary diet item of the Marabou stork, also nicknamed the "undertaker bird" for its cloaked appearance
Carrion/dead animals
The most poisonous frog in the world
Golden poison frog/golden dart frog
A rare, deep-crimson jellyfish with a Halloween-like name that dwells in the midnight zone and has four long, curtain-like arms
Giant phantom jelly
The scientific name of the gray wolf, which is a relative of Canis familiaris, or the domestic dog
Canis lupus
The scorpion with the most potent venom, having an LD50 of approximately 0.25mg/kg
Deathstalker
Another common name for shrikes, which they received due to their habit of impaling the carcasses of their prey on thorns
Butcherbird
The snake with the longest fangs of any snake species, sometimes reaching up to 5cm in length
Gaboon viper
A frightening-looking shark with an elongated snout and protruding jaws that can shoot forward to catch prey
Goblin shark
The term for animals consuming bones or marrow, displayed in mammals such as hyenas
Osteophagy
The only carnivorous butterfly in North America
Harvester butterfly
A killer from birth--an African nest parasite that, upon hatching, violently kills all the other chicks in the nest with a sharp, curved bill hook.
Greater honeyguide
The location where Ibu Baron, the world's largest living wild snake, was discovered
Indonesia
Tiny but terrible--a parasitic Amazonian catfish that uses sharp spines to attach to the host fish's gills and feed on its blood
Candiru