The world is dangerous, there's no way around it. Some organisms, to deal with the Earth's hostility, have developed defenses more direct than their teeth and claws. The terms poison and venom are usually used similarly, but they truly have very different meanings.

Below are five animals that have utilized the chemical warfare of toxins, poisons, and venoms, to their own advantage; these animals would certainly kill you in a hurry.

King cobra
(Photo : Getty Images)

1. Box Jellyfish

The box jellyfish won the top prize for "The World Most Venomous Animal," (life scientists have dropped the "fish" from "jellyfish" as it is misnamed). Since 1954, it has led to not less than 5,567 recorded deaths. Its toxins attack the nervous system, skin cells, and heart.

And the unfortunate part of it is that venom of box jelly is so undeniably painful, that its human victims go into shock immediately, and suffocate or die of heart failure before even getting to the shore. Survivors go through pain weeks after an encounter with box jellies.

2. King Cobra

The world's longest venomous snake is the King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) - growing up to 18.5 ft (5.6 m) in length. Ophiophagus means "snake-eater," because it eats other snakes (related to the King Snake). Just a bite can lead to the death of a healthy grown-up human within 15 minutes.

This snake is capable of killing an adult Asian Elephant within 3 hours if the bigger animal is bitten in an area that is vulnerable like the trunk.

Also Read: 45 Most Dangerous Animals In The World

3. Marbled Cone Snail

This little adorable looking cone snail can be as dangerous as any other animal on this list. A drop of its venom is enough to kill over 20 humans. If you ever happen to be in a warm saltwater environment  - a place these snails are commonly found and see it, don't even try picking it up. Of course, the true use of its venom is to capture its prey, and not to kill you.

4. Blue-Ringed Octopus

The Blue-Ringed Octopus is tiny, just the size of a golf ball, but its venom is enough to kill a human. It possesses enough poison to kill 26 grown-up humans within few minutes, and there is no antitoxin. They are presently known as one of the most venomous animals in the world.

Its pain-free bite may appear harmless, but the deadly neurotoxins start working instantly leading to numbness, muscular weakness, accompanied by a cessation and breathing, and death. They can be seen in tide pools in the Pacific Ocean, from Japan to Australia.

Scorpion
(Photo : Sharath G.)

5. Death Stalker Scorpion

Many scorpions are relatively nontoxic to humans as stings bring about only local effects such as numbness, pain, or swelling). However, the Death Starker Scorpion is a very dangerous specie because its venom is a powerful cocktail of neurotoxins that leads to intense and intolerable pain, then fever, accompanied by coma, convulsions, paralysis, and death. Sadly, while a sting from this scorpion is intensely painful, it would be improbable to kill a healthy, grown-up human

Related Article: Beware: Top 6 Surprisingly Venomous Animals

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