# What is the most Vicious animal on the planet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 30, 2002, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-vicious-animal-on-the-planet/121456 "2002-07-30T00:16:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-vicious-animal-on-the-planet/121456/1 "2002-07-30T00:16:48Z")
I am having a bit of a discussion with Mrs.Phlosphr, we are wondering what is the most vicious animal on the planet? Our criteria included the following: The animal must possess these qualities: It has to be Fierce, savage, dangerously aggressive, violent. Here is the top 5 for us: 1=most vicious 5=least vicious 1=wolverine 2=Crocodile 3=mountain lion 4=our cat 5= Hippopotomus 4 is obviously a joke, but what do you all think about the other’s? What is the most vicious animal on the planet? Reptiles count! ---
**Author:** ![mazzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@mazzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazzer)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-vicious-animal-on-the-planet/121456/2 "2002-07-30T00:24:51Z")
Humans. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-vicious-animal-on-the-planet/121456/3 "2002-07-30T00:26:16Z")
Those you list are all total wimps compared to the [Short-tailed Shrew](http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/blarina/b._brevicauda) _Blarina brevicauda_. > [@](#): > > Short-tailed shrews are voracious eaters and must feed frequently . . . It is estimated that they consume and metabolize as much as three times their weight in food per day. . . . > The submaxillary salivary glands of Blarina brevicauda produce a toxic material which is effective in subduing its prey. This enables it to prey upon animals much larger than itself, including salamanders, frogs, snakes, mice, birds, and other shrews. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-vicious-animal-on-the-planet/121456/4 "2002-07-30T00:28:42Z")
I was going to nominate either amoeba or hammerhead shark, but I can’t decide. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-vicious-animal-on-the-planet/121456/5 "2002-07-30T00:29:42Z")
[Also:](http://www.alienexplorer.com/ecology/m117.html) > [@](#): > > The short-tailed shrew is a ferocious mammal for its size. It bites its victim in the throat or face. Its saliva is poisonous and paralyses small victims almost instantly. It then drags its new food to its nest. It sometimes starts to eat its victim while it is still alive. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-vicious-animal-on-the-planet/121456/6 "2002-07-30T00:33:34Z")
It’s really not an answerable question. There are a number of animals out there that we would perceive as being pretty aggressive for whatever reason. But trying to give a definitive answer as to which is _most_ aggressive brings up too many confounding factors and the old “apples and oranges” issue. Still, as regards your list, I wouldn’t really rate mountain lions as being anywhere near the top. The are solitary, generally avoid people, and are no more aggressive than any other big cat ( and probably less so than some ). Hippos can be very aggressive and unpredictable - If you held a gun to my head I suppose that would be my pick. With crocodiles it varies with the species. Wolverines can be nasty customers, there’s no doubt and will outfight critters many times their size. However the same can be said for a number of mustelids, including the American Badger - Wolverines just seem worse because they’re bigger and participate a little higher on the food chain. But I saw a special once with a couple that had raised a couple of orphaned wolverine cubs and they were surprisingly affectionate as adults towards their human keepers :). - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-vicious-animal-on-the-planet/121456/7 "2002-07-30T00:36:22Z")
I read a quote once - “Pound for pound, the amoeba is the most vicious animal on the planet.” Undoubtedly facetious, but just the idea of it cracks me up. ---
**Author:** ![Slugworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Slugworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slugworth)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-vicious-animal-on-the-planet/121456/8 "2002-07-30T00:36:23Z")
Camel Spider ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-vicious-animal-on-the-planet/121456/9 "2002-07-30T00:37:54Z")
Ah, yes - The Shorttailed Shrew is a pretty good answer :). But howabout the ferocious Grasshopper Mouse ( no kidding 😉 ): > **[wcsscience.com is for sale | HugeDomains](https://www.hugedomains.com/domain_profile.cfm?d=wcsscience&e=com)** > > Get this domain name before someone else does. Quick and painless shopping. Affordable payment options available. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-vicious-animal-on-the-planet/121456/10 "2002-07-30T00:50:52Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Slugworth \* \*\*Camel Spider \*\*[/QUOTE You mean that awful Middle Eastern spider the size of a dinner plate that has a pretty good land speed and jumps onto people’s faces while they’re sleeping? \ ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-vicious-animal-on-the-planet/121456/11 "2002-07-30T01:10:14Z")
**Zoggie** : No, Camel Spiders aren’t spiders per se - They’re a different Arachnid order. They’re also called Sun Spiders or Wind Scorpions. Fast-moving, active, voracious predators. [http://ag.arizona.edu/urbanipm/scorpions/solpugids.html](http://ag.arizona.edu/urbanipm/scorpions/solpugids.html) [http://wrbu.si.edu/www/stockwell/photos/solpugid2.jpg](http://wrbu.si.edu/www/stockwell/photos/solpugid2.jpg) - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-vicious-animal-on-the-planet/121456/12 "2002-07-30T01:11:47Z")
Here’s another brief article on them: [http://www.arabianwildlife.com/nature/insect/ins09.html](http://www.arabianwildlife.com/nature/insect/ins09.html) - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-vicious-animal-on-the-planet/121456/13 "2002-07-30T01:16:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tamerlane \* > \*\*Here’s another brief article on them: > > [http://www.arabianwildlife.com/nature/insect/ins09.html](http://www.arabianwildlife.com/nature/insect/ins09.html) > > - Tamerlane \*\* Here’s a doper post on them [Hell hath no fury like a Camel Spider?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=93946&highlight=camel+spider) > [@](#): > > I just read Doug’s reply to the question of how likely spiders are to bite, which reminded me of a story I heard a few weeks ago. Apparantley a friend of a friend that lives in southern Arizona was unexpectedly attacked by a giant spider that bit him on the face. After brushing off the spider onto the ground, the victim claimed that the spider had 10 legs, 2 of which were raised in the air. The spider then hissed like a snake, and ran after the victim, chasing down and catching a 20 year old man running away at full sprint, bit him on the leg, then ran away after being shook off. The victim then drove himself to the hospital after the spider caused deep, tearing gashes that felt numb like the spider had novacaine for venom. ---
**Author:** ![Caught\_Work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-vicious-animal-on-the-planet/121456/14 "2002-07-30T01:44:35Z")
The beast otherwise known as the ‘Mother-In-Law’. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-vicious-animal-on-the-planet/121456/15 "2002-07-30T01:44:35Z")
WOW!! Oddly enough the short tailed shrew was on our original list. My dear wife added ‘our cat’ at the last minute. I agree though pound for pound the shrew is very ferocious, savage even, but most certainly violent. The spider some of you are eluding to. Both my wife and I lived in Tempe Arizona for 4 years whilst attending ASU. We then moved Briefly to Oracle AZ, where we worked at the Bio-Sphere. This was just north of Tucson AZ. We saw lots of snakes, and during the monsoon saw plenty of huge Tarantula Spiders, but nothing ever let us believe they were ferocious enough to be put on this list. Once though, we saw our cat ‘Paddy’ covered in Tarantulas after a big rain, she ran outside to kill all the invaders coming out of their small caves…she was innundated by the large arachnids and had to be hosed off promptly. It was a horrific scene, but one we will never forget. As for thr nominees for most vicious animal…I’d say the amoeba is a good guess, but lets stick to non-primate, non-microscopic, life-forms. And still try and remain objective. ---
**Author:** ![Albert\_Rose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Albert\_Rose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Albert_Rose)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-vicious-animal-on-the-planet/121456/16 "2002-07-30T02:29:11Z")
This thread is better than the Discovery channel! ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-vicious-animal-on-the-planet/121456/17 "2002-07-30T02:33:07Z")
Contrary to what most people say, the most dangerous animal in the world is not the lion or the tiger or even the elephant. It’s a shark riding on an elephant’s back, just trampling and eating everything they see. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-vicious-animal-on-the-planet/121456/18 "2002-07-30T02:39:47Z")
(My apologies for taking up bandwidth, but **Phlosphr’s** e-mail isn’t available via profile.) > [@](#): > > Briefly to Oracle AZ, where we worked at the Bio-Sphere. Hey there! When were you at the bubble? Did you know Padeye? Hmm… has a cat name Paddy. _Are_ you Padeye? I was a student in '97, loved every minute of it. Thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Mephisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Mephisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mephisto)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-vicious-animal-on-the-planet/121456/19 "2002-07-30T02:55:57Z")
Dogs, particularly those bred and trained for viciousness? Tasmanian devils? Badgers? Bears can be extremely fierce, savage, and dangerously aggressive. There’s some geese down by the lake by my house that meet the criteria. At least I think they’re geese–I’m not from around here and don’t know about the local waterfowl. Big white ducks (groin high on me) with orange bills that have a hump near where they meet the head. Whenever anyone goes near them they hiss and honk and start to move, as a group, toward the interloper in an aggressive manner. They also attack the ducks in the lake whenever there’s a good food source nearby (like kids with stale bread). They’re really quite frightening. My nieces call them the humpheads and won’t go near them. Anyway . . . What about snakes? ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-vicious-animal-on-the-planet/121456/20 "2002-07-30T03:05:46Z")
Well I just asked my roommate, Mr. Solpugid Expert, whether Camel Spiders were more vicious than Hippos. His response - “Not in water”. 😃 - Tamerlane [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-vicious-animal-on-the-planet/121456.md?page=2)