Plants And Animals That We Shouldn’t Ever Touch

Want to know the quickest way to ruin a nice stroll in the woods? Accidentally walking into a bunch of poison ivy. It sucks! This nasty plant houses a compound called urushiol, which irritates your skin soon after brushing against it. The soreness is often referred to as “contact dermatitis,” and it can stick around for over three weeks. Oh, and the resin clings to your clothes, too.

While caterpillars can be destructive little critters in the yard, the tussock moth caterpillar is ominous for a slightly different reason. The website NCHE.com explains that they boast troublesome hairs which are capable of irritating your skin if you touch them. These bugs are scattered across America’s East Coast, so local residents need to watch themselves.

While some people like to call them pets, we wouldn’t advise you to get too close to an Indian red scorpion. These arachnids carry a very dangerous poison in their stings. According to the website ThoughtCo.com, the toxins can cause perspiration, a loss of breath, sickness, and an erratic heartbeat. So, don’t touch them!

Thanks to their vibrant pink petals, you might think oleander plants are safe to touch. But that’s not the case…at all. As the website Ranker reported, these flowers’ sap will leave you with a rash should you come into contact with it. And whatever you do, don’t get them near your mouth, either. They’re very poisonous.

With a name like that, who’d want to touch a blister beetle? Talk about asking for trouble. Say that you did, though – what would happen next? Well, the beetle produces a chemical known as cantharidin to ward off unwanted attention. It’s capable of burning your skin and, you guessed it, leaving painful blisters behind. So, if you see one in your yard, keep your distance.

We wouldn’t want to touch a toad at the best of times, but cane toads are an entirely different prospect. Yes, these creatures release a chemical called bufotoxin through certain parts of their body. Dogs and many other animals have succumbed to it over the years, so you really should stay away from them.

If you live in the Southeast U.S., there’s a good chance that you might’ve seen this beautiful flower at some stage. But don’t be fooled by its pleasant appearance. As it turns out, tread-softly plants have that name for a reason! The Britannica website notes that the flora are smothered in “stinging hairs,” so a simple touch can lead to roughly 60 minutes of pure discomfort.

From a distance, the rough-skinned newt looks like a cute little creature. In case you’re curious, they can be spotted all across the Pacific Northwest. Mind you, we’d urge any onlookers to resist touching these critters. The animals can release chemicals through their skin that’ll leave your hands and fingers quite sore.

You’d be hard-pressed to name a more colorful species in the animal kingdom than the poison dart frog. It’s like staring at a moving piece of art. Anyway, its ominous name is a pretty good indicator as to why you should never touch one if you happen to be close to such an amphibian. The creature releases a lethal toxin via its flesh.

If you stumble across a wild black cherry tree when the weather’s bad, walk in the other direction. You see, strong wind and rain prompts its leaves to secrete a dangerous chemical called prussic acid. And should they be blown off the tree, animals could accidentally poison themselves by eating them. Yikes.

Would you ever touch a black widow spider if you found one? Well, assuming that you said yes, here’s what could happen should the bug nibble your hand. Arachnid expert Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal told Live Science, “The effects of a bite can include nausea, profuse sweating, severe pain in [the] abdomen and back, muscle aches, hypertension and paralysis of the diaphragm.”

During his chat with Loyola University, Rivers offered up a surprising revelation. He said, “One of the deadliest insects you’ll find in Maryland is one you never think of, and that’s the monarch butterfly. Its orange-and-black coloring is actually sending the message to stay away.” When the butterflies are still caterpillars, they eat a poisonous plant called milkweed. So, don’t touch them.

Hyacinths are lovely little flowers that wouldn’t look out of place in any yard. At the same time, though, their bulbs are also known for giving gardeners nasty rashes, with specialist Melinda Myers sharing her experience on Real Simple’s website. She recalled, “When I worked at a greenhouse I always used gloves. But once I touched my eye after planting hyacinth bulbs, and it was itchy and gross.”

During a chat with Loyola University, biology teacher David Rivers shared a story about brown recluse spiders. He said, “When I was in the National Guard, a friend of mine got bit by a brown recluse and had to be discharged from basic training. They’re not uncommon. When they bite, sometimes you get lucky and nothing happens. If you’re unlucky, it can cause tissue death.”

If you’ve never touched a bullet ant before, try to keep it that way. The insect boasts a sting that could leave you screaming. Bug expert Justin O. Schmidt provided a pretty vivid description of it to the Western Exterminator Company’s website. He said, “[It’s] pure, intense pain. Like walking over flaming charcoal with a three-inch nail embedded in your heel.”

We’ve got a message to share to all of the elderberry fans out there – please don’t handle any that you find outside. If they’re still on an elder tree, the unripe fruit will be laced in a compound called glycoside. Even the smallest amount of contact can leave a sore mark on your skin. And eating them is definitely out of the question!

With beautiful white-and-brown markings peppering its shell, the geographic cone snail is a truly eye-catching Pacific marine animal. It’s also the most poisonous of its kind. Ah. We knew there’d be a catch. Shockingly, there’s no way to fight off the poison if you’re exposed. Instead, you’ve just got to hope that it subsides before it kills you.

Planning to head to the African continent for a vacation? Before you do, keep this in mind: Tsetse flies are prominent bugs in those countries, and you need to try your best to avoid them. Some of the insects carry a parasitic ailment named sleeping sickness, which gets passed on through their bites. It’s a serious illness that could potentially kill you.

In case you couldn’t tell by its moniker, the pain bush is a plant to be avoided at all costs. It’s found in South Africa and is sometimes referred to as African poison ivy. Anyway, Britannica revealed that the bush releases toxins called heptadecyl catechols via its sap. By touching it, you’ll be left with a “livid swollen rash” and some blistering for a number of days.

Trust us, no one wants to receive a kiss from these insects! Kissing bugs roam America's southern states, and touching them should be the last thing on your mind. After all, many of them have a parasitic ailment called Chagas disease. This illness can be contracted if the insect’s poop mixes into your blood when it bites you. Yuck.

Brazilian wandering spiders are our worst nightmare. Not only are they huge, but their poison is ridiculously potent. Dr. Sewlal provided a bit more insight to Live Science in 2014. She said, “When threatened, they’ll raise their first two pairs of legs. Their bites are a means of self-defense and only done if they’re provoked intentionally or by accident.” Touch them? No chance!

Looking for some plants to spruce up your home? Well, a Swiss cheese plant — whose more formal name is the Latinate Monstera deliciosa — or indeed a philodendron might seem like ideal picks at first. Yet these bits of greenery aren’t as innocent as they appear. Website Real Simple reported that their makeup includes calcium oxalate crystals. Now, such toxins won’t harm your mitts, but you can accidentally transfer them to your mouth. Should that happen, you’ll be sore for a bit.

How about this for a warning? When Rivers spoke of the red fire ant population in America, he didn’t pull his punches. The biology teacher told Loyola University Maryland’s website, “They’re known to be one of the most aggressive insects that exist. They’ll actually chase you. They’re among the top-ten threats to agriculture because they will destroy anything in their path.”

If you ever take to the waters off northern Australia, try to keep your eyes open for the box jellyfish. Should you spot one, swim away as quickly as you can. The website of magazine National Geographic stated that the animal harbors some of the most lethal poison on the planet. So, a single sting could realistically kill you. Scary stuff.

Manchineel trees might look fairly innocuous, but don’t take that as a sign to get up close and personal with them. As Britannica noted, parts of the Floridian tree are loaded with a harmful toxin named phorbol. It’ll hurt your skin in an instant. Oh, and try not to take shelter under its branches when it rains. The compound can mix with the water and hit you with some painful drips. Ouch!

The puss caterpillar might look like a huggable plush toy, but you’ll quickly regret touching it. These unique insects are found in America’s southern states, and they boast follicles that are surprisingly poisonous. Yep, they’ll stick to your skin in no time, ahead of a very rough 60 minutes or so. The affected area will feel inflamed and sore, while other responses range from puffiness to breathing issues.

Though wolves can pose a risk, they usually avoid human contact. But starvation, confrontation or even rabies can override their innate fear of humans. Furthermore, these canines are aggressive hunters capable of exerting a bite force of up to 1,200 pounds if they feel under threat. And in terms of risks to us, experts estimate that wolves are responsible for ten human deaths a year on average.

White snakeroot plants are bad news, folks. These bits of flora house a hazardous toxin called tremetol, so stay as far away from them as you can. But even that might not be enough to avoid its dangers. You see, Ranker reported that cows can sometimes consume the flowers, and when they do, it’s not unheard of for the chemicals to contaminate the animal’s milk.

Wondering why Africanized bees are sometimes referred to as “killer bees”? Well, here’s your answer! These bugs attack en masse when their home is threatened, chasing the culprit in their thousands. According to the British Natural History Museum’s website, roughly 1,000 stings are capable of putting a person down for good. They’re among the last things you’d want to touch or disturb.

Okay, we need to clear something up here. Even though the name would suggest otherwise, eastern velvet ants aren’t actually ants. Instead, they’re colorful wasps that pack a monstrous sting capable of doing real harm. That’s how the bugs got their ominous “Cow Killer” nickname! Bearing that in mind, touching them is a big no-no.

Here’s a solid piece of advice for you — never touch or eat castor beans. Why? Well, they contain a very dangerous poison called ricin. Viewers of Breaking Bad will recognize that name! For the rest of you, though, just know this: the toxin is more than capable of taking your life if it enters your system.

Reaching lengths of more than 20 feet and weighing up to 2,200 pounds, saltwater crocodiles are deadly survivors from a prehistoric age and they aggressively prey on humans foolish enough to wander into in their patch. Hugely fast and powerful, there is only one way to avoid attack: stay away. Far away. We hear Norway’s nice at this time of year.

If you ever happen to visit Thailand, be on the look-out for this particular creepy crawler. Though it’s only an inch long, the shocking pink dragon millipede can certainly pack a punch. It has glands which emit an almond-like odor which actually contains potassium cyanide and can kill a human being.

Have you been bitten by something in the sea with no obvious side effects? Seek medical help quickly, since the yellow-bellied sea snake’s highly potent and slow-acting venom can turn into an organ-failing, muscle-destroying agent of paralysis that has been known to kill. Its bite actually contains multiple venom types including a number of neurotoxins and isotoxins.

For our money, angel’s trumpet might be the coolest name we’ve ever seen for a type of flora. It’s fantastic! Mind you, as lovely as the flowers are, there’s a pretty big black mark for them, too. As per the website Gardenista, the plant is poisonous from top to bottom, and it can kill both animals and people.

With 300 serrated teeth and a mouth like the gateway to hell, the great white shark was made all the more infamous by the movie Jaws. But the real-life version almost lives up to its fictional portrayal. It’s the shark species responsible for attacking the most humans to date, with up to 272 recorded encounters by 2012.

The bulldog ant is officially the most dangerous creature of its kind in the world, according to Guinness World Records. These ferocious little creatures sink their toothed jaws into their victims and then hold on, administering a venomous sting several times over. And their poison is powerful enough to kill a human being in only 15 minutes.

Africa’s black mamba is apparently the second longest venomous snake species in the world. To begin with, its bite poisons victims every single time, and each attack injects around 120 milligrams of venom...and only up to 15 milligrams is needed to kill a human. And if you try to run, good luck — they are the fastest terrestrial snake in the world.

Don’t panic, rhubarb fans! This tasty vegetable is still a-okay to tuck into at home. Its leaves are a different story, however. Taste of Home magazine’s website reported that those bits of greenery house oxalic acid. To put it simply, if you eat lots of rhubarb leaves, you’ll be badly poisoned. We’d keep our hands away from that area going forward.

When grizzly bears get into contact with humans, they can be a real and very dangerous threat. Growing up to nearly three meters long and weighing nearly 500 pounds on average, grizzlies are unstoppable mountains of muscle. Furthermore, their bite can be more powerful than that of a tiger and their jaws have apparently been strong enough to crush human skulls in the past.

Spiders are nightmare-inducing for many people, but this one has fangs bigger than some snakes, and they are hard enough to pierce through shoes and toenails. The Sydney funnel-web spider is an eight-legged terror capable of bringing death through respiratory failure. Apparently, its neurotoxic bite is known to have killed a child in 15 minutes.

Move aside Jaws, there’s a new game in town. Tiger sharks are not picky eaters and will take a bite out of anything — including humans. Although it’s reckoned that they have killed fewer people than the great white, they have also attacked fewer people, too.

If we’re going on looks alone, the hemlock plant doesn’t appear to be particularly dangerous. Yet that mindset will quickly change once you get nearer to it. Purdue University’s website noted that the greenery has potent chemicals that can be passed on via contact. You can breathe the stuff in as well. Honestly, it’s bad news all around.

With a name like this, it’s not going to be cuddly. The death adder lives up to its billing, with a paralytic bite that shuts down its victim’s breathing system if left untreated. And before the availability of a working anti-venom, around 50 percent of bite sufferers died. Oh, and it’s also the fastest-striking snake in the world.

Although lions are known as the king of the beasts, tigers are also a solid contender to the crown. They’re larger on average, just as deadly, and their dwindling habitat again puts them into conflict with people. The Guinness World Records lists one Bengal tigress known as the Champawat Tiger as the deadliest of the species. This one animal was apparently responsible for approximately 436 fatalities before it was brought down in 1907.

Unlike many other snakes, which don’t tend to attack unless deliberately or unwittingly provoked, the mulga snake has been known to bite victims while they sleep. Often, it doesn’t just bite, but has a good old chew in order to inject more nerve — and muscle — dissolving venom. And to make things even worse, the wound bleeds profusely, too.

Providing that the outer covering is intact, rosary peas are technically safe to handle, although we’d still be a little wary. You see, if the skin receives even the slightest rupture, you’ll be exposed to its abrin contents. This chemical is extremely dangerous, so the last thing you want to do is introduce it into your system. The results could be catastrophic.

Scorpions have a particularly dangerous reputation, and it’s widely believed that these arachnidas are responsible for roughly 1,000 deaths each year in Mexico alone. Deathstalkers are among the most lethal of their breed with a tiny sting which paralyzes its victims and can cause respiratory and heart failure.

With dagger-like teeth, a quick temper, and — most importantly — its preference for shallow water, the bull shark is considered more dangerous to humans than both the tiger and great white sharks. Quick to bite swimmers partly due to its keenness at swimming in shallow waters, around 30 percent of its attacks are fatal.

They might look like amusing grumpy balloons, but the tetrodoxin venom produced by pufferfish is no laughing matter. Each one carries enough of the stuff to kill 30 people and it’s 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide. Interestingly, pufferfish is actually a delicacy, but it can be a deadly one if it’s not properly prepared.

Thanks to its purple bulb and eye-catching berries, you won’t be able to look away from the belladonna plant once it’s in your sights. It’s a striking flower. Handling it is out of the question, though. The Healthline website reported that any kind of contact will cause a sore mark to emerge. And don’t even think about nibbling on a berry. That’s a surefire way to poison yourself.

It’s no secret that climate change is threatening the environment of polar bears. However, studies show it’s also adversely affecting their behavior as well. The melting of the Arctic sea ice is increasingly putting these hungry beasts into contact with humans. And given that polar bears can weigh up to 1,500 pounds and potentially measure three meters, they aren’t to be scoffed at.

One of the deadliest creatures in the world, if you were bitten by the blue-ringed octopus you might not even notice it until the blindness, complete paralysis, and respiratory failure kick in. The venom administered by its often-painless bite is so powerful that it can kill in minutes — and there’s no known anti-venom.

The king of the savanna is up to 500 pounds of predatory cat with teeth like daggers and eviscerating claws. To put that into perspective, they compete with crocodiles for prey — and that’s not all. They also have the occasional propensity for killing humans, and have deliberately targeted them in the past. Indeed, statistics published in Nature from Tanzania found that lions attacked 563 people over 15 years from 1990.

The portly hippopotamus may look cuddly, but leave your first impressions at the door. Hippos are believed to be the most dangerous land mammal in Africa, and are known to have a short fuse and a tendency to capsize boats. The animal’s combination of sheer power, unpredictability, and aggression leads to an estimated 500 deaths a year, though some experts believe the number could be as high as 3000.

Giant hogweed more than lives up to its billing: these plants can reach roughly 6 feet in height. And they aren’t just physically imposing. As Ranker revealed, the hogweed’s sap is capable of inflicting serious damage to your skin. Plus, it could also lead to blindness should it ever get close to your peepers. What a terrifying thought.

Spotted hyenas are known for their laughter-like call and their propensity for scavenging. But with jaws powerful enough to crush bone and stomachs strong enough to digest it, they’re also dangerous predators. They’ve even been known to take to urban environments to prey on the homeless in places such as the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, where up to 1,000 of them live.

Renowned for their intelligence and potential for empathy, elephants are beautiful creatures. But given that human habitation is overlapping with the elephants’ own and they are being increasingly poached, clashes are becoming more common. And according to National Geographic, these beasts kill around 500 people every year.

Sailors used to fear giant squid, but the real terror of the sea is a fair bit smaller. Meet the Humboldt squid, aka the “red devil” on account of the sinister red color it flashes when it’s exited or angry. They attack prey – including humans – in packs of up to 1,200 individuals. The worst is their beak, which diver Scott Cassell told the Telegraph can “mechanically amputate your hand.”

The porcupine tomato plant is fascinating, featuring as it does a host of colorful spikes which pepper its leaves and stalks. For that reason alone, touching it would be asking for trouble, right? Yet that’s not the only threat it poses. The website Gardening Knowhow reported that the flower also contains tropane alkaloids — compounds which are extremely hazardous.

Everything about the tiny golden poison dart frog screams “don’t touch me” — including its bright titular warning color. That’s good advice, too, since the frog’s skin secretes a heart-restricting alkaloid toxin. In fact, its body contains enough of it to kill two African elephants, 10,000 mice, or up to 20 humans.

Deer — yes, the frolicking animal popularized by Bambi — made the list of the world’s deadliest animals, but it’s not because of direct attacks or acts of aggression on their part. Instead, it is their presence near roads which leads to numerous road accidents annually. Apparently, there are some 200 deaths every year across America due to vehicle collisions with deer, according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica.

One of the deadliest snakes worldwide — thank you, Australia — the coastal taipan’s venom is highly toxic. In fact, without antivenom, there’s been only one known survivor, and the toxin turned the victim’s blood temporarily black. Its neurotoxic poison attacks the nervous system and prevents the body from being able to clot blood, meaning someone who is stung can die in as little as half an hour.

Chimps are our closest genetic relatives in the animal kingdom, but they are also much more powerful than us. They’re aggressive, smart, and their different types of muscle tissues make them stronger than humans. But once more, habitat loss incites wild chimpanzees to turn on people, and a number of attacks on babies in particular have even been recorded.

Cover up — that’s all we can say if you need to get close to a monkshood plant. Please don’t ignore that advice! You see, this flower won’t just give you a nasty rash when it touches your exposed skin. On top of that, it’ll leave you feeling sick and dizzy for a time, too.

You know a snake is going to be bad to the bone when it’s named after a ferocious giant cat. Characterized by the striped patterns on its body, the tiger snake’s neurotoxin causes numbness, sweating, paralysis, and, if it’s untreated, the venom has a 40-60 percent chance of killing you.

Asian giant hornets are fierce, ill-tempered, and indiscriminate in their attacks. Their potent two-inch stingers inject a necrotising venom that can destroy cell tissue and even haemorrhage skin. Victims then face the threat of multiple organ failure. It’s no surprise, then, that Asian giant hornets kill 40 people a year, according to experts.

No, you haven’t stumbled on a different list. Believe it or not, cattle are one of the deadliest creatures in the world. It’s not surprising when you think about it: a small cow breed can weigh as much as 1,000 pounds, after all. Incredibly, they are the most dangerous animal in Britain, and between 2000 and 2015 they killed 74 people, according to the Health and Safety Executive.

While spurge plants are quite easy on the eye, you shouldn’t get too comfortable around them. As per the website Science 101, they exude a toxic sap that could leave you in a lot of pain. Yes, puffiness, blisters and soreness have all been attributed to touching these flowers, so watch your hands.

There’s no doubt that dogs have earned their title of man’s best friend since their early domestication. They’re loyal and unconditionally loving companions to many of us, but everyone gets ill sometimes. And while aggressive encounters don’t often end fatally, dogs sick from rabies claim up to 35,000 lives annually through disease transference, according to Business Insider.

The idea of having another creature invade your body is terrifying, but that’s exactly what tapeworms do. These parasites can be found in meat that is either undercooked or prepared in a dirty environment. The danger they pose is real: these parasitic worms cause the deaths of around 2,000 people per year, according to CNET.

One of the most unassuming killers on this list, the common freshwater snail is host to a horrifying surprise. These gastropods spread disease by releasing parasites into fresh water and can cause a condition known as schistosomiasis. This can lead to infected intestines, pain in the abdomen, and, if humans have been infected for a while, bladder cancer or kidney failure. Apparently, up to 200,000 people die from the illness each year.

The gympie gympie plant is a scary piece of flora found in Indonesia and Australia. It’s the mother of all stinging nettles, leaving those who touch it in absolute agony. Britannica revealed that some folks have actually fallen into anaphylactic shock thanks to the discomfort. In the weeks after, other individuals have still suffered lasting after-effects, which they have likened to the sensation of dipping their body in acid. Crazy, right?

Yes, the common mosquito is the world’s deadliest insect. The creature’s penchant for bloodsucking makes it a conduit for all kinds of illnesses. A particular threat is malaria, and the mosquito is apparently responsible for around one million deaths a year just through transmitting this one illness.