# Scariest animal? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 17, 2004, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-animal/260225 "2004-08-17T10:58:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-animal/260225/21 "2004-08-18T00:57:02Z")
> [@bughunter](#): > > Ahh, but they can do [this](http://cellar.org/pictures/giraffetongue.jpg)! Oh. My. GOD! ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-animal/260225/22 "2004-08-18T01:09:45Z")
Giraffe, that was hilarious. That was the best laugh I’ve had in days. Thanks. 😃 I was going to say Komodo Dragon or Polar Bear but if we are being realistic about what we might actually run into then I may have to go with wasp after being terroized by one by my front door when I came home today. ---
**Author:** ![Selkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Selkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Selkie)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-animal/260225/23 "2004-08-18T01:22:40Z")
> [@plnnr](#): > > Crocodiles and/or alligators scare the bejeebus out of me. I think it is those reptilian eyes and ALL THOSE TEETH. What a nasty way to go - chomped down on by a gator and pulled down under the water. But they’re such amazing animals! One of the highlights of my adult life was getting to “meet” a basking wild alligator up close. Up very close. As in, my request to a local to take me somewhere to see a wild alligator wound up with me walking up about a foot away from a six footer before I saw it. In a lake with two signs: “No swimming” “Do not feed the alligators” Methinks one of those signs was redundant. My nominees for scary critters: [Assassin bugs](http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il.us/4th/kkhp/1insects/assassin.html) Portuguese man o’war [Weta](http://masseynews.massey.ac.nz/magazine/2001_Apr/images/weta%20in%20hand%20.jpg) And an honorable mention to the very ill-tempered [Cape Buffalo](http://www.dumasafari.com/photos/cape-buffalo-mikumi-park.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-animal/260225/24 "2004-08-18T01:28:48Z")
The most horrifying of all animals are those unidentified little singing (?) mutants in the Quiznos commercials. ---
**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-animal/260225/25 "2004-08-18T05:21:55Z")
**Inigo Montoya** , everybody’s a proofreader. 😉 I could have sworn that I typed “kimono dragon” into Google, and it asked, “Do you mean _komono dragon_?” I figured that was it. Of course it wasn’t, because it’s komo **d** o. :smack: If anything, the potential to get the name confused makes it even more scary. After I started the thread I thought of the camel spider was surprised to see that no one listed it. I know that it has been discussed to death, but they seem to have earned quite a reputation, whether they deserve it or not. What about if an animal isn’t in its own environment? Like one gets away from a zoo or something and you see it walking down the street towards you? That eliminates anything in the water, and alligators or crocodiles (they can’t move that fast, can they?). Bugs are pretty scary, because they have the stealth thing going for them, so I don’t know if they should count. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-animal/260225/26 "2004-08-18T05:27:01Z")
> [@bughunter](#): > > Ahh, but they can do [this](http://cellar.org/pictures/giraffetongue.jpg)! Can’t everyone? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-animal/260225/27 "2004-08-18T05:50:09Z")
The only time I ever saw The Crocodile Hunter really freaked out was when he got chased by a Komodo Dragon so that has to be up there. I’d have to go with the King Cobra though. I don’t know whether or not they regularly attack humans but they inject piles of venom to make up for the fact that their venom isn’t the most toxic (if I recall correctly) and look very scary when they get their hood up and are ready to pounce. There is nothing I would want to encounter less. It probably doesn’t help that I am absolutely petrified of snakes. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-animal/260225/28 "2004-08-18T09:57:45Z")
> [@bughunter](#): > > Ahh, but they can do [this](http://cellar.org/pictures/giraffetongue.jpg)! If men could do that, we wouldn’t need to vocalize either. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-animal/260225/29 "2004-08-18T10:41:35Z")
> [@drm](#): > > The only time I ever saw The Crocodile Hunter really freaked out was when he got chased by a Komodo Dragon so that has to be up there. > > I’d have to go with the King Cobra though. I don’t know whether or not they regularly attack humans but they inject piles of venom to make up for the fact that their venom isn’t the most toxic (if I recall correctly) and look very scary when they get their hood up and are ready to pounce. There is nothing I would want to encounter less. It probably doesn’t help that I am absolutely petrified of snakes. You want to take the word of a bloke who always swims in his clothes? Shit if he can’t sort out appropriate swimming gear… Komodo dragons are a pretty good tourist attraction now. I have an idiot brother who was on a “watch the goat” get eaten tour. He loved it. My vote goes to hippoes or polar bears. ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-animal/260225/30 "2004-08-18T11:58:43Z")
> [@calm kiwi](#): > > My vote goes to hippoes or polar bears. Did anyone else read that as _hippies_ or polar bears at first? ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-animal/260225/31 "2004-08-18T12:04:09Z")
Flower power is a scary thing 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-animal/260225/32 "2004-08-18T14:08:28Z")
> [@Tentacle Monster](#): > > Did anyone else read that as _hippies_ or polar bears at first? I did. I had this image of some poor bastard holding the last bag of Funions at a Dead show … The last thing you see will be a wall of tie-dye bearing down on you. _shudder_ ---
**Author:** ![Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bites_when_provoked/32/18073_2.png) [@Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bites_When_Provoked)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-animal/260225/33 "2004-08-18T14:39:21Z")
> [@Tentacle Monster](#): > > Did anyone else read that as _hippies_ or polar bears at first? Yes! Right up until you queried it, at which point I re-read carefully. Personally, I’d go with polar bears. They’re nasty nasty guys and will track you for miles. (but they’re sooooo cute!) ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-animal/260225/34 "2004-08-18T14:53:41Z")
Deer. That’s right. Gentle, vegetarian, leave-me-alone-and-I’ll-leave-you-alone **deer**. Because I am 100 percent, utterly convinced that I _will_ wrap my car around a deer some day, and that I’m not likely to survive the experience. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-animal/260225/35 "2004-08-18T15:17:21Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > The most horrifying of all animals are those unidentified little singing (?) mutants in the Quiznos commercials. [If you insist…](http://www.rathergood.com/moon_song/) ---
**Author:** ![paulberserker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@paulberserker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paulberserker)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-animal/260225/36 "2004-08-18T15:31:06Z")
Although i’m likely to come across neither in the next week or so, I wouldn’t particularly want to be caught swimming at night with either Humboldt Squid or around Hippoes. Or for that matter I wouldn’t have thought swimming anywhere near a Giant Squid would be much fun if it decided you were going to be its 11o’clock snack. Being dragged to your death while simultaneously drowning and being eaten by a big fuck off beak? No thanks. Land animals don’t particularly bother me that much. The Bee that was the size of my fist buzzing around on Sunday afternoon wasn’t in my best interest to be around though. ---
**Author:** ![Dob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Dob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dob)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-animal/260225/37 "2004-08-18T15:38:43Z")
The spider…any spider. Something about them just freaks me out!! And they know it!! Any spider in a hundred yard radius will find its way to me. I think its a spider-world joke… ---
**Author:** ![BadBadger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@BadBadger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BadBadger)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-animal/260225/38 "2004-08-18T16:00:00Z")
Gotta agree with the spider thing, any. Cept maybe the really little ones cause you’d just feel stupid shying from them. I submit to you [CANDIRU](http://www.exile.ru/168/schoepenhauer_awards.html) This is the parasite that swims up your arse, or even up your stream of piss :eek: ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-animal/260225/39 "2004-08-18T18:27:33Z")
I’m surprised that nobody has mentioned rats. They can be found almost everywhere. Many species are excellent climbers. They can eventually chew their way through almost any barrier. They are aggressive and become even moreso if cornered. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-animal/260225/40 "2004-08-18T19:18:07Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > I’m surprised that nobody has mentioned rats. They can be found almost everywhere. Many species are excellent climbers. They can eventually chew their way through almost any barrier. They are aggressive and become even moreso if cornered. You know, I was doing okay with the hippos and the polar bears, and even the spiders. But now I’m going to be thinking about rats while I’m trying to sleep and I blame the resultant freak-out on you. 🙂 Sharks scare the crap out of me. But there’s an easy way to avoid sharks–dont’ go swimming. I can deal with my fear of sharks. Snakes don’t bother me (much), nor do bears, coyotes, alligators, etc. Wild turkeys. You laugh, but I kid you not. There’s a bunch of wild turkeys that live in the woods above my house, and occasionally they take a field trip to the parking lot. Nothing starts your morning off like being chased to your car by three wild turkeys in full gobble mode. My memory may have exaggerated the event, but I’m fairly certain one of them said “Get the cranberry sauce” as they closed in. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-animal/260225.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-animal/260225.md?page=3)